The Swiss jazz pianist, composer and bandleader gained international recognition for his genre-spanning compositions and orchestral works.

Gruntz collaborated with renowned jazz greats such as Don Cherry, Chet Baker and Phil Woods, and was known for his innovative arrangements and musical experiments.

In addition to his work as a musician, he also composed for theatre and opera, and served as artistic director of the Berlin Jazz Festival for many years.

George Gruntz is regarded as one of the defining figures of European jazz, whose diverse body of work has inspired generations of musicians. He passed away in 2013. (press release)

George Gruntz (24 June 1932 – 10 January 2013) was a Swiss jazz pianist, organist, harpsichordist, keyboardist, and composer known for the George Gruntz Concert Big Band and his work with Phil Woods, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Don Cherry, Chet Baker, Art Farmer, Dexter Gordon, Johnny Griffin, and Mel Lewis.

Gruntz, who was born in Basel, Switzerland, was also an accomplished arranger and composer, having been commissioned by many orchestras and symphonies. From 1972 to 1994, he served as artistic director of JazzFest Berlin.

He died at the age of 80 in January 2013. (wikipedia)

61 ago Mark Gardner acclaimed the Swiss pianist’s adaptation of the baroque to jazz, reckoning the era’s hipsters would have flipped their wigs in approval. First published in Jazz Journal April 1965

Bach having been thoroughly thrashed by jazz musicians, it is the turn of Handel, Dowland, Corelli, Telemann, Couperin, Lully, Frescobaldi, Rameau and Byrd (William, not Charlie or Donald!) – composers of the Baroque Period. And why not? For that was a time of abounding musical riches which Mr. Gruntz’ quintet are well aware of. As he says in his liner note; ‘During the recording somehow the spirit of the Baroque Music transplanted itself to us 20th Century musicians.’ An honest claim, judging by the results.

The pieces were picked with care so that they ‘could be interpreted in the jazz idiom easily and without distortion’. Gruntz played harpsi­chord instead of piano. He was aided by the excellent German reedmen Emil Mangelsdorff and Klaus Doldinger plus the magnificent Peter Trunk (bass) and drummer Klaus Weiss.

The US edition:

I never thought I would hear Handel’s Water Music as a bossa nova, but here it is and there’s nothing sacrilegious, or distasteful, about it. The arrangement is perfect, being helped by Trunk’s arco accompaniment. Ciacona, by Johann Pachelbel, could not be more of our age with Doldinger’s soprano sax wailing over Weiss’ Elvin Jones-type barrage. Corelli’s Gavotta from the Concerto has some sumptuous counterpoint between Mangelsdorff and Doldin­ger. I’m sure the Baroque hipsters would have flipped their wigs in approval! The harpsichord takes on an organ-like quality when the notes are sustained, although it be­comes slightly monotonous on two sides of an LP. Not through any fault of the admirable Mr. Gruntz, I hasten to add, but simply because the instrument sounds tinny in large doses. What this record proves conclusively is that all good music can successfully be adapted to suit the jazz musician’s need for challenging material. (by Mark Garnder)

The French frontcover

What else can I say? Anyone who likes this blend of jazz and baroque music – like me, for example … simply cannot give this album a miss … this album was one of those groundbreaking works (Jacques Loussier was, of course, also hugely significant) that enriched the world of music.

When the album was released in 1964, I was a 9-year-old kid for whom this music would, of course, have been completely alien; so I consider myself all the more fortunate to be able to enjoy it to the full today.

And somehow I find it a shame that Klaus Doldinger didn’t really want to jump on this bandwagon… but he had other things in mind.

Personnel:
Klaus Doldinger (saxophone, clarinet)
George Gruntz (harpsichord, organ)
Emil Mangelsdorff (flute)
Peter Trunk (bass)
Klaus Weiss (drums)

Peter Trunk & Klaus Doldinger, ca. 1964:

Titel
01. Das Frauenzimmer verstimmt sich immer (Telemann) 3.35
02. The Earl Of Salisbury (Pavana) (Byrd) 4.21
03. Le Croc En Jambe (Couperin) 2.56
04. Gavotte En Rondeau (Lully) 3.03
05. Aus „Die Wassermusik“: Ouvertüre – Bourée – Hornpipe (Händel) 6.05
06. Ciacona F-Moll (Pachelbel) 5.29
07. Lachrimae Antiquae Pavan (Dowland) 5.23
08. Musette En Rondeau (Rameau) 2.38
09. Corrente (Frescobaldi) 3.52
10. Corrente – Gavotta Aus „Concerto Grosso Nr. 9 In F-Dur“ (Corelli) 3.40

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Terri Lyne Carrington (born August 4, 1965) is an American jazz drummer, composer, producer, and educator. She has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Sample, Al Jarreau, Yellowjackets, and many others. She toured with each of Hancock’s musical configurations (from electric to acoustic) between 1997 and 2007.

In 2007, she was appointed professor at her alma mater, Berklee College of Music, where she received an honorary doctorate in 2003. Carrington serves as founder and artistic director of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice and The Carr Center in Detroit, Michigan. She also serves on the board of trustees for The Recording Academy, board of directors for International Society for Jazz Arrangers and Composers and the advisory board for The History Makers and New Music USA.

