Sunday, May 4, 2014

ALFRED 23 HARTH QuasarQuartet – POPendingEYE (1993)



Label: Free Flow Music Production – ffm 0493
Format: CD, Album; Country: Germany - Released: 1993
Style: Free Jazz, Free Improvisation
Recorded live 5th December 1992 at the Hindemith Hall of the Old Opera, Frankfurt
New Cover Design by ART&JAZZ Studio, by VITKO
Photography By – William Klein
Producer – S. Siebenlist
Technician [Ton] – T. Raisig

Live-Mitschnitt aus dem Hindemith-Saal der Alten Oper Frankfurt, 5. Dezember 1992.
Straight ahead energetic Jazz. Enjoy!

01. 1st2nd3rd&4th . . . 29:18
02. BukzokWestWostokSude . . . 29:38

QuasarQuartet:
Alfred 23 HARTH - tenor sax, bassclarinet
Simon NABATOV - piano
Vladimir TARASOV - drums and percussion
Vitold REK - bass


"I want more POPEYE", writes Alfred Harth. "Possessing uncompromising moral standards and resorting to force when threatened". He also refers to "my artist's way through postmodernism", which at the beginning of the 90s brought him to grow tired of "all those mixes, remixes, postmodernisms and pop" that he had gone through during the previous decade: he was ready to return to a "pure" approach, essentially based on real players and real instruments. Enter Russian drummer Vladimir Tarasov from the Ganelin Trio, a long-time admirer of Harth, met for the first time in 1992 when Mr.23 was invited by Moscow TV for a program about him; the next character after his portrait would be none other that Popeye the Sailor (hence the album's title, a word game with the ironical "end" of the "pop phase" of Alfred's career). Tarasov had imported all the early Harth albums in the USSR, playing together became a necessary consequence. The QuasarQuartet, formed by the saxophonist in the same year, sees Harth on tenor sax and bass clarinet and Tarasov on drums and percussion, plus the fabulous pianist Simon Nabatov and the excellent Vitold Rek on bass. "POPendingEYE" features two half-hour tracks in which everything (Coltrane-derived ascensions, logical freedom, contaminations of marching band rhythms, folk melodies, pyrotechnical pianism, sadly pensive reed lines) obeys to a logic that's inspired by Harth's idea of "opening to the East": in fact, besides this new musical situation, he met his current partner - South Korea's visual artist Soonjoo Lee - right at that time . Even the track titles, "1st2nd3rd&4th" and "BukzokWestWostokSude", respectively refer to the world's divisions ("...we know what the 3rd world is, but which would be the 1st?" says Harth) and to a mixture of Korean and English language to describe directions. And many directions this music points at, with a stimulating alternance of high-charge improvisations and melodic crystals that doesn't remind us about the players' originary lands, but it rather stands as a primary example of reciprocal instant comprehension: no language is a barrier when the instruments are the ones doing the talking. "POPendingEYE" - a meaningful record in the free music scene of the early 90s - has remained pretty obscure despite its quality; but it sure helped Alfred Harth to be "strong to the finish", as the Sailor himself would have it. The fact is, his creativity shined then and it still does. What finish, then? And what's your favourite brand of spinach, Alf?
Highly recommended.

_ Review by MASSIMO RICCI



Buy this album!

47 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. New link:

      ALFRED 23 HARTH QuasarQuartet - POPendingEYE (1993)
      FLAC + Artwork:
      https://1fichier.com/?svouuwv4h3

      Delete
  2. Interesting. I especially loved Simon Nabatov's wonderful piano playing. Thank you Vitko.

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  3. Fascinating Vitko . . . you know how sometimes you sit and look at something and wonder if you want to get involved? I have been on the fence about this one since you posted it . . . glad I got off the fence! This is a very interesting listen! Thanks

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  4. Never hesitate to be the new thing, especially as you have the opportunity to try. If you do not like, simply discard, but if you have not tried it, you will never know ...

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  5. Thank you for this one. I kinda lost track of Herrn 23Harth after he no longer collaborated with Heiner Goebbels.

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  6. any early recordings with or without h hgoebbels like
    Vom Sprengen Des Gartens,
    Hommage / Vier Fäuste Für Hanns Eisler,
    sogennantes linksrad orchHört, Hört! / Mit Gelben Birnen ‎,
    red art,
    Der Durchdrungene Mensch / Indianer Für Morgen,
    Bertolt Brecht: Zeit Wird Knapp
    Nouvelle Cuisine
    Gestalt Et Jive ‎
    in lossless would be very appreciated
    Artemis

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  7. OK, I have all the aforementioned albums, in September will begin to publish them as a post, please be patient because it's a pretty big job, I have other major obligations, so all I need to somehow harmonize. Agreed!

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    Replies
    1. Vitko, I may be able to assist you with a few of these albums, some even as CDs. Maybe, if interested, you can contact me via my Profile??? -Otto-

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    2. Shoulda signed in with my last comment. In any case, I'm looking forward to seeing your treasures here in a while. Thanks, Vitko!

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    3. Very kind of you -Otto-, go ahead. Links send to me, and I will make a post in your name.

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  8. thank for your instant answer.
    I have my eyes on you expecting...
    in meanwhile i aprreciate your everyday ups
    thanks also to Otto for your kindness
    Artemis

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  9. Thank -Otto-, I took over. That was really fast. I'll make as we agreed.
    Regards.

