MANFRED SCHOOF QUINTET "STUTTGART, VILLA BERG, 1966"

Something more from the formative years of European free jazz or at least, bordering on it. This is the Manfred Schoof Quintet from Villa Berg, Stuttgart,  during a "Woche der leichten Musik 1966". Light music, eh? Strong line-up on this piece with many of the leading lights of the German scene at the time.

Just one piece or suite lasting a little over 20 minutes with four or five sections separated by themes played in unison, giving way to individual solos from all five. It's hard to pick out highlights here, perhaps the high-pitched trills of Schoof coming on quite like Don Cherry or the propulsive, muscular tone of Niebergall. And we get to hear Jaki Liebezeit who would later go on to fame and perhaps fortune with krautrock supremos Can. He was not the only krautrocker to start out in jazz.

I'm not sure whether this piece later ended up on record. Maybe some of our readers know?


MANFRED SCHOOF QUINTET

Manfred Schoof, cornet, flugelhorn
Gerd Dudek, tenor saxophone
Alexander von Schlippenbach, piano
Buschi Niebergall, double bass
Jaki Liebezeit, drums

1. announcer 1:39
2. Suite (Schlippenbach/Don Cherry/Schoof/Schlippenbach) 22:26

Recorded on October 18, 1966 at Villa Berg, Stuttgart, Germany
for the 'Woche der leichten Musik'.
(pre-FM)

The suite comprises several titles included on the LP "The Early Quintet" (FMP 0540),
e.g. "Axiom," "Inri," and "Ingredience Nr. 2.