She has won four Grammy Awards, including a 2013 award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, which established her as the first female musician to win a Grammy in this category. She has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards, including her 2026 nomination for We Insist 2025! in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category.

Carrington is also a weekly host of Future Flavors with Terri Lyne Carrington, a one-hour show on SiriusXM’s Real Jazz (channel 67). (wikipedia)

Terri Lyne Carrington is a Grammy-winning drummer, percussionist, composer, bandleader, and producer. Her signature and often-emulated funky drumming style has been applied to many different settings, from jazz and soul to rock, blues, and crossover classical music. She is among the first significant female drummers in jazz. After beginning her recording career with bassist Rufus Reid’s trio, she released Real Life Story, her Grammy-nominated leader debut, in 1989. She spent the next 12 years as one of jazz’s most in-demand drummers. After leading 2002’s Jazz Is a Spirit, she began working regularly in that capacity. In 2011, she issued the Grammy-winning The Mosaic Project that straddled jazz and R&B with an all-star band of women players and singers. The following year she won a Grammy for Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue. In 2015, she issued Mosaic Project: Love and Soul, and in 2019, with new band Social Science and a dozen guests, she released the politically themed The Waiting Game. Showcasing songs by women composers, Carrington earned yet another Grammy Award for 2022’s New Standards, Vol. 1. Three years later, Carrington teamed with vocalist Christie Dashiell and a cast of top-shelf players in reinterpreting 1961’s We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite, titled We Insist 2025. (by Thom Jurek)

Recorded in 1981, just a few months after her 16th birthday, TLC & Friends captures Grammy-winning drummer Terri Lyne Carrington at the inception of her career. Here, she is joined by an all-star cadre of veterans, including saxophonist George Coleman, pianist Kenny Barron, and bassist Buster Williams. Also lending his warm support is her father, saxophonist Sonny Carrington, who jumps in at the end for a jovial take on Sonny Rollins’ “Sonny Moon for Two.” Although essentially her debut album, TLC & Friends was never widely available, recorded primarily as a showcase for the Medford, Massachusetts-born jazz prodigy, who was by then already a student at the Berklee College of Music. Most people would be introduced to Carrington either by her more commercial-leaning 1989 studio album, Real Life Story, or her much lauded work for artists like Wayne Shorter, Cassandra Wilson, and Mulgrew Miller, among others. Of course, by then she had developed into a highly adept crossover star, just as likely to lay down a clipped funk groove as a swinging cymbal rhythm. TLC & Friends takes you back to her nascent early days of blowing sessions when Carrington was clearly trying to prove her mettle against the hard bop jazz tradition. Of that she leaves no doubt, tearing into standards like “What Is This Thing Called Love” and “Seven Steps to Heaven” with the muscular ferocity of Art Blakey, her crackling cymbal pushing Coleman to ever throaty heights. Particularly exciting is her one original composition, the Latin-tinged “La Bonita,” whose dusky, minor-key melody nicely evokes the noir-ish ’70s post-bop of artists like Woody Shaw and Art Pepper. She also takes a joyously kinetic solo on another Sonny Rollins classic, “St. Thomas,” revealing just how much of a percussion virtuoso she already was as a teenager. (by Matt Collar)

Personnel:
Kenny Barron (piano)
Terri Lyne Carrington (drums)
George Coleman (saxophone)
Buster Williams (bass)
Buster Williams

Tracklist:
01. What Is This Thing Called Love? (Porter) 7.32
02. La Bonita (Carrington) 6.31
03. Seven Steps To Heaven (Davis/Feldman) 5.55
04. St. Thomas (Rollins) 7.50
05. Just The Way You Are (Joel) 7.12
06. Sonny Moon For Two (Rollins) 5.44

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The offical website:

Two great baroque composers:

Francesco Xaverio Geminiani (baptised 5 December 1687 – 17 September 1762) was an Italian violinist, composer, and music theorist. BBC Radio 3 once described him as “now largely forgotten, but in his time considered almost a musical god, deemed to be the equal of Handel and Corelli”.

Born in Lucca, he received lessons in music from Alessandro Scarlatti, and studied the violin under Carlo Ambrogio Lonati in Milan and afterwards under Arcangelo Corelli. From 1707 he took the place of his father in the Cappella Palatina of Lucca. From 1711, he led the opera orchestra at Naples, as Leader of the Opera Orchestra and concertmaster, which gave him many opportunities for contact with Alessandro Scarlatti. After a brief return to Lucca, in 1714, he set off for London in the company of Francesco Barsanti, where he arrived with the reputation of a virtuoso violinist, and soon attracted attention and patrons, including William Capel, 3rd Earl of Essex, who remained a consistent patron.

In 1715 Geminiani played his violin concerti for the court of George I, with Handel at the keyboard. In the mid-1720s he became a freemason in London, notably as a leading member of the short-lived lodge Philo-Musicae et Architecturae Societas (1725–27) at the Queen’s Head Tavern on Fleet Street. He seems to have retained his masonic connections thereafter.[4] On 1 February 1725, he joined the Queen’s Head lodge in London, becoming the first Italian to be in initiated in the Freemasonry. On 12 May 1725, he became Fellowcraft and Master Mason on the same day. On 11 May 1728, the Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge of England James King 4th Baron of Kingstone designated the brothers Geminiani for constituting in Naples the first Italian regular masonic Lodge, directly affiliated to the English Freemasonry.

