released August 31, 1995

REVIEWS

Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD: 3 ½ Stars
All Music Guide: 4 Stars

"When Manfred Schulze was forced to abandon his performing activities with the Brass Quintet because of illness, the group split. Trombonist Johannes Bauer and saxophonist Manfred Hering knew that his music, whatever he was writing, would be lost unless it was recorded. To that end, with the composer's permission, they assembled a new Brass Quintet that included a trumpet in the mix and left out the flutes. The music here was recorded live at a concert for Schulze's 60th birthday. Perhaps what this recording does more than anything else is reveal what exactly it is that Schulze contributed to free improvisation, jazz, and "new" music. In the jazz world, he invented not just the ways and means to improvise over particular chord changes or intervallic invention, but more than that, he invented new concepts surrounding the terrain from which improvisation travels. In "Quintett No. 1" and again in "Quintett No. 12," Schulze's use of layered harmonics is employed often by Rova, and in the '80s, the World Saxophone Quartet too adopted the new modalities introduced here by "Konzertino," a vibrant, joyous, and lusty piece of music. Polytonality was a constant concern for Schulze and in these ensemble pieces the full rainbow effect is in evidence — the timbral elegance in "Hymne" allows the clarinet to reveal its individual singing voice amid the droning squawk of the baritone and tenor saxophones. Recreating the Brass Quintet without Schulze's own saxophones blazing or whispering was a risky maneuver, but it is obvious that the gamble made by Hering and Bauer paid off handsomely."
- All Music Guide

"Imagine a rougher, more intense, less disciplined version of the World Saxophone Quartet, and you’ll begin to see the picture. A quintet comprised of Germany’s top woodwind and brass players collaborate on these extended pieces written by German saxophonist/composer Manfred Schulze. As each one of the players blasts the next one out of the stormy waters, you just know that this rates at least an earth-shattering nine on the Beaufort scale."
- Exclaim!

Manfred Schulze Bläserquintett
Paul Schwingenschlögl: trumpet
Manfred Hering: alto and soprano saxophone, clarinet
Heiner Reinhardt: tenor and soprano saxophone
Gert Anklam: baritone saxophone
Johannes Bauer: trombone

Recorded live by Jost Gebers on September 9th, 1994, during the Free Concerts series at the Townhall Charlottenburg in Berlin.

Mixed and mastered by Jonas Bergler.
Produced by Jost Gebers.

Booklet artwork: Manfred Schulze.
Layout: Jost Gebers.
Photos: Dagmar Gebers.