LIVE IM SCHÜTZENHAUS

This was the very first recording by THE UNITED JAZZ + ROCK ENSEMBLE and it's a live one from Germany in 1977. A nine piece band here but this is a group who's lineup changed throughout the years. In existence until 2002 I believe. Eberhard Weber was responsible for putting this band together and it's not a surprise he has Jon Hisemen on drums. The former GREENSLADE member was also in ET CETERA a band Weber was part of and keyboardist Wolfgang Dauner who's on here too. What a band! I mean the band ET CETERA. We also get fellow Germans Albert Mangelsdorff on trombone and I have no idea who he is. I do know the guitarist Volker Kriegel quite well. That's the German content then add Ack Van Rooyen on trumpet and flugelhorn and no I don't know him. Barbara Thompson on flute and sax along with fellow British members Ian Carr and Jon Hisemen. Hisemen also played with Barbara Thompson. How about American Charlie Mariano on sax and that nadaswaram giving this album an ethnic vibe at least on one song. Killer lineup but how's the music you ask?

My favourite song by far on here is "Hey Day" an Ian Carr's composition that steals the show. This was also true of their first studio album "Teamwork" where Ian's song "Gone With The Weed" stood above the rest. I love that guy. "Hey Day" sounds like it could have been on one of those early NUCLEUS albums, it's that good. The melancholy and insane trumpet work from Ian makes this a must hear for NUCLEUS fans like me. Mariano's sole composition is called "South Indian Line" with that nadaswaram giving this a very East Indian vibe but I really like this one. An intense number at times with Barb on flute. Volker Kriegel wrote a couple of tracks and the guitarist is so talented. I have a few of his albums. He made the opener "Circus Gambit" and "Hypnotic Pignose". I like the way the opener builds then the horns come in blasting. I like how inventive those horns are later in this song. The latter track Volker did is all about the energy. Love the bass here too. Dauner created "Steps Of M.C. Escher" and it's all about the horns and piano. Dauner composed the final two tracks as well.

I appreciate this more than the first studio album they recorded. Again Ian Carr is just so talented but then so is the whole band.