Eight albums - Peter Herbolzheimer (1973-78)

Peter, after ingesting a few herbols

Over a two year period, Bacoso chronicled seven of funky big-band leader Peter Herbolzheimer's 70s albums. When I mentioned that I was going to do this series, he threw in an unposted eighth album, "Touchdown" from 1977.
(OIR regulars note : yes, something NEW here for you).

Herbolzheimer pushed the edges of what a "big band" could be - a trombonist, he wrote these scorching brass arrangements, but always had his eye on the other musicians, never seeing them in the traditional 'backing band' role that the configuration usually suggested. As he began to explore funk textures and rhythms, the bass and keyboards came to the front as often as the brass, with some tracks centred around Dieter Reith's searing hammond organs and punchy rhodes lines.

To my mind, he trod this line most successfully in the early 70s work - the songwriting is better, and the funk is always seen from a jazz perspective. When he pushed the "backing band" more to the fore in the later work and began to explore more fusion/rock/classical textures, something began to get lost in the balance. However, even in the later albums, there are always moments of beauty and subtleties of arrangement that make a listen worthwhile, particularly in the breadth of the sonic palette of brass section tones.

I'm presenting these in roughly chronological order. My picks are the first two here, "Wide Open" and particularly "Waitaminute", though the two live ones that follow those are pretty damn hot as well, and the others are worth checking out.

(Edit : Don't miss my later post of "Live Im Onkel Pö" (aka "Catfish")

Text after this by Bacoso, except where otherwise noted.
Personnel ripped from Discogs.

Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass
“WIDE OPEN” (1973)

DOWNLOAD WAV - MP3

'Frog Dance' excerpt


'Blue Dervish' excerpt


'Babo' excerpt

Wipe out LP from Herr Herbolzheimer and the gang. This one is a real slamming break beat driven hunk of funk especially on 'Frog Dance', 'That Ol' Bus Smell' and 'Babo'. And who's that on percussion - yes it's Sabu !

So put your lederhosen on, wax your moustache, get your trombone out and raise your beer stein to the great Peter Herbolzheimer and his Rhythm Combination and Brass - OOMPAH!

TRACKLIST
01 Frog Dance (5:15)
02 That Ol' Bus Smell (5:56)
03 Babo (4:14)
04 Nica's Dream (5:25)
05 Like A Soft Breeze (5:32)
06 Blue Dervish (5:57)
07 Cats (4:42)
08 Hi-Jack (6:09)

PERSONNEL
Bass - Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
Conductor - Peter Herbolzheimer
Congas - Sabu Martinez
Drums - Tony Inzalaco
Electric Piano, Organ - Dieter Reith
Electric Piano, Percussion - Horst Mühlbradt
Engineer, Recorded By - Jan Audier
Guitar - Philip Catherine
Saxophone, Flute - Herb Geller
Trombone - Ake Persson , Jiggs Whigham , Peter Herbolzheimer (tracks 1,2,7), Erik Van Lier (2.8) , Rudi Füsers
Trumpet - Ack Van Rooyen , Art Farmer , Palle Mikkleborg , Rick Kiefer
* Click back cover (above) for composition / arrangement / soloist credits
Recorded at Soundpush Studios, August 1973, Blaricum, Holland.
Produced by Peter Herbolzheimer.
MPS Records. Catalog#: 15391

Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass
“WAITAMINUTE” (1973)

Ripped at 320 from the original vinyl.
DOWNLOAD 'Waitaminute' 

'Mr Clean' excerpt

The Teutonic titan of the trombone is back at Orgy in Rhythm with a banging big band session from 1973 from MPS. Featuring many of the usual suspects : Art Farmer, Dieter Reith, Nils Henning Orsted-Pederson, Palle Mikleborg, Tony Inzalacao and the great Sabu Martinez, this one is another all killer no filler masterpiece.

A banging version of Weldon Irvine's "Mr Clean", the sitar led "Wild Chick", the rippling conga/drum driven "Green Witch" and the fantastic title cut - this album is up there with "Wide Open" as the best thing RCB ever did. Highly Recommended.

Big thanks to Japan's finest Jazz-Nekko for providing a great cover shot.