Geminiani made a living by teaching and writing music, and tried to keep pace with his passion for collecting by dealing in art, but not always successfully. Many of his students went on to have successful careers, such as Charles Avison, Matthew Dubourg, Michael Christian Festing, Bernhard Joachim Hagen and Cecilia Young. See: List of music students by teacher: G to J#Francesco Geminiani.

After visiting Paris and living there for some time, he returned to England in 1755. In 1761, on one of his sojourns in Dublin, a servant robbed him of a musical manuscript on which he had bestowed much time and labour. His vexation at this loss is said to have hastened his death. He died and was buried in Dublin, but his remains were later reburied in the city of his birth, in the church of San Francesco, Lucca.

He appears to have been a first-rate violinist. Tartini reportedly called him Il Furibondo, the Madman, because of his expressive rhythms. (wikipedia)

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi[n 2] (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi’s influence during his lifetime was widespread across Europe, giving origin to many imitators and admirers. He pioneered many developments in orchestration, violin technique and programmatic music. He consolidated the emerging concerto form, especially the solo concerto, into a widely accepted and followed idiom.

Vivaldi composed many instrumental concertos, for the violin and a variety of other musical instruments, as well as sacred choral works and more than fifty operas. His best-known work is a series of violin concertos known as The Four Seasons. Many of his compositions were written for the all-female music ensemble of the Ospedale della Pietà, a home for abandoned children in his native Venice. Vivaldi began studying for the Catholic priesthood at the age of 15 and was ordained at 25, but was given dispensation to no longer say public Masses because of a health problem.

Vivaldi also had some success with expensive stagings of his operas in Venice, Mantua, and Vienna. After meeting the Emperor Charles VI, he moved to Vienna, hoping for royal support, but the Emperor died soon after his arrival, and Vivaldi died in poverty less than a year later.

After almost two centuries of decline, Vivaldi’s musical reputation underwent a revival in the early 20th century, with much scholarly research devoted to his work. Many of his compositions, once thought lost, have been rediscovered – some as recently as 2015. His music remains widely popular in the present day and is regularly played all over the world. (wikipedia)

On this album, four talented and outstanding musicians perform works by these two composers.

Here, then, is a new opportunity to discover the elegance and compositional brilliance of Baroque music.

So what are you waiting for…

Listen and enjoy !

Recorded at Doopsgezinde Kerk, Haarlem (The Netherlands), November 1991
The 16 page booklet with notes in English, French and German.
The album was released in 2008

Personnel:
Roel Dieltiens )
Robert Kohnen (organ on
Richte van der Meer (violoncello on
Anthony Woodrow (bass on

Tracklist:

Antonio Vivaldi: Sonata E Minor RV 40
01. Largo 4.40
02. Allegro 2.55
03. Largo 3.29
04. Allegro 2.34

Francesco Geminiani: Sonata No. 6 A Minor
05. Adagio 0.52
06. Allegro Assai 3.22
07. Grave 0.34
08. Allegro 4.06

Antonio Vivaldi: Sonata B Flat Major RV 46
09. Largo 3.00
10. Allegro 2.50
11. Largo 3.18
12. Allegro 2.52

Francesco Geminiani: Sonata No 3 C Major
13. Andante 1:49
14. Allegro 4.05
15. Affetuoso 3.38
16. Allegro 3.01

Francesco Geminiani: Sonata No. 2 D Minor:
17. Andante 2.22
18. Presto 2.27
19. Adagio 0.51
20. Allegro 5.53

Antonio Vivaldi: Sonata G Minor RV42:
21. Preludio (Largo) 3.03
22. Allemande (Andante) 3.44
23. Sarabande (Largo) 3.15
24. Gigue (Allegro) 2.38

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More albums from this label:

… was the Bruce Springsteen Band:

By request:

Michael Nyman – The Piano (OST) (1993)

Let me know, if links are dead and I will make them available again …Please write to: post-fuer-sammelsurium@gmx.net

This is how someone describes himself who has followed his own musical path
unwaveringly:

Influenced by folk, blues and rock, as well as Indian and Oriental music, he has developed his own musical style: ORIENTALFOLKBLUESROCK, a unique fusion of these musical styles. Over 2,500 concerts since 1977 in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Turkey, support slots for Al di Meola, Leo Kottke, Al Stewart, Mohamed Mounir, Dissidenten, Pentangle, Richi Havens, Alex Oriental Experience, Embryo and others, as well as numerous radio and television appearances and interviews, have made him a well-known musician. To date, he has produced 16 LPs and CDs, which have attracted worldwide interest. (Well, he is, of course, shamelessly exaggerating here)

As a qualified psychologist, he has been giving lectures, seminars and courses on the topic of ‘Optimal preparation for and coping with exams’ since 1982. In 2000, Beltz/Weinheim published the book *Exams – No Problem*, a practical guide on this topic. (Press release)

And he sees himself as a “pioneer of the ethno and world music movement”.

In the 1980s: Reinhold Bauer, Wolfgang Barthel, Matthias Böhm:

And here is his debut album – a private pressing with a run of reportedly, or actually, 300 copies.

