I remember a 2014 review of my old Kristiansand companion John Kelman on a thrilling album that had once been circling around as a bootleg before getting its wonderful remix and remaster as an official ECM release. Seeing Paul Motion in action these days on our blog, looking for some of his great old albums, or listening to the new, multi-layered homage of Joe Lovano and Jakob Bro, is definitely a way of zig-zaging between time lines. Obviously you have to make choices. Here‘s another one. It has been warm and rainy in Hamburg on June 14, 1972. 50 years ago today, roundabout. Here he is, John Kelman, just an excerpt.
„Culled from an NDR Jazz Workshop radio recording,, Hamburg ’72 is as important for Eicher and Norwegian engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug’s superb remix from the original multitracks as it is for the exceptional music itself. Motian’s dark ride cymbal positively sizzles on the opening „Rainbow“ which gradually evolves from Jarrett’s spare and lyrical a cappella introduction into a more powerful improvisational vehicle for the entire trio, demonstrating both a chemistry built over the course of five years as well as the unassailable magic of this particular evening. (…) In fact, Hamburg ’72 is a true milestone from the first of its 56 minutes to the last—a classic once lost, but now found again and sounding better than ever.“