Manfred Schoof Quintet - Resonance

First CD issue of music from Manfred Schoof's three ECM/Japo albums of the 1970s - 'Scales', 'Light Lines', and 'Horizons' - brought together in a personal compilation.

The trumpeter's quintet was a highly regarded band on the European scene in that era, and the 'Scales' LP won the German Critics Prize as Album of the Year (Grosser Deutscher Schallplattenpreis 1977). One of the founding fathers of modern jazz in Germany, Schoof counts as the romantic amongst the free players, a strongly lyrical improviser. He still has a strong following, and 'Resonance' follows many requests from fans wishing to have this material on CD. The full range is here, the romantic ballad playing, stark dramatic post-bop soloing, and the squeezing-out-sparks free playing.

Manfred Schoof was born in Magdeburg in 1936. Amongst the first wave of German free players, he recorded with Gunter Hampel's band before forming his own ensembles. His 'European Echoes' (1969) launched the FMP label and is considered a classic. A long-time member of the Globe Unity Orchestra (which recorded for ECM/Japo), Schoof has also had playing associations with Mal Waldron, George Russell, Gil Evans, Stan Getz, Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland and many others.

Personnel: Manfred Schoof (trumpet, flugelhorn), Michel Pilz (bass clarinet), Jasper Van't Hof (piano, electric piano, organ), Rainer Br�ninghaus (piano, synthesizer), G�nter Lenz (double-bass), Ralf H�bner (drums)