On an international website (rateyourmusic.com) you can read:

Boring psychedelic guitar experiments by Bavarian guitarist Wolfgang Barthel.Cover is pretty nice, I like it, but with only a guitar, a blues harp and a flute you cannot expect much, Barthel’s touch has often an ethnic feeling, but the album rapidly goes down the hill because of lack of depth.There are also two interpretations, one on a traditional song and the other on Ravel’s ”Bolero’ (by apps79)

Well … as far as I’m concerned, it’s exactly the opposite. The cover is understated, in stark contrast to the music. It’s sparsely orchestrated, but that’s precisely where its appeal lies, in my view, because it really brings out the undeniable virtuosity of his guitar playing. And the way he reworks Ravel’s ‘Bolero’ is rather clever. And the supposedly traditional ‘Shark Your Moneymaker’ is by Elmore James.

He was heavily influenced by the blues back then, and then there were all his forays into ethnic music… a combination that makes the album so refreshing.

So it’s a real gem to listen to, especially for fans of acoustic guitar music. And the laid-back flute tones are a soothing addition.

The fact that he was also among the artists who campaigned against the mad Wackersdorf (*) project makes him particularly likeable to someone like me.

Recording dates: 20–22 August 1982 at Tonstudio Säger, Germany.

Personnel:
Wolfgang Barthel (guitar, vocals, harmonica)
+
Matthias Böhm (flute on 08.  + 12.)

Tracklist:
01. Magic Guitar Ride (Barthel) 5.04
02. Black Nightmare (Barthel) 3.36
03. In A Hurry (Barthel)
04. Bolero (Ravel) 4.18
05. Der Flitzer (Barthel) 2.12
06. Shake Your Money Maker (James) 2.00
07. Regina (Barthel) 3.07
08. You Lie There (Barthel) 3.37
09. Zur schönen Gelegenheit (Barthel) 4.13
10. Blätter im Herbst (Barthel) 2.59
11. Wolkenspiel (Barthel) 4.31
12. Spielerei (Barthel) 3.52

*
**

The official website (which appears to be current only up to 2018)
(*) Wackersdorf is a municipality in the district of Schwandorf in Bavaria, Germany. Wackersdorf was the centre of an Free Republic of Wackerland anti-nuclear demonstration from December 21, 1985 to January 7, 1986. (wikipedia)

What a wonderful soundrack, composed by Piero Umiliani:

Piero Umiliani (17 July 1926 – 14 February 2001) was an Italian composer of film scores.
Biography
29 August 1981: Rimini Meeting. Concert in Rimini of the Rai Orchestra directed by Master Piero Umiliani.

Umiliani was born in Florence, Tuscany. Like many of his Italian colleagues at that time, he composed the scores for many exploitation films in the 1960s and 1970s, in genres such as spaghetti Westerns, Eurospy, giallo, and softcore sex films.

His composition “Mah Nà Mah Nà” (1968) was originally used in Sweden: Heaven and Hell, a 1968 Mondo documentary about Sweden. It was a minor charting single (spending 6 weeks on the Billboard chart and peaking at #55, and reaching #22 in Canada), popularized by The Red Skelton Show, first airing in October 1969, and The Muppets, who covered the song several times; starting on episode 0014 of Sesame Street on 27 November 1969, then The Ed Sullivan Show three days later, and again on the syndicated series The Muppet Show in 1977. The track was also a hit in the UK, reaching number 8 in the UK Singles Chart in May 1977.

Umiliani’s other scores included Son of Django, Orgasmo, Gangster’s Law, Death Knocks Twice, Five Dolls for an August Moon, Baba Yaga, The Slave and Sex Pot. His orchestra score “Arrivano I Marines” for War Italian Style, a 1966 comedy about two USMC soldiers in Italy, is used in the Armored Trooper Votoms series as “March of the Red Shoulders”.

His composition “Crepuscolo Sul Mare” was used in Ocean’s Twelve.[4] More recently, his composition Echi Della Natura featured on the soundtrack of Ashim Ahluwalia’s 2012 film Miss Lovely.

Outside of his film score work, Umiliani formed the rock band Braen’s Machine with Alessandro Alessandroni.

Umiliani died in Rome in February 2001, at the age of 74. (wikipedia)

And here´s is the soundtrack for the film “Orgasmo” (1969)

Orgasmo (Italian for “orgasm”) is a 1969 giallo film co-written and directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring Carroll Baker, Lou Castel, and Colette Descombes. It follows a wealthy American socialite who finds herself preyed upon by two nefarious young siblings who indulge her with sex, drugs, and alcohol while she vacations at an Italian villa. This film helped launch the second phase of Baker’s career, during which she became a regular star in Italian productions.

After its Italian premiere in February 1969, Orgasmo was released in the United States under the alternative title Paranoia later that same year. It was one of the first films to carry an X rating in the United States under the newly established Motion Picture Association film rating system, and this fact was sensationalized for its American promotional materials.

The film marked the first of four collaborations between Lenzi and actress Carroll Baker, who also starred in So Sweet… So Perverse (1969), A Quiet Place to Kill (1970) and Il coltello di ghiaccio (1972). (wikipedia)

This missing soundtrack by Piero Umiliani par excellence, and considered by many to be lost, is finally fully recovered on six master tapes which contain the original complete recording sessions!
“Orgasmo” (better known worldwide as “Paranoia”) is the first chapter of the famous giallo trilogy that Umberto Lenzi filmed starring former “Baby Doll” Carroll Baker, depicting a story of diabolical lovers and shady intrigues which reechoed certain morbid atmospheres with which Henri-Georges Clouzot tried his hand with his “Les Diaboliques” (1956).

