A legendary trio, very firmly back in action – and making us feel like it's the late 60s European free jazz scene all over again! The energy of the players here is tremendous – and while we've enjoyed the renewed strengths of saxophonist Peter Brotzmann in recent years, we're equally impressed with the fire of Alexander Von Schlippenbach on piano and Han Bennink on drums – both musicians who can give us so many different sounds and styles, but who really remind us here that they're some of the key folks who helped put the "free" in free jazz! Brotzmann blows tenor, b flat clarinet, and tarogato – and titles include the very long "Fifty Years After" and "Frictional Sounds" – plus "Short Dog Of Sweet Lucy", "Bad Borrachos", and "Street Jive". CD

Amazing work from this seminal group on the FMP scene – a quartet led by pianist Alexander Von Schlippenbach, but equally balanced between the saxes of Evan Parker, bass of Peter Kowald, and percussion of Paul Lovens! We're not sure how much to take the "nails" in the title seriously, but it does sound as if Schlippenbach is playing prepared piano at times – or perhaps his command of the keyboard is just so strong, he can make other-worldly elements come from the instrument whenever he wants! Much of the music has a full-on FMP intensity – that non-stop, sonically adventurous quality inherited from Machine Gun – spun out over three great live improvisations, titled "Range", "Black Holes", and "Three Nails Left". CD

Beautiful solo material from of the greatest avant European pianists of the past 50 years – a musician that we'd rank right up there with Cecil Taylor for his sense of freedom on the keys – but who's even more amazing given his tighter focus at times, and his richer sense of jazz history! The album's one of Schlippenbach's best – really wonderful throughout, with a sense of imagination that never lets up – sometimes leading to Monkish moments or Herbie Nichols whimsey – sometimes much freer and fiercer – and extremely moving throughout. Titles include "Payan", "Nimmy Pimmy", "Pumpkin", and "Kinds Of Weirdness", which features Schlippenbach on added percussion! CD