Günter Christmann – Vario II (LP 01084)

One idea, constantly changing players. In 1979 trombonist Günter Christmann founded Vario, an improvising ensemble whose line-up changes from project to project. Each version gets its own number. Vario II captures the second version: a top-class international quintet with Maggie Nicols (voice), John Russell (guitar), Maarten Altena (double bass) and Paul Lovens (drums, cymbals, percussion).

The album was recorded in June 1980 at the Historisches Museum in Hannover, and it uses the full range of the group. The full quintet plays the opening “Catatonic” and the 15-minute “In Flagranti”. Side B breaks the band apart. “For Listeners Only” is a duo of trombone and guitar. “Odd Couple” pairs Lovens’ percussion with Nicols’ voice, and “Raffia” is Altena on bass alone. The album closes with five short pieces, “V”, “A”, “R”, “I”, “O”, which spell the band’s name. Each musician wrote one letter.

This is free improvisation at its finest: no heroic solos, but close listening, tiny sounds, sudden eruptions and humour. It’s essential for fans of FMP, Incus and the European improv scene.

Original pressing from the label’s own stock. This LP comes from Moers Music’s original stock. It’s not a reissue or a re-pressing. Buy directly from the label, originals only.

The Side Story

Günter Christmann was born in 1942 in Schrimm, Poland. In the early 1970s he played trombone in Rüdiger Carl’s trio, and he became one of the key figures of European improvised music. With Vario he developed a new approach to free music. The focus was less on heroic self-expression and more on the fine detail of group interplay. Over the years Vario has appeared in about fifty different versions. Beside musicians, they have included dancers, actors, acrobats and filmmakers.

Moers was there from the start. Burkhard Hennen produced and edited Vario II together with Christmann, and Vario played the Moers Festival in 1981 and 1983. Christmann, Lovens and Altena also played as a trio and recorded Weaversas a trio around the same time. Later Vario line-ups were again released on Moers Music, on the LP Vario (02048).

Tracklist

• Side A

  1. Catatonic – 4:35

  2. In Flagranti – 15:20

• Side B
  3. For Listeners Only – 4:20 (Christmann / Russell duo)
  4. Odd Couple – 9:30 (Lovens / Nicols duo)
  5. Raffia – 3:40 (Altena solo)
  6. V – 1:05
  7. A – 1:05
  8. R – 1:15
  9. I – 1:25
  10. O – 3:00

Total running time: approx. 45 minutes

Personnel

• Günter Christmann – trombone

• Maggie Nicols – voice

• John Russell – guitar

• Maarten Altena – double bass

• Paul Lovens – selected drums, cymbals & percussion

Details

• Format: Vinyl LP

• Label: Moers Music

• Catalog no.: momu 01084

• Recorded: June 1980, Historisches Museum, Hannover

• Released: 1980

• Producers / editing: Burkhard Hennen, Günter Christmann

• Recording engineer: Elke Schipper

• Cover artwork: Jürgen Pankarz

• Price: €17.00