Review by Thom Jurek
At the end of their tour European tour -- and the triumphant concert in Rome documented on Heavy 'n Jazz -- Jaco Pastorius, guitarist Bireli Lagrene, and percussionist Serge Bringolf decided to leave the continent with at last one studio recording under their belt. The result is Stuttgart Aria. With the addition of three additional musicians -- Jan Janke on synths and keyboards, Peter Lubke on drums, and keyboardist Vladislav Sendecki (the keyboardists never played at the same time) -- the date went off as a series of formatted tunes with extended improvisations anchoring them to the album. While the styles here vary wildly; they are all rooted deeply in the jazz fusion and R&B worlds. To be fair, the trio of Lagrene, Pastorius, and Bringolf could have executed these songs very well -- especially since one of them was "Donna Lee," Pastorius' transcription of the Charlie Parker bebop classic that he recorded on his own first solo album for Columbia. The keyboards seem to get in the way, and sound stilted based against the loose groove created by the pair of string players. And then there's the matter of Pastorius' "singing" on the title track, which is a meld of James Brown funk, high-tech rock, and jazz. It's one long riff; Lagrene gets to riff on forever as Pastorius indulges his weak voice and awful lyrics ("people got to be free/give 'em a shot of R&B"), quoting from Sly Stone and any other tune he can think of. It just comes off as indulgent as hell without any substance other than Lagrene's playing to hold it in place. But there are astonishing moments as well, when Pastorius drives a dub-riddled "Jaco's Reggae" into the stratosphere with a meld of chordal and scalar riffs that never, ever sacrifice the track's rhythm for the sake of improvisation. Lagrene's chunky, knotty chords give it a deeper feel, lending the bottom a wide base. There is also a gorgeous performance of "Teresa" with the single weepiest bassline Pastorius ever recorded. The set ends with a serious lyrical, lush, and moving version of Henry Mancini's "Days of Wine and Roses" that pairs Lagrene and Pastorius together in a silky weave of emotion and musical virtuosity, exchanging harmonics and chromatic melody in a painterly fashion. This disc is far from perfect, and must have been a bit of a drag to even make ever such a high-energy tour, but it's not without merit -- especially for serious fans of the two principals.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/stuttgart-aria-mw0000654208
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Reseña de Thom Jurek
Al final de su gira europea -y del triunfal concierto en Roma documentado en Heavy 'n Jazz- Jaco Pastorius, el guitarrista Bireli Lagrene y el percusionista Serge Bringolf decidieron abandonar el continente con al menos una grabación de estudio en su haber. El resultado es Stuttgart Aria. Con la incorporación de tres músicos más -- Jan Janke a los sintetizadores y teclados, Peter Lubke a la batería, y el teclista Vladislav Sendecki (los teclistas nunca tocaron al mismo tiempo) -- la cita se desarrolló como una serie de melodías formateadas con improvisaciones extendidas que las anclaban al álbum. Aunque los estilos aquí varían enormemente, todos están profundamente arraigados en los mundos del jazz fusión y el R&B. Para ser justos, el trío de Lagrene, Pastorius y Bringolf podría haber ejecutado estas canciones muy bien, especialmente porque una de ellas era «Donna Lee», la transcripción de Pastorius del clásico bebop de Charlie Parker que grabó en su primer álbum en solitario para Columbia. Los teclados parecen estorbar, y suenan rebuscados frente al groove suelto creado por la pareja de músicos de cuerda. Y luego está la cuestión del «canto» de Pastorius en la canción que da título al disco, que es una fusión de funk a lo James Brown, rock de alta tecnología y jazz. Es un largo riff; Lagrene no para de riffear mientras Pastorius da rienda suelta a su débil voz y a su horrible letra («people got to be free/give 'em a shot of R&B»), citando a Sly Stone y cualquier otro tema que se le ocurra. Resulta muy indulgente, sin más sustancia que la interpretación de Lagrene para mantenerlo en su sitio. Pero también hay momentos asombrosos, como cuando Pastorius lleva un «Jaco's Reggae» plagado de dub a la estratosfera con una mezcla de acordes y riffs escalares que nunca sacrifican el ritmo del tema en aras de la improvisación. Los acordes gruesos y nudosos de Lagrene le dan un aire más profundo, prestando al fondo una amplia base. También hay una magnífica interpretación de «Teresa», con la línea de bajo más triste que Pastorius haya grabado jamás. El conjunto termina con una versión lírica, exuberante y conmovedora de «Days of Wine and Roses» de Henry Mancini, que une a Lagrene y Pastorius en un sedoso tejido de emoción y virtuosismo musical, intercambiando armónicos y melodía cromática de forma pictórica. Este disco está lejos de ser perfecto, y debe haber sido un poco pesado incluso para hacer una gira tan enérgica, pero no carece de mérito - especialmente para los fans serios de los dos principales.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/stuttgart-aria-mw0000654208
1 - American Boy 4:40
2 - Donna Lee 4:40
3 - Stuttgart Aria I 7:36
4 - Jaco Reggae 5:58
5 - The Chicken 5:47
6 - Teresa 8:51
7 - Stuttgart Aria II 10:04
8 - The Days Of Wine And Roses 6:26
Credits:
Backing Vocals, Photography [Front Cover], Producer – Jan Jankeje
Bass [Synthesizer] – Jan Jankeje (tracks: 6, 8)
Drums – Peter Lübke
Electric Bass [Fender 86], Piano, Vocals, Illustration [Back Cover] – Jaco Pastorius
Electric Guitar, Backing Vocals – Bireli Lagrene*
Engineer – Manfred Deppe
Keyboards, Synthesizer – Vladislaw Sendecki*
Mastered By – Martin Wieland
Percussion, Backing Vocals – Serge Bringolf
Recorded in March 1986 at Melody Tonstudio Stuttgart
Label: Jazzpoint Records – jazzpoint 1019 CD
Released: 1987
Genre: Jazz
Style: Jazz-Rock, Fusion
https://www.discogs.com/release/2554261-Lagrene-Bireli-Jaco-Pastorius-Stuttgart-Aria
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