Manafonistas

Whatever the story of this album, whose number includes my birthday, and which is currently even available on vinyl – this is an ECM production of improvisors  that completely passed me by, and I have no idea why. One violin and three percussion players, promising, the names speak volumes anyway – and the facts that the oddly titled work combines two widely separated sessions, involving two of the label’s top sound engineers, quite unusual. Part of the answer, this is Shankar‘s last album for the label. Some art, some business, left unfinished.

Shankar double violin
Zakir Hussain tabla
Vikku Vinayakram ghatam
Jon Christensen drums

Recorded 1987 and 1989 at Studio Bauer,  and Rainbow Studio
Engineers: Martin Wieland and Jan Erik Kongshaug
Completed and mixed 1989 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo
Engineer: Jan Erik Kongshaug
Produced by Manfred Eicher

Brest, finally. But the past is a strange companion. Before the long drive I found a photo in my mail. Thanks, Gudrun, looks like a guy to steal horses with,  and fighting windmills! And, well, a strand of green ended up in my hair, which was then dyed over again. A lot of things fell apart back then, slightly crazy prunes thought I was a womanizer with hypnotic powers, but my heart was a clean slate, in the right place, and I loved H (a woman, not heroin) without any doubts or double bottoms. Now, a few winters later, I travel to Brittany with an old beret and a lust for life like a thousand dime novels. (m.e.)