Co-starring Lou Castel – who starred in “Fists in the Pocket” and other ‘committed’ films, and therefore was considered a rebel, and the young Colette Descombs, who often steals the scene from the main actress, Baker.
Recorded just after “Sweden, Heaven of Hell”, when Umiliani had taken a definitive step into the golden phase of his career and reached the top of his compositional skills, the “Orgasmo” score is an actual gem of grace and elegance – a manifesto of seduction that constitutes one of the main assets for Lenzi’s film.
With this work, Umiliani managed to perfectly capture the film’s morbid side, psych(edel)ic deliriums, and pop ambiance. Some of the music’s attributes, such as Alessandro Alessandroni’s and his wife Giulia’s vocal work, or the major role played by Antonello Vannucchi’s Hammond organ, foreshadow the atmospheres of “Five Dolls for an August Moon.”
The whole film score shines with an unusual light for a thriller, and reverberates with the light and brilliance reminiscent of Brazil’s music, such as wonderful and inspired bossa nova or samba-jazz versions, with which the main themes were arranged.
On top of that, the sublime Lydia MacDonald sings the superb title track, “Fate Had Planned It So.” A more rhythmical take on this track, along with the dancing soul tune “Just Tell Me”, sung by Wess, comes alone with a new 7’’ limited edition, available in 300 copies (both songs are not included in the LP version of the soundtrack). (press release

Why Piero Umiliani’s music still electrifies us to this day:It seems that Piero Umiliani must have been composing non-stop throughout the sixties and seventies – and here comes the next. This time it’s the soundtrack to »Orgasmo«, a skin flick that’s probably already been hailed as a cult classic at the right festivals. But we don’t care about the plot here, it’s all about the music. And if you’re a fan of Piero Umiliani, you’ll be reaching for your long-lost cocktail shaker in no time.

This is library music for those late-night martinis in the presidential suite—you know, the kind of music that goes with open-top car rides, shallow conversations and a complete embrace of body hair. You can almost imagine the film as you listen. That’s the beauty of Umiliani, a man who rightly called himself a maestro. He simply had a knack for creating background music that you could actually enjoy on its own, without immediately thinking of lifts and waiting rooms. Let’s hope we never stop rediscovering this man’s music. (hhv-mag.com)

The bonus track “Fate Had Planned It So” features a different version from the LP. “An alternate take of Lydia MacDonald’s “Fate Had Planned It So”, more rhythmical and dynamic than the one used for the titles sequence“.

And the other bonus track “Just Tell Me” was recorded by Wess & The Airedales:

Wesley Johnson (August 13, 1945 – September 21, 2009), known by his stage name Wess, was an American-born Italian singer and bass guitarist, perhaps mostly known for representing Italy along with Dori Ghezzi at the Eurovision Song Contest 1975 in Stockholm, Sweden, placing third with the song “Era”.

Originally from North Carolina, Wess moved to Italy in the 1960s in pursuit of a musical career. He formed a successful duo with Ghezzi and achieved some hits in Italy, such as “Voglio stare con te”, “Come stai? Con chi sei?” and “Un corpo e un’anima”. Wess also was a singer and played bass guitar for the soul-funk band Wess & The Airedales in the 1960s and early 1970s. (wikipedia)

It’s hard to believe that this album wasn’t released until 30 years later.

Personnel:
a bunch of brilliant but unknown studio musicians
+
unknown orchester conducted by Piero Umiliani
+
Giulia De Mutiis (vocals)
Lydia MacDonald (vocals on 01., 07. + 19.)
+
I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni (choir)
+
Antonello Vannucchi (organ)

Tracklist:
01. Fate Had Planned It So (film version) (MacDonald/Umiliani) 2.05
02. M5 (Jet-Set) 2.00
03. Seq. 1 (Easy-Living) 1.57
04. M18 (Shake) 2.13
05. Seq. 2 (Jazz Pour L’action) 2.34
06. M27 (Psychedelic Trap) 1.59
07. M2 (Bossa) 1.45
08. Seq. 3 (Main Theme) 2.14
09. M46 (Hammond Valzer) 0.48
10. Seq. 4 (Samba-Jazz) 2.12
11. Seq. 5 (Rhythmical Suspense) 3.00
12. Seq. 6 (Psychedelic Suspense) 4.48
13. M5 Bis (Bossa) 1.18
14. M19 (Shake) 2.47
17. Seq. 7 (Pop-Jazz) 2.25
18. M22 (Bossa) 1.21
+
19. Fate Had Planned It So (single version) 2.39
20. Just Tell Me (Fowlkes/Umiliani) (single B-side by Wess & The Airedales 2.55

Composed by Piero Umiliani except indicated.

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Alternate edition:

Lucifer’s Friend was a German rock band, formed in Hamburg in 1970 by guitarist Peter Hesslein, singer John Lawton, bassist Dieter Horns, keyboardist Peter Hecht, and drummer Joachim Reitenbach. The group was an early practitioner of heavy metal and progressive rock. They also incorporated elements of jazz and fusion into their music, especially in their fourth album Banquet of 1974. Beyond heavy metal, the band has been cited as a pioneer of doom metal, helping to define both genres due to the heavy sound and dark oriented lyrics of their debut Lucifer’s Friend of 1971, and returning to their roots in 1981 with Mean Machine, although more influenced by speed metal.

