February 14, 2005

DUDEK/NIEBERGALL/VESALA

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Atavistic Unheard Music UMS ALP 247 CD

From an older generation of German jazzmen than then-tyro firebrands like Peter Brötzmann and Peter Kowald, in the mid-1960s reedist Gerd Dudek along with other key members of trumpeter Manfred Schoof’s hard bop quintet joined in exploring Free Jazz.

Yet this FMP Archive Edition reissue from 1977 was the first session made under the saxophonist’s own name. Listening to how Dudek -- born in 1928 -- runs the changes along with his two, since deceased sidemen -- Finnish drummer Edward Vesala and German bassist Buschi Niebergall --you see why his highest profile came as a member of ex-Schoof pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach’s Globe Unity Orchestra. MORE