Franz Koglmann - L'Heure Bleue

[Gary]

I always keep an eye out for Jazzwise magagzine's recommended releases (they seem to be few & far between lately ) one of the 2 this month is the limited reissue Of Franz Koglmann - L'Heure Bleue.

It just has a couple of lines in the review that basically says

'it the epitome of Vienesse cool '

unfortunately i need a little more to go on before i part with my cash .

Can anybody out there add a bit more info / recommendation.

[Claude]

There is a detailed review on AMG:

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Akrk9ikchbb89

[Late]

Gary, did you ever end up picking up this title? I just now finished listening to this album, thought about starting a thread on Koglmann ... but thought I'd better do a search first. And, voila! One Koglmann thread already in action, albeit from June.

This is a fine album, and I'd recommend it easily, with only one reservation. Burkhard Stangl's guitar solos drive me insane. I've always had a difficult time warming to the electric guitar, and these solos (though there aren't many) are nearly the epitome of what I dislike in guitar playing (e.g. rock-ish distortion that moves wildly out of a song's original context). That said, Stangl's accompaniment is another horse — fine, fine playing there. I do like forward-looking guitar playing (Joe Morris, Nels Cline), but Stangl just seems on the outside of this album's character.

Koglmann's playing, on the other hand, is simply gorgeous, as is Tony Coe's and Misha Mengelberg's. The duos (Koglmann/Mengelberg) cast Koglmann in a very Chet Baker-esque light on flugelhorn. If you're not bothered by the kind of guitar playing that I described above, you're likely to love this disc. As a matter of fact, I'm sure I'll gradually get over my initial hang-up with Stangl on this, and be calling this album "a classic" in a couple of months.

Also, for anyone in the U.S. who has their eyes on this disc, purchase the original version (hatART 6093) from Cadence. It's cheaper ($11, as opposed to $16), and has the same remastering as the newer version. Only the packaging is different (different cover art, and in a jewel case instead of a paper sleeve).

What other Koglmann titles do you guys like? I'm thinking about picking up A White Line next. Bring on the recommendations!

[ralphie_boy]

I agree with Late's assessment. It is a fine session but I also find the guitar work to be somewhat obtrusive and out of context. I do think that the positives outweigh the negatives here though.

[Guest Chaney]

Very astute comments made by Late.

First time I heard this one I really ripped into it. I found the cool sounds alongside the more out -- seemingly mocking -- playing style irritating to no end.

Then I listened again. And again. And again...

Here's my Lazy Man's Comments - written while listening:

1) Ugly, unnecessary, completely intrusive four note guitar bit. At first loathed by me as it seemd to be giving both the music and ME the finger but now, after repeated listens, I've grown to love the obnoxious bastard.

2) Languorous sax; gently clashing sounds. Tribute? Meant to be derisive?

3) It's as if Koglmann has assigned himself the task of playing straight man while the other players get to act with gentle – but quite mad - abandon.

4) Tunes generally begin with a more traditional sound but before long, it's as if the players are trying their best to tempt Koglmann to join in their madness.

5) "Night and Day", as heard / played by (a) diseased / troubled mind(s).

6) Succumb! Give yourself over to the spell created by this disk! (Must be the flugelhorn. Fluglhorn?)

7) Good to be out in the sun! Mind a bit healthier now but signs of dementia remain. (What can Stangl possibly be thinking when he plays this way? Do you think his band mates give strange looks to one another behind his back? )

8) All is forgiven for, as Late mentions, Stangl, as accompanyist, excels.

9) Heaven. I'd like some more, please.

10) A playful clarinet; quiet musical insanity while Koglmann plays blithely along.

11) A lesser treat, this one. Pleasant. (What time is it? Mind wandering... wondering what work related thoughts will rob me of sleep tonight.) Disk is a bit long at 70 minutes. Trim by a couple tracks? End at "For Bix" BUT include "Nachts"?

12) And a good time was had by all!

13) Ahhh.....

Overly long but still, in its way, quite perfect.

[J.A.W.]

I found the guitar parts so annoying that I decided to sell this CD. I agree with Tony, though, that the rest of the album is great.

Edited February 6, 2004 by J.A.W.

[Late]

Ugly, unnecessary, completely intrusive four note guitar bit. At first loathed by me as it seemd to be giving both the music and ME the finger but now, after repeated listens, I've grown to love the obnoxious bastard.

I know what you mean about the finger, Tony. Here's what The Penguin Guide says about those same four notes:

"The guitarist's four-note encodement of the opening 'Leopard Lady' is the most obvious insight yet into Koglmann's method."

Wait a minute. Obvious? What's obvious about that? I can't figure it out (except for it still being annoying). It does contain the same interval progression as the melody for the television show "Jeopardy," however. Maybe Koglmann's a fan of Alex Trebek? Maybe we have a sly, inside joke reference to Americana? Hmmm, I might like it more if that's the case.

Edited February 7, 2004 by Late

[Late]

... also, if you like L'Heure Bleue, make sure to check out Make Believe and An Affair with Strauss here. Some absolutely gorgeous playing on both discs.

[brownie]

'L'Heure Bleue' is a nice session and was a welcome introduction to Koglmann. Then I got into another Hatology release 'Annette' where he is involved with Paul Bley and Gary Peacock. This is really a beautiful album but I don't think Koglmann adds much to the Bley/Peacock collaboration. To be frank, I wish he had been out of it.

And if it's Annette on the cover, she never looked more beautiful

[Late]

Brownie, I agree. I think a duo album (Bley/Peacock) would have been brilliant. But, I think the album came to fruition because it was Koglmann's idea to play an all-Annette track list!

For a few more photos of Annette, and Bley's recordings of her compositions, check out this site.

[king ubu]

Of course you know there IS a Bley/Peacock duo album around recently reissued by Universal France (?):

Sorry for going off-topice, but if you Bley/Peacock fans were not aware of this one, GET IT!

Nothing to add about Koglmann, as I have not yet checked him out.

ubu

[brownie]

Brownie, I agree. I think a duo album (Bley/Peacock) would have been brilliant. But, I think the album came to fruition because it was Koglmann's idea to play an all-Annette track list!

If that's the case, guess it did not take much persuasion to initiate the date. All in the family...