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Rabble Without A Cause
Wednesday April 25th, 2012 with Bernard Stepien
MPS - Jazz meets India, 1967

A few weeks ago we had the pleasure to discover the involvement of the German, Black-Forest based MPS record label with Canadian pianist Oscar Peterson at the NAC 4th stage. During the ‘60s, I knew the MPS label quite well, but for some obscure reasons I completely missed the straight ahead Jazz side of MPS mostly because yet another Black-Forest institution, the Baden-Baden located Südwest Funk radio was pumping us the most avant-garde Jazz side of MPS over the air along with the most avant-garde classical music, all of this, as if it wasn’t enough, within the context of a major avant-garde festival, the Donaueschingen Ton Kunst Festival. With these three hot spots for avant-garde in the same region, you had no other choice than to be caught in an avant-garde cross-fire. By the way, this may provide some explanations about myself for those still wondering. Another trendy thing during the ‘60s was the exploration of ethnic music and its fusion with avant-garde Jazz. John Coltrane was of course the first to explore Indian music and out of it came his modal playing style as an alternative to the II-V-I fireworks of his famous composition Giant Steps. Many others followed suit. Among them, German, French and Swiss avant-garde Jazz musicians that were busy with the concept of pan-European Jazz projects. Tonight, we will sample the Jazz Meets India MPS recording that features an Indian traditional Sitar-Tabla-Tambura trio with Swiss pianist Irene Schweizer, German cornetist Manfred Schoof and French saxophonist Barney Willen.
sun love
Irene Schweitzer & Dewan Motihar - jazz meets india - MPS
yaad
Irene Schweitzer & Dewan Motihar - jazz meets india - MPS
brigach and ganges
Irene Schweitzer & Dewan Motihar - jazz meets india - MPS