Outside of The Ragbirds show the other night, i had a conversation with a guy with pupils like flying saucers, who told me about this record, describing is as, "ripping your tongue out of yr head, so you can taste the universe." That is probably the best possible album review, and highest possible recommendation one could receive in these parts. I don't think i could do any better.What you get is 55 minutes of solo piano sublimity, completely improvised in Cologne, Germany in 1975. During the journey, you hear flashes of sacral 20th century classical music, boogie-woogie, stride piano; often bluesy, jazzy. Surprisingly sweet, tender, heartfelt, resounding with passion as you hear his whoops, hollers, foot pounding the boards. This record is ALIVE, frozen and transported through time, containing all of the best possible strengths of improvised music. What strikes me the most is hearing him singing along with what his fingers are playing, demonstrating the sounds he hears in his head, and his mastery of manifesting them on this Earth.
After the staggering recommendation i received, i got this record and just let it play. It holds up amazingly well to repeat listening, offer new delights each time. Can be engaging, or just nice mood music. Great to read, to study, to sleep, and at this present moment, to stare out the window of my second story bedroom at the early spring, monochromatic sky.
Highly recommended!
The Koln Concert
What strikes me most about this album is that you can literally hear the man thinking as he composes on the fly, it is utterly amazing and beguiling. Up until this album I thought Miles was the only one I could hear thinking, now I have two.
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