Tremendous early work from German saxophonist Joki Freund – a player who would go onto much greater fame in the progressive years at the end of the 60s, but who already sounds plenty darn great on this early combo side from 1963! The style of the work is incredibly hip – with a definite John Coltrane modal groove in place, but also a sense of globally conscious jazz that's very much in the spirit of classic Saba/MPS work, but which predates most of that by a number of years! Freund plays tenor and soprano sax here – in a sextet with Wolfgang Dauner on piano, Emil Mangelsdorff on flute and alto, Eberhard Weber on bass, Karl Theodor Geier on bass, and Peter Baumeister on drums – and the record is overflowing with great tunes that more than live up to the compelling title and cover image! Lots of "Eastern" styled numbers – and titles include "Aisha", "Carribean Ringo", "Yogiana", "HL 20", and "Killer Joe". CD

Some of the earliest work we've ever heard from German tenorist Joki Freund – a player who'd trip out a bit more in later years, but who blows here with a sound that's sharp, modern, and very swinging throughout! The group features trombone from Albert Mangelsdorff, who's also on the straighter side of the spectrum here – plus alto from Emil Mangelsdorff, sounding a lot more modern than on other recordings – really matching the energy of both hornmen, as they all step out in a piano-less group that only features the bass of Harry Schell and drums of Rudi Sehring on rhythm! The music has echoes of better-known 50s modernists – like Lee Konitz or Jimmy Giuffre on our side of the Atlantic, or Hans Koller in Freund's German scene – and the package features live material from a 1957 album, plus additional studio tracks from the rare Joki's Sparkle EP. Titles include "Nico", "Freund Point", "Vie La France", "Swinging Pigeons", "Domicile", "Rudy's Theme", and "From Lighthouse To Frankfurt". CD

A legendary moment in European free jazz – performances all recorded on a single Sunday in 1969 – but which stand as some of the most powerful music of the time! The vibe here is often in the best spirit of early FMP, or maybe the most outside work of MPS – and the recording quality equals the best avant jazz on both labels – with very long performances on each track that represent the pinnacle of all players involved! One side alone is worth the price of admission – a searing track titled "Finally", performed by an octet with Peter Brotzmann at the helm, alongside Evan Parker on tenor and soprano sax, Fred Van Hove on piano, Paul Rutherford on trombone, Peter Kowald on bass, and Pierre Favre on drums. Favre returns on "Let's Talk About The Weather" – played by a trio with Kowad on bass and Irene Schweizer on piano. Other tracks include "Five To Five" and "Gluga Gluga Blues" by the Joki Freund Quintet, "In Memory Of John Coltrane" by Marion Brown, "Vibration" by the group of saxophonist Joe Fiera and trombonist Ed Kroger, and "Circus Live" by a quartet led by Rolf Kuhn on electric clarinet, with Joachim Kuhn on piano and Stu Martin on drums. CD

An amazing early bop session from Germany! During the 50s, pianist Jutta Hipp cut a number of straighter sides for Blue Note that were recorded in the US – but this first album has her working with German contemporaries like Joki Freund on tenor sax and Emil Mangelsdorff on alto, carving out a dark little batch of tracks with a sharper edge than you'd expect! Although Hipp's the leader, it's the amazing horn interplay that really makes the record shine – as Mangelsdorff and Freund work in unison on many of the intros to the songs, cutting back and forth like a double-edged sword, then breaking out into wonderfully compact solos. About 3 tracks feature Hipp in a trio, but the remaining 5 feature this quintet – and it's just great! Titles include "Cleopatra", "Mon Petit", "What's New", and "Variations". CD