Spiritual Jazz 17: Saba/Mps [LP]

Various Artists - Spiritual Jazz 17: Saba/Mps [LP]

Double LP version. ''High quality music to be enjoyed by many people all around the world no matter where they are.'' --Andreas Brunner-Schwer MPS Records. The German SABA and MPS family of labels extended this sentiment to include music from musicians all around the world no matter where they were from -- and here on Spiritual Jazz 17: SABA/MPS Jazzman explores that very theme. Throughout the '60s and '70s both labels released a wealth of music from a wealth of international jazz musicians coming from both North and South America Europe the Caribbean and the Far East. The aim was to release jazz that was exciting innovative and interesting regardless of style: there was swing blues bop avant-garde fusion -- and spiritual jazz. Plurality became a defining feature and the immense breadth of their output made both SABA and MPS worthy European counterparts to American imprints such as Blue Note and Impulse. On Spiritual Jazz 17: SABA/MPS Jazzman features among others international contributions from Americans Elvin Jones Nathan Davis and Dave Pike Europeans Pedro Iturralde Jef Gilson and George Gruntz and the Japanese Hideo Shiraki. The extensive liner notes outline the history of the SABA and MPS labels and go some way to explain the spirit and philosophy behind the long-standing record company and the musicians who bore their souls to the recording process. Friedheim Schulz who oversaw many of the sessions has fond memories: ''These guys had ideas they had their special thing it was the time when there were lots of ideas and new sounds and what have you and [SABA proprietor] Hans Georg was always of the mind that people should do their own kind of music. So he gave them the chance to record and then he would just put out the albums and that was it! The musicians would really play what they wanted to play.'' Their great legacy is a lineage of music that has transcended the fatigues of time and Jazzman has picked prime examples from the SABA and MPS catalogues to uphold its own legacy in the long-running series of Spiritual Jazz. Also featuring Tony Scott and the Indonesian Allstars Albert Mangelsdorff Quartet Orchester Roland Kovac Fritz Pauer and Joachim Kuhn Group. 01. Tony Scott and the Indonesian Allstars - Gambang Suling 02. Elvin Jones Jazz Machine - Little Lady 03. Nathan Davis - Evolution 04. Dave Pike Set - Raga Jeeva Swara 05. Hideo Shiraki Quintet + 3 Koto Girls - Matsuri No Genzo 06. Albert Mangelsdorff Quartet - Never Let It End 07. Orchester Roland Kovac - Blue Dance 08. Fritz Pauer - Gratuliere (Movement A) 09. Joachim Kuhn Group - Depression and Illusion 10. George Gruntz - Hightime Keepsakes 11. Pedro Iturralde Quintet - Veleta de tu Viento 12. Jef Gilson Nonet - Ouverture San Remo