(E-E) Ev.g.e.n.i.j ..K.o.z.l.o.     Berlin                                                  


      Leningrad 1980s

• Sergey Kuryokhin and Pop Mekhanika – all documents
• Сергей Курёхин и Поп-механика – все документы

Hans Kumpf: My Trips to Russia

1980 - 1984


first published in
Russian Jazz: New Identity. Edited by Leo Feigin. London: Quartet Books, 1986
Translated from the German, by Christa Kuch and Martin Cooper. Courtesy of the author.

• page 1 • Introductory Remarks / Preface
Leningrad (May/June 1980) Contemporary Music Club

• page 2 • Leningrad (December 1980/January 1981)
LP Recording "Jam Session Leningrad"

• page 3 • Leningrad/Moscow (June 1981)
John Fischer and Sergey Kuryokhin; LP Recording "Jam Session Moscow”

• page 4 • Leningrad / August 1983
Sergey Kuryokhin and Friends: Leningrad Collective Improvisations

• page 5 • Leningrad / August 1983
Sergey Kuryokhin and Friends: Leningrad Collective Improvisations (deutsch)

• page 6 • Moscow, the Baltic States and Leningrad (April 1984)
Pop Mekhanika; LP Recording “On a Baltic Trip”

• page 7• Documents
LP Jam Session Leningrad, Kumpf / Vapirov / Kuryokhin / Alexandrov

• page 8 • Documents
Russian Jazz Lives! Milo Fine about Hans Kumpf's recordings (1986)

• Hans Kumpf and Sergey Kuryokhin: read the article by Hannelore Fobo (Sept. 2017)

• page 7 • Documents
LP Jam Session Leningrad, Kumpf / Vapirov / Kuryokhin / Alexandrov
Recorded December 1980 in Leningrad

Джем Сешн Ленинград — Ханс Кумпф, Анатолий Вапиров, Сергей Курёхон, Алекснадр Александров

LP Jam Session Leningrad, Kumpf / Vapirov / Kuryokhin / Alexandrov Recorded December 1980 in Leningrad


LP Jam Session Leningrad, Kumpf / Vapirov / Kuryokhin / Alexandrov Recorded December 1980 in Leningrad


 The American Review on Jazz & Blues • Cadence vol.8 No5 • May 1982 HANS KUMPF AND ANATOLIJ VAPIROW TRIO,

The American Review on Jazz & BluesCadence vol.8 No5 • May 1982

HANS KUMPF AND ANATOLIJ VAPIROW TRIO,

JAM SESSION LENINGRAD,

FUSION 8004.

Ingeburt / Klarifag / Mika (East) Meets Hadschl (West) / Pifokla/ 2 cl Wodka/ Tinana / Fusion- Fusel. 12/80.45:06

Kumpf. cl; Anatolij Vapirow. cl, b cl. as, ts; Sergej Kurjochin, p; Alexander Alexandrow, bsn.

One paradox of the Soviet-inspired crackdown on free expression in Eastern Europe is that more and more evidence of free expression from that part of the world is reaching Western audiences (mostly due to a surge of interest in things Polish). Look at the exposure suddenly given to outspoken Polish films and contemporary Soviet Jazz. One this pan-Eastern block jam, German clarinettist Hans Kumpf (who's recorded threeother LPs for his own AKM records; this session is also available as AKM 004) meets a Leningrad trio. Kumpf sat in with the Vapirow Trio on his second visit to the Soviet Union (where he found the local fans remarkably well-informed about German and Americlan free music); they'd never played together before, and throughout

those performances one can hear the musicians tentatively reaching out to each other The most obvious indication is the way each player follows the prevailing direction toward denser or leaner textures, calm or irritation, instead of thinking individually.

Although totally improvised music's supposed to be free of constraints, certain strategies - like follow the leader - are frowned upon by some taste makers. How critically listeners judge obvious/predictable thematic developments may determine how much they like this music.

Considering the players' cultural background, however, one could simply note that imitation of parts is quite natural to European music; the group employs the sonorities and pointy melodic contours characteristic of modern concert music (as well as employing non-characteristic reedy harmonies).

Texturally, they're quite true to their heritage. "East Meets West" follows the familiar follow the leader tact, but to better than usual effect; Kumpf gets off a couple of winsome licks.

Kumpf likes working with other clarinetists (two AKMs feature Perry Robinson); frequently he and Vapirow stick close to each other, as on "Ingeburt," where they sigh and chatter together (against Alexandrow's bassoon scribbles), and on "2 cl Wodka,"

their duet, where they weave around each other in an obvious way. Like many pieces here, "Wodka" has a raggedy edge, petering out rather than ending. Kumpf also plays shadow-boxing duets with the other players,"Klarifag" with Alexandrow and "Pifokla" with Kurjochin.

The piano of Kurjochin – the Kuryokhin whose solo LP was reviewed in March '82 (p.91); transliteration is an inexact science - functions mostly as en equal partner with the horns, rather than as a rhythm instrument.

He favors strongly percussive, single-note lines; he steps out on "Tinana," in front of droning horns.

Kumpf is one of the out players who is putting the clarinet back on the map. Putting it? At this point it's back already.

Kevin Whitehead



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