Hans Koller • Exclusiv

 

Biography
by Eugene Chadbourne
Maintaining an interest in jazz (officially regarded as treason by the Nazi Party) and staying out of trouble represented strictly minor-league intrigues during the Second World War. Nonetheless, it seems to be consistently worth noting that this artist was one of the few jazzmen of German or Austrian nationality who managed to continue performing during the conflict, despite or perhaps because of his status as a member of the German Army. Born in Vienna, Hans Koller had a diploma in his hand from the city's noted Music Academy at the age of 18, one year after he had undertaken his debut as a professional tenor saxophonist. Koller acted as if he had one thing on his mind following the end of the war: swinging. He was already leading his own groups by 1947, evolving an ensemble with pianist Jutta Hipp and trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff that is considered to be vital in the newly developing German jazz scene.

Based on this description so far, stereotypers could stray in pigeonholing Koller as a modernist, putting aside any and all doubts concerning his relationship with the ousted fascist regime. Later recordings cooked up in Vienna during the early jazz fusion years support that image -- however, what the man really seems to have been at heart was a bebopper whose beads of sweat reflected an image of Lester Young, horn in hand. In 1953 Koller toured behind none other than Dizzy Gillespie, certainly one of the bebop führers, the following year hooking into a collaborative lineup in which postbop genius Lee Konitz approvingly noshed at a smorgasbord of suggestions from Scandinavian baritone saxophone hero Lars Gullin. For several years beginning in 1954, Koller joined forces in a combo with multi-instrumentalist Roland Kovac. Sandwiched in the middle of that run was a special Stan Kenton tour in which Koller enjoyed considerable room as a soloist. During the late '50s the reedman was associated with German radio recording enterprises out of Baden-Baden, staging ground for a nice classic jazz combo with bassist Oscar Pettiford. German jazz critic, writer, and producer Joachim Berendt shot documentary footage of Koller during this period.

The dynamic creativity of this artist was well documented not only through a series of recordings under his own name but in a parallel career as an abstract artist. His solo discography starts up in the early '50s and includes a 1957 effort actually entitled Hans Across the Sea. He stopped performing in 1995, at that point choosing to focus on his painting activity. Other musical accomplishments of note include the mid-'60s Zo-Ko-So trio with French pianist Martial Solal, serving as Hamburg's Schauspielhaus musical director up through 1970, free jazz rumblings back in Vienna with keyboardist Wolfgang Dauner's Free Sound Ensemble, a ballet entitled New York City, and a brass ensemble called the International Brass Company.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/hans-koller-mn0000658805/biography

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Biografía
por Eugene Chadbourne
Mantener el interés por el jazz (considerado oficialmente como traición por el Partido Nazi) y no meterse en líos representaban intrigas estrictamente menores durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial. No obstante, merece la pena destacar que este artista fue uno de los pocos jazzistas de nacionalidad alemana o austriaca que consiguió seguir actuando durante el conflicto, a pesar de su condición de miembro del ejército alemán, o quizás debido a ella. Nacido en Viena, Hans Koller tenía un diploma en la mano de la célebre Academia de Música de la ciudad a los 18 años, un año después de haber emprendido su debut como saxofonista tenor profesional. Koller actuaba como si tuviera una sola cosa en mente tras el final de la guerra: el swing. En 1947 ya dirigía sus propios grupos, desarrollando un conjunto con la pianista Jutta Hipp y el trombonista Albert Mangelsdorff que se considera vital en la recién creada escena jazzística alemana.

Basándose en esta descripción hasta el momento, los estereotipadores podrían equivocarse al encasillar a Koller como modernista, dejando de lado cualquier duda sobre su relación con el derrocado régimen fascista. Grabaciones posteriores realizadas en Viena durante los primeros años de la fusión del jazz apoyan esa imagen; sin embargo, lo que el hombre parece haber sido realmente en el fondo era un bebopper cuyas gotas de sudor reflejaban una imagen de Lester Young, trompa en mano. En 1953, Koller salió de gira nada menos que con Dizzy Gillespie, sin duda uno de los führers del bebop, y al año siguiente se enganchó a una formación colaborativa en la que el genio del postbop Lee Konitz saboreaba con aprobación un smorgasbord de sugerencias del héroe escandinavo del saxofón barítono Lars Gullin. Durante varios años, a partir de 1954, Koller formó un combo con el multiinstrumentista Roland Kovac. En medio de esa carrera hubo una gira especial de Stan Kenton en la que Koller disfrutó de un espacio considerable como solista. A finales de los años 50, el músico de la caña colaboró con empresas de grabación de la radio alemana de Baden-Baden, donde grabó un bonito combo de jazz clásico con el bajista Oscar Pettiford. El crítico de jazz, escritor y productor alemán Joachim Berendt filmó un documental de Koller durante este periodo.

La dinámica creatividad de este artista quedó bien documentada no sólo a través de una serie de grabaciones con su propio nombre, sino en una carrera paralela como artista abstracto. Su discografía en solitario comienza a principios de los años 50 e incluye un trabajo de 1957 titulado Hans Across the Sea. Dejó de actuar en 1995, momento en que optó por centrarse en su actividad pictórica. Otros logros musicales dignos de mención son el trío Zo-Ko-So de mediados de los 60 con el pianista francés Martial Solal, su trabajo como director musical de la Schauspielhaus de Hamburgo hasta 1970, sus incursiones en el free jazz en Viena con el Free Sound Ensemble del teclista Wolfgang Dauner, un ballet titulado New York City y un conjunto de metales llamado International Brass Company.
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/hans-koller-mn0000658805/biography

Tracks:
1 - Natalie
2 - Blues In The Closet
3 - Egil
4 - Chordless
5 - Stalag
6 - Plädoyer
7 - The Gentle Art Of Love
8 - Muttnik
9 - Painter’s Lament
10 - It’s Over
11 - Pagode


Credits:
    Alto Saxophone – Dick Spencer (tracks: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 to 11), Hans Koller (tracks: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 to 11)
    Arranged By – Hans Koller (tracks: 2 to 5, 7, 9), Russell Garcia (tracks: 1, 6, 8, 10, 11)
    Baritone Saxophone – Helmut Reinhardt (tracks: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 to 11), Ronnie Ross (tracks: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 to 11)
    Bass – Hans Rettenbacher (tracks: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 to 11), Oscar Pettiford (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 7)
    Drums – Allen Ganly* (tracks: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 to 11), Jimmy Pratt (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 7)
    Engineer – Rolf Donner
    Guitar – Attila Zoller (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 7), Ira Kris (tracks: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 to 11)
    Liner Notes – Dietrich Schulz-Köhn
    Liner Notes [Texts Edited By] – Jörg Eispasch*
    Liner Notes [Transcribed] – Rommel Causapin
    Painting [Cover] – Hans Koller
    Producer – Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer
    Reissue Producer – Matthias Künnecke
    Remastered By – Willem Makkee
    Tenor Saxophone – Erhard Wenig (tracks: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 to 11), Hans Koller (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 7), Rudi Flierl (tracks: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9 to 11)

Nonet recorded Nov., 26., 1963 in Villingen, Quartet recorded Feb., 19., 1959 in Baden-Baden. This first Mono recording has two more tracks (Chordless & Stalag) than the later Stereo issue. On the inside of the cover and on the label the track titles for 6 and 9 had been exchanged by mistake and the title of 9 "Painter's Lament" was misspelled as "Pointer Lament".

Label:    SABA – SB 15024
Country:    Germany
Released:    1963
Genre:    Jazz
https://www.discogs.com/release/3519756-Hans-Koller-Exclusiv

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