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  10. Vitko, thanks for starting this! -Otto- made me aware of what's happening here - i'll post a few harth's not on artemis's list on "lucky locus".

    cheers, lucky

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    Replies
    1. Good luck, Lucky :) I already working on the LP Heiner Goebbels & Alfred Harth - Hommage, Vier Fausta Fur Hanns Eisler (SAJ-08), -Otto-'s post will end in two days.
      This is called good cooperation.

      Delete
  11. Thank you Vitko, for the flac links. Tried to buy this item some weeks ago but I was too late.

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  12. Hi Vitko

    Are there any you are still missing, or that you don't want to post?

    Nick

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  13. as far as alfred harth goes, there are some rare items i'd be interested in:

    - Nicole Van Den Plas, Thomas Cremer, Alfred Harth, Peter Stock, Franz Volhard - 4. Januar 1970 (Record-Ton, 1970)
    - E.M.T. ‎- Canadian Cup of Coffee (FMP, 1974)
    - Rolf Riehm ‎- Machandelboom, Das Märchen vom Wacholderbaum (Riskant, 1983)
    - Alfred Harth + Bob Degen - Melchior (Biber, 1985)
    - Alfred 23 Harth ‎- Red Art (Creative Works, 1986)
    - Alfred 23 Harth ‎- Plan Eden (Creative Works, 1987)

    cheers,
    lucky

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HI Lucky - one way to get hold of E.M.T. - Canadian Cup of Coffee is Johansson's website > http://www.sven-akejohansson.com/de/discographie/1974-emtcanadien-cup-of-coffee/

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  14. I have plan Eden , & Vladimir Estragon but my turntable's (a 20years old Pink Triangle) motor going to death. I try to make a rip in a friend's Linn & upload them ASAP.
    cheers
    Artemis

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  15. Artemis - i posted vladimir estragon on my blog, a cd-rip. :)

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  16. What I have are
    Canadian Cup of Coffee
    Melchior
    Red Art
    Plan Eden
    Der Durchdrungene Mensch / Indianer Für Morgen
    Frankfurt-Peking
    Bertolt Brecht: Zeit Wird Knapp
    Nouvelle Cuisine
    Gestalt Et Jive ‎
    State Of Volgograd
    Secrets Of Development
    Waxwebwind@ebroadway
    Sora
    Pollock
    Sweet Paris
    Goebbels Heart
    eShip Sum
    Nu:clear Re:actor/TT
    Micro-Saxo-Phone Ed.III
    Taste Tribes

    But maybe Alfred still has some of the CDs available.

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  17. If there are wanted that aren't already covered, let me know

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    Replies
    1. I'm dying to find "Red Art". I have an old cassette, but no longer plays.

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  18. Very good collection, Nick, it would be nice of you to do a post EMT - Canadian Cup of Coffee, and I'll be return a favor with ALFRED 23 HARTH - Anything Goes (LP-1986, Creative Works ?– CW 1005) never released on CD.

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  19. Nick, Artemis, et. al. "Zeit wird knapp" is in the making. I/we are almost there, just missing some scans. -Otto-

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  20. if there's interest - and nobody already had it done - i could rip the "goebbels heart" cd + do the scans.

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  21. Thanks Lucky, an hour ago -Otto- is all duly sent to me. Is currently I work to processing the booklets.
    Regards.

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  22. Nick, you do not need anything to work I have all the albums that I need to next post.
    Regards. V

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  23. i think , there is interest about goebbels heart" cd but not for uploading cause its compilation of 3 LPs
    Der durchdrungene Mensch - Indianer für Morgen
    Bertolt Brecht: Zeit Wird Knapp
    Frankfurt - Peking as you already know.
    In between the earthquake of nick's collection in G. H. etc albums blow me away, as i stood bteathless at demonic duo's concert in Goethe Institut for free back in 1987 -yes 27 years ago-.
    I expect your good cooperation results with excitement.
    Thanks in advance
    Artemis

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  24. nick's vinyl rips + cover scans are some of the best on the web!!! and he mostly delivers lossless rips. especially for the vinyl only releases i'd be craving for this kinda quality...

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  25. can you re-up this one, please....
    THX !.....

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  26. you are really kind Vitko ....
    THX !....

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  27. Replies
    1. Hallo.
      Nichts Besonderes, die Musik genießen.
      Wie hat sich die bestanden Veranstaltung "Der Name Burroughs - Expanded Medien", Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie (ZKM) Gruppenausstellung in Karlsruhe. Ich interessiert mich für was war Ihre Teilnahme.
      V.

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  28. Hi Vitko, what was your motivation for creating a new cover of POPendingEYE?
    My participation at that ZKM exhibition about William Burroughs was a video that I took of him in 1990.
    A23H

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    Replies
    1. Hi Mr. Harth,
      I hope you do not mind and that you like it. Around this time I found photos of William Klein that are a perfect blend, in my opinion, with music at the album. I made a series of collages and I think it works very well. It's kind of color and psychological aspect of your music in POPendingEYE.
      Vitko

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  29. Hi Vitko, I kind of like your album design. It is good to know that those are photos of William Klein, though the one of the guy with the sax is not, that's me at the age of 25.
    Did you do more such visual cover remixes?
    A23H

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    Replies
    1. I know, you're the man with the saxophone:), I found this picture on the Internet, and especially is processed for this design album.
      I'm sorry, maybe I was not clear. The photographs is made by Mr. William Klein. And then I was cut them into pieces, applied is the technique of collage, and them again compiled in a different way, so I've created a completely new atmosphere, and then I intervened with brush and paint, and of course inserted your picture in the new environment.

      You can contact me at this email:
      differentper@gmail.com

      Delete
  30. Any chance for re-up in FLAC?

    ReplyDelete