TRACKLIST
01 Waitaminute (5:50)
02 Mr. Clean (4:22)
03 The Ballad Of The Sad Young Men (4:52)
04 Green Witch (5:14)
05 Wild Chick (5:00)
06 The Meaning Of The Blues (5:55)
07 Modus Vivendi (5:33)

PERSONNEL
Bass - Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
Drums - Tony Inzalaco
Flute, Saxophone - Ferdinand Povel (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5) , Herb Geller (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 6, 7)
Guitar, Sitar - Sigfried Schwab
Percussion - Sabu Martinez
Piano, Organ - Dieter Reith
Piano, Percussion - Horst Mühlbradt
Trombone - Jiggs Whigham , Peter Herbolzheimer , Rudi Füsers
Trumpet - Rick Kiefer
Trumpet, Flugelhorn - Ack Van Rooyen , Art Farmer , Palle Mikkelborg

MPS Records Catalog#: 15387

MPS Rhythm Combination & Brass
“POWER PLAY” (1973)
Euro release as "My Kind Of Sunshine", MPS #15352

DOWNLOAD 'POWER PLAY"

'Timbales Caliente' excerpt

A roaring monster of a big band set, this is the MPS Rhythm Combination and Brass arranged by, conducted by, and featuring Peter Herbolzheimer. Recorded live at Domicile in Munich in 1973, this was released by MPS in the USA as a single lp set, although the European issue was a double and called "My Kind Of Sunshine". It's never made a re-issue of any type and this post is ripped from the US issue.

Have a read of the sleeve notes below and get 'Timbales Caliente', 'What'd I Say', 'Senor Blues' or 'Wade in the Water' on at full blast - but be prepared to be blown out of your seat!

"This is the kind of orchestra which used to be called a power house band - it radiates power and vitality! Roaring brass, thunderous rhythms, a whole lot of different sounds - a real power house full of music. And presiding over it all, a man with a trombone, hair flowing over his collar - tough, sure of himself, a mountain of a man - PETER HERBOLZHEIMER. He is the boss, principal composer and arranger for an ensemble which is unlike anything else in the world. Four trumpets, three trombones, one man on saxaphone and flute and a rhythm section normally consisting of six. They play a kind of jazz which makes virtually all other big bands sound old fashioned and a brand of rock which the specialist groups can only dream of. The organ goes wild, the flute soars above the virtuoso accompaniment of the congas, the bongos, the rest of the percussion and the bass guitar; the ring of the trumpets carry the melody along - the overall effect is overwhelming. There are elements of rock and macumba, shades of gospel services and even voodoo rites, but the real idols here are figures like Bird and Diz and all the other gods of jazz world. When the improvisation begins there's no pop - just bop!"

TRACKLIST
01. Timbales Calientes - 7:00
02. Sunflower Chant - 7:43
03. Wade In The Water - 7:32
04. What'd I Say - 13:15
05. Senor Blues - 9:40

Recorded live at Domicile in Munich in 1973
Also released as "My Kind Of Sunshine", MPS #15352

The Rhythm Combination & Brass
“LIVE AT RONNIE SCOTT'S” (1974)

also released as "Scenes", MPS 15425

DOWNLOAD 'Live At Ronnie Scotts'

'Sideways' excerpt

More full on big band ball busting business with Herr Herbolzheimer's Rhythm Combination & Brass ripping it up at Ronnie Scotts in May 1974.

Art Farmer, Dieter Reith, Philip Catherine, Kenny Wheeler, Palle Mikkleborg and the late, very great Sabu Martinez all appear in this incarnation of the RCB, and as always Herbolzheimer is at the controls producing, arranging and leading the band on trombone.

As usual this LP has a great set of covers, which include Weldon Irvine's "Mr Clean", Gillespie's "Con Alma" and Dieter Reith's Sidewinder inspired "Hoops". Herbolzheimer knocked out the rest of the compositions, which culminate in "Blues In My Shoes", an archetypal walking blues that postively impels the foot to tap and the fingers to snap. It starts lightly and quietly with organ and bass generating a lift, then, with a powerful press roll Kenny Clare moves in on the second chorus, on the third organ and electric piano swap fours, on the fourth the trombones roar in with the theme.... and so it goes, building relentlessly through seven choruses to a beautiful climax of shouting brass before Art Farmer enters with a coolly elegant four chorus solo. Ake Persson and Gunther Lenz follow, then the band take the tune out over three choruses, once again making exciting use of dynamics and providing a storming finish to a musically rewarding and exciting album.

Thanks to Magnum again for a nice bit of cropping on the cover photo - lovely job!

