Phonolith

Drawing on two studio sessions from 1980 and 1994, this fine recording was somehow not released until the year 2000. The liners refer to this as "German Jazz without the wince," although it might be better described as adventurous jazz performed by (mostly) German musicians. The several conglomerations perform pieces by Bernd Koller, with one track featuring Koller performing a satisfying solo rendition of Billy Strayhorn's "Lushlife." The highlights of the disc are the five sextet pieces (including a version of "Phonolith 1," in which violinist Didier Lockwood plays a prominent role, and the compelling nonet rendition of "Phonolith 2"). There are wonderful solos from Konrad (on both soprano and baritone saxophones), Koller (on tenor saxophone and sopranino), and Lockwood, and the compositions, at their best, rise to highly creative levels. Konrad's writing is especially impressive for the horns, as a sensitive melodiousness mixes with restrained saxophone solos that dig into the chordal implications of the tunes. The duo of trumpeters Kenny Wheeler and Herbert Joos helps charge the nonet.