Noctett - Contrasts (Germany 1979)

Now the first album from this nonet of fantastic German jazz musicians, mostly compositions by the trumpeter Peter Herborn save the first track by the keyboardist, there is a lot of big-band jazz sound going on here, and still quite a bit of classical influence. It's a little less rock in comparison to Dauner's Jazz and Rock Ensemble but to me the overall sound is very similar, and the charts are very very strong. There is nothing 'standard,' to use the american word, in the songs. It's too bad there isn't more piano action here from Hufschmidt. Check out the wonderful hair (head and facial) styles of the musicians on the back.

Long live European Jazz and Fusion (and synonymously, jazz-rock, because of course, fusion and jazz-rock mean exactly the same)!

Members:
-Peter Herborn (trombone)
-Thomas Dörr (alto saxophone)
-Remy Filipovitch (saxophone, flute)
-Bernd Krämer (trumpet)
-Raimund Hüttner (trumpet)
-Thomas Ophelders (trumpet)
-Thomas Hufschmidt (piano)
-Martin Engelien (bass)
-Peter Walter (vibraphone, drums)

Tracks:
A1 Springtime 7:10
A2 Polly's Phone 9:14
B1 To Go Is to Think - To Sing Is to Go 4:48
B2 Thoughts to Anthony B. 7:59
B3 ...And Neverthless: Adriana! 9:04

The sample below is the most composed and proggy track, the last one with the very odd title, as in the Full Score album (which came next year) they saved the best for last...