FUNKY GDR !

Rundfunktanzorchester Berlin ‎– Big Band Aktuell

LP AMIGA ‎– 8 55 568, GDR - 1977

If you like that unique funky European touch that blessed so many European big bands in the early to mid-Seventies, you’ll love this album.  As far as I know, it is the most adventurous album by this GDR big band.  Very original sound, especially on side 2 with tracks like Tiefetal 10 (with some solid alto courtesy of Ernst Ludwig Petrowsky) and “Etude”(with superb electric violin by Hubert Katzenbeier who musta bin listening to lotsa Sugarcane).

This last track is a pure delight for progheads! 

All tracks on side A were composed and arranged by Jerzy Milian.

Tracklist

A1       Ich Suche Nach Dir    5:15

Trombone – Hubert Katzenbeier

A2       Es Läuft          2:40

Alto Saxophone – Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky

A3       Drums-Jubiläum        3:15

Drums – Wolfgang Winkler

A4       Gründung Der Quarten         2:47

Tenor Saxophone – Werner Schmidt

A5       Wasserpfeifen-Blues  4:55

Flugelhorn, Trombone – Joachim Graswurm

Flute – Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky

Trombone – Hubert Katzenbeier

B1       Tiefetal 10      5:40

Alto Saxophone, Composed By – Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky

Bass – Klaus Koch      Guitar – Klaus Hille

B2       Ballade           3:34

Trombone, Composed By – Hubert Katzenbeier

B3       Erinnerung An Einen Wintertag      5:05

Alto Saxophone – Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky

Composed By – Václav Zahradník

Trumpet – Joachim Graswurm

B4       Etüde  6:26

Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Joachim Graswurm

Violin [Electric], Composed By – Hubert Katzenbeier

Credits

Conductor [Leitung] – Günter Gollasch

Recording dates:s

Aufnahmen: Rundfunk der DDR

A1 rec. 26.11.1971

A2 rec. 18.07.1972

A3, B4 rec. 16.06.1976

A4 rec. 21.11.1974

A5 rec. 24.02.1972

B1 rec. 15.06.1976

B2 rec. 06.06.1975

B3 rec. 06.10.1972

There are some great pictures of the Rundfunktanzorchester here.