Vocalist John Lawton’s band Stonewall broke up while on tour in West Germany in 1969. While the band returned to Britain, Lawton stayed in Germany, where he met Peter Hesslein, Dieter Horns, Peter Hecht and Joachim Reitenbach, members of a band called The German Bonds. The five joined together to record an album under the name Asterix in 1970, soon changing their name to Lucifer’s Friend.

The early albums were released on Vertigo Records in Europe, but in the United States those albums were released on a series of small independent record labels (Billingsgate, Janus, Passport), often a year or more after their release in Europe. Despite airplay in some markets and a cult following, the band’s albums were hard to find and commercial success eluded them. The band was finally signed to Elektra Records in 1977: it released three albums with a more commercial pop-oriented sound, but by then interest in the band had waned. Those albums were even less successful than the earlier ones.

Lucifer’s Friend was known for changing musical styles and influences on each album. The self-titled 1971 debut had dark lyrics and a stripped-down guitar and organ style that sounded similar to Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath [citation needed]. That album is sought after by fans of early heavy metal music.

The second album, Where the Groupies Killed the Blues (1972), took an entirely different direction. It was an experimental album of progressive and psychedelic rock, mostly composed by John O’Brien Docker. On the third album, I’m Just a Rock & Roll Singer (1973), they changed direction again, this time in the straightforward rock style popularized by such groups as Grand Funk Railroad, and gritty “life on the road” themes in the lyrics.

Banquet (1974) featured extended, multi-layered jazz fusion compositions and a 30-piece backup band, alternating with shorter tracks reminiscent of Chicago and Traffic. Those first four albums are concept albums of sorts, and along with the self-titled Asterix album, are the most sought after today.

Mind Exploding (1976) established a holding pattern and tried to combine the jazz of Banquet with the garage-rock of Rock & Roll Singer, but was not as well received as the earlier albums. Vocalist John Lawton left in 1976 to join Uriah Heep. He was replaced with Ian Cussick. With him, the band recorded and released the 7″ single “Old Man Roller / Writing On The Wall” in June 1977. That same year, he was replaced with Mike Starrs, former singer of Colosseum II. John Lawton returned for the 1981 album Mean Machine. On the two albums without Lawton, the band moved to a more commercial sound, on 1978’s Good Time Warrior and 1980s Sneak Me In.

John Lawton’s 1980 solo album on RCA, Heartbeat, was a Lucifer’s Friend album in everything but name, with the lineup from Sneak Me In performing as backup musicians. Lawton’s official return, Mean Machine, went back to heavy metal, in the vein of Rainbow and NWOBHM. The band officially broke up in 1982, but thirteen years later, in 1994, John and Peter Hesslein briefly reformed to release a new CD, Sumo Grip under the name Lucifer’s Friend II, with Curt Cress, Andreas Dicke, Jogi Wichmann and Udo Dahmen replacing the classic line-up. After this they broke up once more.

Although John Lawton stated that the band weren’t interested in getting back to record or perform live again, in August 2014, he announced on his website that the original lineup would reunite to play some dates in 2015, including Sweden Rock Festival in June,[8] after almost 40 years since their last show together. They released a new compilation album called Awakening, followed by four new tracks.[9] The late Joachim “Addi” Rietenbach was replaced with Stephan Eggert. Original keyboardist Peter Hecht refused to participate in the reunion, so guitarist Peter Hesslein played the keyboard on the new album. Jogi Wichmann (who had played on Sumo Grip) was the live keyboardist for the shows in 2015 and 2016.

Lucifer’s Friend released two further albums, Too Late To Hate in 2016 and Black Moon in 2019. Bassist Dieter Horns died in December 2020, followed by John Lawton in June 2021, effectively ending the band.

The Lucifer’s Friend song “Ride in the Sky” is played in the Bulgarian film Love.net, starring Lawton, as a song by a fictional band called Tabloid.

Tim Baker, lead singer of doom metal band Cirith Ungol, cited Lucifer’s Friend as an influence on Cirith Ungol’s sound in an interview with Metal Forces, stating that “We really wanted to be like [Lucifer’s Friend]” (wikipedia)

…Where the Groupies Killed the Blues is the second album by progressive rock band Lucifer’s Friend, released in 1972. Piano is prominent on most songs, and organ is used only on a few songs such as “Where the Groupies Killed the Blues”, whereas on the debut album, Lucifer’s Friend (1971), organ and guitars had been the driving force.

In the U.S., the band’s U.S. label (Billingsgate Records) did not release this album although Billingsgate did issue the follow-up album, I’m Just a Rock & Roll Singer (1973). The U.S. release of Groupies was delayed three years until the band’s new label Passport Records released it. (wikipedia)

Lucifer’s Friend is a really interesting German/British band based in Germany. They basically created Heavy Metal pretty much simultaneously (and independently?) of the major bands based in Britain like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Uriah Heep (for which Lucifer’s Friend vocalist John Lawton would later sing). And here, already with their second album they go on to a fully progressive approach. Indeed, this album is more sophisticated both musically and lyrically than anything Uriah Heep has ever done. Too bad they remain virtually unknown till this day.