TRACKLIST
01 Mr. Clean (6:10)
02 Con Alma (4:10)
03 Sideways (5:10)
04 Hoops (5:00)
05 Scenes (5:15)
06 Don't Speak Now (4:28)
07 Blues In My Shoes (8:20)

PERSONNEL
Arranged By - Peter Herbolzheimer (tracks 1-3, 5-7)
Arranged By - Dieter Reith (track 4)
Bass - Günter Lenz (tracks 1, 3-7), Jean Warland (track 2)
Congas, Percussion - Sabu Martinez
Drums - Kenny Clare
Electric Piano - Horst Mühlbradt (tracks 2, 3, 7)
Electric Piano, Synthesizer, Organ - Dieter Reith
Guitar - Philip Catherine
Percussion - Horst Mühlbradt
Recorded By, Engineer, Remix - Justus Liebich
Saxophone [Alto, Soprano], Flute - Ferdinand Povel
Trombone - Ake Persson , Jiggs Whigham , Peter Herbolzheimer , Rudi Füsers
Trumpet - Ack Van Rooyen , Art Farmer , Kenny Wheeler , Palle Mikkleborg , Ronnie Simmonds

Recorded live at Ronnie Scott's Club, London, May 1974
MPS Records Catalog#: 21 22284-5
also released as "Scenes", MPS 15425

The Galactic Light Orchestra

“TIME TRAVELLERS GALAXIS” (1974)

DOWNLOAD "Time Travellers Galaxis"

Bacoso says : Peter Herbolzheimer working as The Galactic Light Orchestra for Polydor from 1974. Review and line up lifted from discogs.com - guessing the write up is probably a translation(!?)

Simon says ☺ : Perhaps they're satirising the "Power Play" liner notes??

"In essence, this album is a beautiful mixture of great themes from the classics, combined with the force and dynamism of one of the funkiest rhythm sections yet heard; the result is yours to judge and the rest assured that the album has had rave reviews across the world. The concept of this album is one of continual surprise, musical wizzardry and just sheer excitement. Peter Herbolzheimer and Jimmy Pratt have pulled together a well-known international line-up of top class musicians (including "The Concert and Symphony Strings of Cologne"). It is an album of moods and colours, incorporating the sweeping grace of Grieg with "Anitra's Dance", the peace of Schumann with "Falling Asleep", the majesty of Bach with "Air", and a host of surprises including melodies from Tschaikovsky, Borodin. "Galaxis" is one of the few albums that cannot be categorized, cannot be faulted and cannot be put aside. There are so few musical productions that can equally well appeal to a broad spectrum of age groups ; and when one does appear, as "Galaxis" has, it is surely an event."

TRACKLIST
01 'Falling Asleep' (4:18) - comp. Robert Schumann
02 'Anitras Dance' (3:15) - comp. Edvard Grieg
03 'Galactic Swan' (2:54) - comp. Tchaikovsky
04 'Ave Maria' (3:44) - comp. Franz Schubert
05 'Poem' (4:34) - comp. Zdenko Fibich
06 'Dance' (5:39) - comp. Alexander Borodin
07 'The Dance Of Death' (3:26) - comp. Edvard Grieg
08 'Prelude No. 20' (4:32) - comp. Frédéric Chopin
09 'Air' (2:55) - comp. Johann Sebastian Bach

PERSONNEL
Bass - Bo Stief , Günter Lenz , Jean Warland , Rob Langereis
Drums - Kenny Clare , Ronnie Stephenson , Todd Cannedy
Executive Producer - Jimmy Pratt
Guitar - Heinz Kästle , Philip Catherine , Rolf Kästle
Leader - Peter Herbolzheimer
Organ - Dieter Reith , Rob Franken
Percussion - Claudio Szenkar , Horst Mühlbrand , Jimmy Pratt , Peter Herbolzheimer , Sabu Martinez
Piano - Horst Mühlbrandt , Ingfried Hoffmann
Trombone - Jiggs Wigham , Manne Gätjens , Nick Hauk , Otto Brendl , Rudi Fuesers , Åke Persson
Trumpet - Ack van Rooyen , Art Farmer , Eddie Engels , Hans Thomas , Jupp Kreuser , Palle Mikkelborg , Rick Kiefer , Ron Simmonds
Woodwind - Ferdinand Povel , Herb Geller , James Towsey

Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass
“HIP WALK” (1976)

DOWNLOAD 'HIP WALK' 

'Butterfly'

"Hip Walk" (1976) was the ninth album from Peter Herbolzheimer's Rhythm Combination and Brass and started a move into fusion territory.

A stellar European line up featuring Kenny Wheeler, Eef Albers, Dieter Reith, Palle Mikkleborg, Ack von Rooyen and the singer Ingar Rumpf (thankfully only on two tracks - "Superstition" and "Spirit") and a great selection of tunes including Hancock's "Butterfly", Adderley's "Jive Samba" and Dieter Reith's "Nerve Wrecker". The album really comes into it's own with the superb Herbolzheimer compositions "Wheeler's Choice", "Hip Walk" and "Neosho".

