VA - International New Jazz Meeting Burg Altena 1972-1973 [2016] (8 x CDs)

SUNDAY JAZZ

VARIOUS ARTISTS

VA - International New Jazz Meeting Burg Altena 1972-1973 [2016] (8 x CDs)

The International New Jazz Meeting Burg Altena 1972-1973 is a riveting snapshot of underground European avant-garde jazz, and this 2016 release by BE! Jazz is a treasure trove for deep collectors. Spread across two volumes, it documents performances from the storied medieval castle Burg Altena in West Germany, a setting as dramatic and unconventional as the music itself.

Organized by Jazz-Interessengemeinschaft Altena, the festivals in ’72 and ’73 became known for embracing boundary-defying forms of jazz. This wasn’t smooth fusion or bebop nostalgia—it was free jazz, spontaneous composition, and experimental soundscapes that mirrored the political unrest and cultural flux of post-1968 Europe. Musicians from Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, and beyond converged to share radical approaches: tape manipulations, extended techniques, and electrified improvisation were common currency.

Highlights include pieces by Manfred Schoof Quintet, Peter Brötzmann, Tony Oxley, and lesser-known yet fiery acts like Willem Breuker and Lennart Åberg. Many of these performances were recorded live, capturing not just notes but atmosphere, the tension, the communal energy, the raw edge.

The 2016 reissue is a marvel of archival care. Remastered from original tapes, it includes both sessions with crisp fidelity and rich packaging. BE! Jazz, known for its commitment to restoring obscure European jazz, included rare photographs, detailed liner notes, and artist profiles that make the compilation as educational as it is thrilling.

For enthusiasts of free jazz and historical compilations, this set is indispensable. It preserves a fleeting moment in jazz history where freedom and experimentation reigned. Copies were limited and tended to disappear quickly, so if you’ve got one, hold onto it. It’s not just music; it’s documentation of an era’s sonic rebellion. (B)

==========================================================

ALL 

OR

ALL 

===========================================================

Track lists

CD1

01 Jan Fryderyk Dobrowolski & Jacek Bednarek - Performance Part 1 18:45

02 Jan Fryderyk Dobrowolski & Jacek Bednarek - Fara, Allegretto, Exodus 18:00

03 Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath - Call 8:35

04 Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath - Andromeda 9:14

05 Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath - Think of Something 14:18

CD2

01 Michal Urbaniak Group - Performance 47:33

02 Karl Berger Company - Performance 20:55

CD3

01 Wolfgang Dauner's Et Cetera - Performance 20:59

02 Phil Woods & His European Rhythm Machine - Performance 47:05

CD4

01 Scandinavia New Jazz Group - Performance 36:44

02 Tune for Bassclarinets - Performance 37:48

CD5

01 Reform Art Unit - Performance Part 1 24:25

02 Reform Art Unit - Steirisch WC No. 2 5:32

03 Reform Art Unit - Yesterday Going to A Green Heaven 8:59

04 Reform Art Unit - March 5:27

05 Reform Art Unit - Performance Part 5 18:08

CD6

01 Anima - Performance Part 1 16:30

02 Anima - Performance Part 2 26:59

03 Anima - Performance Part 3 5:50

CD7

01 Terumasa Hino Quintet - Akubai 20:45

02 Terumasa Hino Quintet - Rock for Altena 43:16

CD8

01 Theo Loevendie Consort - Performance Part 1 9:27

02 Theo Loevendie Consort - Performance (Jonathan) 10:31

03 Theo Loevendie Consort - Announcement 0:33

04 Theo Loevendie Consort - Performance (Trembolor) 7:04

05 Theo Loevendie Consort - Performance (Grummpf) 12:56

06 Theo Loevendie Consort - Performance Part 5 4:50

07 Theo Loevendie Consort - Performance (Brazilia) 4:10

=============================================================

=============================================================

Music weaves itself into the fabric of our emotions, dances through the corridors of memory, and whispers to the soul of who we are. Sharing these stories deepens the connection, turning the experience into something timeless and profound.

=============================================================

=============================================================