The opening number, Hobo, is great but it is basically a clone of Ride The Sky from the debut. The second and third tracks are nothing short of brilliant, however. The piano intro to Rose On The Vine being particularly excellent as well as the fantastic acoustic guitar solo. The keyboards are very well played and varied. We find lots of piano, organ, electric piano, Moog synthesizer and Mellotron. Some of the piano-heavy passages remind me of early Queen (first two albums). We also find lots of acoustic guitars and even string arrangements. The guitarist is also very skilled and the electric and acoustic guitar solos are often very short and snappy. No long mindless jam sessions here!

The closer Burning Ships should have been a radio Prog Rock classic like Emerson Lake & Palmer’s Lucky Man or Kansas’ Dust In The Wind. It would have deserved that!

It should be pointed out that John Lawton is a native Brit and there is nothing of that horrible German accent (sorry all Germans! I have my own accent to tackle) in his vocals at all. And his vocals here are terrific – almost like a young Freddie Mercury at times! Also, there is no sign at all of the fact that this band is German; this music has nothing to do with the Krautrock genre. Lucifer’s Friend could indeed have been a fully British band judging from the sound (perhaps they should have been a British band in order to get more attention?)

One sad thing, though, is that the sound quality of this album is not very good. It is decent, but not even slightly better than the debut album. Many Prog Rock fans might prefer to start with the album Banquet, but for Metal fans Where The Groupies Killed The Blues is the best and, in my opinion, Lucifer’s Friend’s masterpiece.

An extremely underrated masterpiece! (by SouthSideoftheSky)

Personnel:
Peter Hecht (keyboards)
Peter Hesslein (guitar, vocals, percussion)
Dieter Horns (bass)
John Lawton (vocals)
Joachim Rietenbach (drums)

Tracklist:
01. Hobo (Hesslein/Lawton) 3.45
02. Rose On The Vine (Hesslein/O Brian Docker) 8.22
03. Mother (Hecht/O Brian Docker) 7.30
04. Where The Groupies Killed The Blues (Hesslein/O Brian Docker) 5.09
05. Prince of Darkness (Hesslein/O Brian Docker) 5.41
06. Summerdream (Hecht/Hesslein/O Brian Docker) 8.03
07. Burning Ships (Hesslein/Horns/Lawton) 4.34
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08. Prince of Darkness (Hesslein) (guitar solo eliminated on CD releases) 3.52

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The US edition from 1975:

The official website:

Roger Chapman is best known for his barbed-wire voice, used to front British ’70s rock acts Family and Streetwalkers. He began a long-awaited solo career in 1978 that led to over a dozen full-length releases. Never heard of them? It’s not surprising: album-wise, he camped out in Germany for 20 years. His first album and tour got high praise in his British homeland, but critics cut into him soon after. When the hassle-free German market beckoned, Chapman began to focus his subsequent work there, where he had become a musical hero, “the working-class artist.” Chapman split with his longtime writing partner, Charlie Whitney, after the breakup of Streetwalkers in 1977. He surrounded himself with ace session musicians to cut a debut solo effort, Chappo.

It was an album of strong rock that catered to the singer and not the musicians. An appearance on Germany’s Rockpalast TV show and the ensuing hit single, “Let’s Spend the Night Together,” gave Chapman the shot of success he needed, so he set up operations in Germany. Live in Hamburg was a reassuring second album, demonstrating the live energy of this experienced yet stage-crazed performer.

Studio albums over the next few years blended straight power rock with funk, R&B, and soul, all topped with Chapman’s characteristic vocal style. In the 1981 German Music Awards, Chapman was voted Best Singer, and his Hyenas Only Laugh for Fun won an award. Chapman and his backing band, the Shortlist, released two alter-ego albums in the early ’80s as the Riff Burglars. These releases honored roots and classic rock by artists like Chuck Berry, Willie Dixon, and Leiber & Stoller. A lead vocal on Mike Oldfield’s 1983 hit “Shadow on the Wall” also added to Chapman’s diverse repertoire. Chapman’s mid-’80s foray into polished studio sounds did not fare well with his audience.

When his extended partnership with guitarist Geoff Whitehorn ran its course, Chapman returned to pure rock form with 1989’s Walking the Cat, which featured Alvin Lee and old friend Bob Tench. Two compilations filled a silent period in the mid ’90s, but 1996’s Kiss My Soul was a comeback for the guy who had never gone away. It even got attention and a pressing in Chapman’s British homeland, where he often toured despite the lack of domestic releases. This was followed by 1998’s A Turn Unstoned? and the two-CD Anthology; the next year saw re-releases of Chappo and Mail Order Magic. Moth to a Flame was issued in early 2001. A number of live and archival releases followed in the early 2000s, and a new studio album, One More Time for Peace, was released in 2007. In 2009 Chapman announced that he would be retiring from live performances, and his final appearance dates were subsequently announced, culminating in several festival sets in the U.K. and Germany planned for August 2010. (by Patrick Little)

*The Shadow Knows* is Roger Chapman’s fifth album. It was released in 1984 on the Instant Records label, spent ten weeks in the German charts and reached its highest position, number 24, on 1 October 1984. It is therefore his most successful album, categorised as blues rock and pop rock. It also features ‘How How How’, Chapman’s only single to chart as a solo artist in Germany (number 46) and Austria (number 18).(wikipedia)

Mystic are currently trawling Chappo’s backpages and, rightly so. Little-heard gems are being replayed and, as a follow-on from their wonderful boxed-set, a logical way forward.

