Back to Gunter Lenz Springtime with Roaring Plenties from 1980, flac limited time only

 

Following up from the Znel album just posted, this looked interesting. 

Gunter Lenz:

German jazz bassist and composer.  Born July 25, 1938 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Cousin of Peter Trunk.

This outfit made 4 albums in total, but only 2 from the time that interests us.  Note that the Bob Degen composition Children of the Night opens the album, here given a big band arrangement of course, sounding therefore quite a bit fuller and more intense than the solo piano version for sure.  The next track is a nice homage to Charlie Mingus, echoing his sinuously long melodic lines, who I guess died in that year from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, a horrible affliction.  I've mentioned Mingus so many times before as a seminal influence on me, particularly in relation to the Teo Macero homage album here. Obviously, Teo's CD was a bit superior to this composition which presumably was written by Gunter.  The title track is way too bluesy for my tastes.  The penultimate is a 'post bop' number and those are virtually all identical and interchangeable, so that leaves the last track called Speed Freak, with its 20 seconds of composed music at the start followed by 8 minutes of aimless improvisations, too bad you couldn't make a whole track out of those first few seconds, I didn't check if that one nice 20 second bit gets repeated anywhere else in the 8 minute track (thus 24 times longer) but by the looks of it, probably it does:

Orchestre Bekummernis from the 1980s, with Luc Le Masne, limited time only

 

Info here:

Large experimental/jazz/rock orchestral ensemble led by Luc Le Masne.

Often referred to as "Le Grand Orchestre Bekummernis"

There's a lot to slog through here, and you'll understand what I mean.  It's true this is quite similar to the earlier posted German Andromeda, but more orchestral, chamber, and classical composed.  But the mix of fusion, jazz, and classical is a good amalgam here.  From Nosi, the really beautiful composition called II. Bleu goes through all the dynamics of different emotions:

Of course, a lot of the composition is atonal, modern classical, but the instrumentation which is about half based on big band, makes up for the slightly sterile cold and clinical quality of their classical stuff. There's also, as you'd expect, a lot of libraryish or soundtrack type composed stuff with the usual bombastic violins smashing out the movie themes.

From Cercle de Pierres, the 7th track Aquhorthies:

3PM - Better Late than Never, 1981 [FLAC limited time only]

 

For sure I completely forgot about this one, suggested by a commenter recently, it's a one-off from this instrumental fusion band from North Carolina, and it features front and center Jerry Peak, who plays bass and synths on there, handling most of the compositions too, who was on the Pruett and Davis Time's Arrow.  There is some of that early 80s slapped-bass smooth 'n' funky fuzak sound in there (eg Brecker Bros) but it's minimized, thankfully.

The title track is great, amazingly it even has a thumping Crimsonesque passage (like their Mars) in the middle--too bad there isn't more like this on the record:

More Pruett & Davis, Breaking the Rules, from 1993 CD

 

Another CD from them that appeared earlier, in 1993, than this one.  Note the reappearance of Ascension, Karen's Lullaby, Winter's Ending, and Cape Spear, etc.  However these are reworked versions, despite the self-plagiarism

A track called Destin South didn't appear on the other 2 already posted, but it's not as good as some of the other reused material:

A couple of other songs similarly cannot be found on the previous posts.

And Advanced Happy Valentines Day, for those observers, who believe in such things...

Back with the other requested Pruett & Davis, Winter's Ending (USA, 1981)

 

Some earlier work from these two guys posted before here.  Note that:

Recorded Live at the East Lansing Blues and Jazz Festival—April 11, 1981.

All compositions by Rick Pruett except New Car by Mike Davis. 

Also, on the left channel is Pruett and the right Davis.  If I listened more carefully it would be interesting to differentiate the two playing styles.  And gotta love that picture of the mixing board and old tape reels on the back of the album, for those who remember such things from the past.  As on the last work, the playing is extremely professional and therefore extremely enjoyable.

Karen's Lullaby with its special extra-resonant tuning is so harmonious, perhaps a little new agey, but that's OK here, as a break from the complex prog stuff:

Of course the title track, and it's a lovely one, is the one that showed up on that new age collection I posted back here.