This was issued on Polydor Germany in 1976, and then made a re-issue on CD in 1997 on Repertoire from Germany which has now disappeared without trace. This post is ripped from the CD.

TRACKLIST
01. Hip Walk
02. Butterfly
03. Superstition
04. Wheeler's Choice
05. Stoned Cockattoo
06. Jive Samba
07. Spirit
08. Nerve Wrecker
09. Neosho

SOLOISTS
Trumpets - Kenny Wheeler, Ack Van Rooyen , Palle Mikkleborg
trombone - Jiggs Wigham
guitar - Eef Albers
keyboards - Dieter Reith, Rob Franken
sax, flute - Ferdinand Povel
vocals - Ingar Rumpf

Recorded July 1976 DGG Studios Hamburg

Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass
“TOUCHDOWN” (1977)

DOWNLOAD 'TOUCHDOWN' 

'Inka's Return' excerpt

Simon's review
One of the better later 70s LPs by Peter Herbolzheimer, with the brass and the rest of the band more integrated, even if not completely up to the standard of the early albums. Minimal guitar masturbation apart from the opening track "Timeline". Some good rhodes by Dieter Reith on "Inka's Return" and Chick Corea's "Spain". There's unusually restrained brass and wind work on "Antares", with Herbolzheimer stretching his harmonic language, having successfully distilled a few of the classical elements that were overblown on the "Galactic" album.

The two tracks with Don Adams on vocals are probably best avoided - the funk never really takes off on "Hi-Fly Angel", ditto for the strange-but-not-great cover of the Beatles "A Day in the Life". Some fine bass playing from Bo Stief on "A Letter for RK" , which has a good groove to it and some subtle breathy trumpet work from (then) new recruit, Derek Watkins . In 1978, this album won the 'Pop International Award' at the grand German Record Awards on the Island of Sylt.

PERSONNEL (incomplete)
Vocals - Don Adams
Keyboards - Dieter Reith
Trumpet - Derek Watkins
Woodwinds - Herb Geller
Trumpet - Ack Van Rooyen
Bass - Bo Stief
Drums - Alex Riel
Percussion - Nippy Noya

TRACKLIST
01 Timeline (3:48)
02 Spain (4:40)
03 A Day In The Life (6:41)
04 The Mixolydian Highlander (5:45)
05 Hi-Fly Angel (4:44)
06 Madcap (4:44)
07 Antares (5:11)
08 A Letter From R.K. (6:53)
09 Inka's Return (4:02)

Polydor Records
Catalog#: 2371 836

Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass

“I HEAR VOICES” (1978)

DOWNLOAD 'I HEAR VOICES' Ripped from the original vinyl @320

The return of the Teutonic Titan of the Trombone Herr Peter Herbolzheimer, this time accompanied by Sanne Salomonsen & The Voices on Polydor from 1978.

I have to say that as much as I am a fan of Herbolzheimer I am not greatly enamoured with this session - however, as the RC&B posts I have put up in the past have been massively popular with visitors to OIR, I thought it was only fair to let you make your own minds up. From a personal point of view I find the vocals too in yer face and as for guitarist Eef Albers ... well I'd like to stick his screeching rock guitar pyrotechnics up his oompah.

Still, this LP has it's moments, although if I never heard another version of 'Birdland' again I would not be too bothered. See what you think about it and leave your thoughts in the comments - after all, one man's meat is another man's poison - even so, some of this still smacks of arsenic to me !!!

TRACKLIST
01 I Hear Voices (5:36)
02 Feedback Brother (3:58)
03 November (6:04)
04 Birdland (6:13)
05 Save Me From The City (5:09)
06 Someday (3:50)
07 Time Out (4:15)
08 Din A3 (4:52)

PERSONNEL
Backing Vocals - Michael Elo , Micke Herbolzheimer , Peter Herbolzheimer , Sanne Salomonsen , Tamra Rosanes
Bass - Bo Stief
Drums - Alex Riel
Guitar - Eef Albers
Keyboards - Rob Franken
Marimba - Wolfgang Schlüter (track 3)
Percussion - Horst Mühlbrandt , Nippy Noya
Trombone - Bart van Lier , John English , Otto Bredl , Peter Herbolzheimer , Torolf Mølgaard
Trumpet - Ack van Rooyen , Allan Botschinsky , Bob Lanese , Derek Watkins , Jan Oosthof
Vocals - Sanne Salomonsen
Woodwind - Ferdinand Povel , Heinz von Hermann , Wilton Gaynair

(edit : Also, don't miss my later post of "Live Im Onkel Pö" aka "Catfish")