With Family in the seventies, Roger Chapman carved out a niche as a distinctive vocalist against a frequently funky backdrop. This 1985 album was a collaboration with ace guitarist Geoff Whitehorn who some may recall stepped into the mighty Paul Kossoff’s boots in Crawler, and lent that band the benefit of his gutsy, straight-ahead style.

In the eighties Chappo was having some greater success over the Channel, more specifically Germany who seemed to go for his mix of rock raunch and rhythm. Several tracks here are as funky as hell, notably ‘Leader Of Men’ and ‘How How How’. (by David Randall)

The Shadow Knows is probably the collection with the most typically “eighties” sound. Keyboards, slapped bass and electronic percussion are a dominant feature – not normally to my taste, but The Shadow Knows is not without its endearing moments, notably the poppy How How How and the soulful I Think of You Now. (by John Barlass)

Personnel:
Roger Chapman (vocals)
Brian Johnston (keyboards, background vocals)
Sam Kelly (drums)
John Lingwood (drums)
Nick Pentelow (saxophone)
Steve Simpsons (guitar, mandoline, bavckground vocals)
Tony Stevens (bass)
Geoff Whitehorn (guitar, keyboards, background vocals)

Tracklist:
01. Busted Loose (Brady) 4.46
02. Leader Of Men (Chapman) 5.15
03. Ready To Roll (Chapman) 5.54
04. I Think Of You Now (Chapman) 5.13
05. Sitting Up Pretty (Chapman/Whitehorn) 4.41
06. How How How (Chapman/Whitehorn) 5.42
07. Only Love Is In Red (Palmer/Chapman) 4.28
08. Sweet Vanilla (Chapman) 3.58
09. I’m A Good Boy Now (Chapman) 2.54

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The CD edition (with the 4 track EP “Live In Berlin”):
More from Roger Chapman in this blog:
A Roger Chapman website:

I´m back from Hungary … And I found this album at a market.

“…wild and messy, like the soundtrack to the rave at the end of the universe…” Songlines Magazine (UK)
“Meszecsinka entices you with sounds of magical and hypnotic quality” Journal Frankfurt DE
„It’s that kind of folk that sneaks up to the roots of wisdom teeth. Not with the songs for the tourists, but with dancing dervishes, moaning, ecstatic shamanism of the mediums. (press release)

Meszecsinka is a child of a love affair, started under the full moon. It means in Bulgarian „small moon” and comes from Annamari’s favorite Bulgarian folk song. Meszecsinka is intimate, magical and fragile, as any child of love. She sings in seven languages (Hungarian, Russian, Bulgarian, Finnish, English, Arabian and Spanish), comes from two countries (Hungary, Bulgaria) and leads you into a Wonderland, where Bulgarian and Hungarian folk lives together with flamenco and funky, Oriental and experimental.
The members come from internationally acknowledged bands (Korai Öröm, Fokatelep, Kampec Dolores) to this inner place with one purpose: to feel good and to do only what they really want to do.

The music made with this attitude reached many people, the band has performed in the biggest venues of Hungary like Millenáris or Palace of Arts and at many festivals in the country and abroad (Germany, Austria, Greece, Croatia, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria).
In May 2012 the first album was released online worldwide by the German Hiperbole Records, on CD by Narrator Records, supported with video featuring real people’s story. The album was presented first at the Austrian Balkan Fever festival.

Meszecsinka won the first prize of the contest Folkbeats among 100 bands – a North-American tour. It happened in April-May 2013. The band played 13 concerts in 11 cities of USA and Canada, including major clubs of cities like New York and Toronto.

“A moon shining brighter and brighter on the Hungarian underground sky” (Zene.hu)

“First class world music” (Szegedma.hu)

“Intimate, acoustic and passionate moon” (Music.hu)

“Specialists would call it psychedelic new wave folk”. (Fidelio)

“The intimate and chanson moments come along with the sweeping, rockandroll riffs; a dense and palpable atmosphere pervades everything. Beyond the musical components there is the essence of the Paneuropean culture”. Brilliant album!” (Lángoló Gitárok)

Such a great blend of the old world and new sensibilities. (Richard Kryder)

Personnel:
Vajdovich Árpád (bass)
Emil Biljarszki (guitar, keyboards, harmonica, melodica, xylophone)
Dávid Krolokowski (percussion, drums, ukulele, vocals)
Annamária Oláh (vocals, keyboards, guitar)
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Bánházi Gábor (drums, percussion)
Kaval Ney (percussion, vocals)
Görgényi Gábor (drums, percussion)

Tracklist:
01. E Kertemben 1:09
02. Fújja 4.34
03. Romlott Testem 3.06
04. Citadella 5.30
05. Marra 5.26
06. Kuku 215
07. Un Cabrito 4.12
08. Távol 5.45
09. Piano 2.17
10. Vetre Le 7.08
11. E Kertem 2.30

All songs composed by
Oláh Annamária  + Emil Biljarszki

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