Reichlich Weiblich – Live at Moers Festival ‘87

A full big band sound, plenty of attitude and a sense of humour. Reichlich Weiblich (“plenty female”) was the first women’s jazz orchestra in Germany. In June 1987 the band played the Moers Festival, and this CD captures that concert live.

There are five saxophones, three trumpets and two trombones, with keyboards, electric bass and drums. Among them are saxophonist and composer Sibylle Pomorin and pianist Ulrike Haage, both later major names in German jazz. The music is just as colourful as the titles. There’s the punky drive of “Punk Nr 9”, the groove of “Big Mama”, the political “Nuclear Footprints” and the dramatic “Scandale Emotionale”. The album also has wonderfully absurd titles like “Eine kommt immer zu spät ins Fichtelgebirge” (“One woman’s always late to the Fichtelgebirge”) and the nearly 14-minute closer “Der Einradtänzer und der fliegende Zwilling / Tango für eine Goldkrabbe” (“The Unicycle Dancer and the Flying Twin / Tango for a Golden Crab”).

It’s big band jazz between free jazz, funk, rock and tango, and a key document of the women’s jazz scene of the 1980s. Released on Moers Music. When you buy here, you’re buying directly from the label, and we only sell originals.

The Side Story

In the 1980s, women in jazz were still the exception, especially in the horn sections of big bands. Reichlich Weiblich changed that. Sibylle Pomorin co-founded the band in 1984. Pomorin started out in a rhythm and blues band and played with free jazz greats like Conny Bauer, Peter Brötzmann and Yosuke Yamashita. In 1988, a year after this concert, she won the SWF Jazz Prize for her “high-energy playing”.

Pianist Ulrike Haage had an even more surprising career afterwards. She joined Katharina Franck in the pop band Rainbirds, whose debut album had gone gold. She then made experimental music with FM Einheit of Einstürzende Neubauten and Phil Minton, and wrote music for theatre, film and radio plays. In 2003 she received the German Jazz Award (Albert-Mangelsdorff-Preis) for her life’s work.

Playing at the Moers Festival was a big stage for the band. The festival was one of the most important meeting places for adventurous jazz in Europe, and this recording shows why Reichlich Weiblich belonged there.

Tracklist

1. Eine kommt immer zu spät in’s Fichtelgebirge – 4:59

2. Homsa’s Tanz – 6:38

3. Scandale Emotionale – 5:52

4. Nuclear Footprints – 5:02

5. Punk Nr 9 – 5:10

6. Big Mama – 5:37

7. Der Einradtänzer und der fliegende Zwilling / Tango für eine Goldkrabbe – 13:46

Total running time: approx. 47 minutes

Personnel

• Sibylle Pomorin – alto saxophone, flute

• Sabine Koth – alto saxophone

• Ilona Henz – tenor & soprano saxophone

• Sonja Griefhahn – tenor saxophone

• Christine Hörmann – baritone saxophone

• Dorothee Hahne – trumpet

• Angela Prätz – trumpet

• Iris Timmermann – trumpet, flugelhorn

• Gabriele Rosenberg – trombone

• Ruth Exter – trombone

• Ulrike Haage – piano, synthesizer

• Barbara Buchholz – electric bass

• Karl Godejohann – drums

Details

• Format: CD

• Label: Moers Music

• Recorded: Live, June 1987, Moers Festival

• Price: €14.00