Bengt Berger
Bitter Funeral Beer
ECM Records (Germany) 1982
ECM 1179 (LP) Original pressing.
sleeve : EX+(slightly wear on corner.)
media : EX+/EX+(some slightly noises.)
This album was featured in the guidebook OBSCURE SOUND REVISED EDITION. It is a masterpiece released in 1982 by Swedish drummer Bengt Berger, who has a deep knowledge of African folk music, having traveled to Africa to study the music of various tribes. The album features many musicians based in Stockholm, including Don Cherry. Anita Livstrand, who released the classic album Motet in 1978, also participates. The album performs compositions by Berger, based on Ghanaian funeral music. Highlights include the thunderous African percussion on track A2, and the impressive 22-minute-long track B1, featuring Cherry's pocket trumpet. The entire album is extraordinary, with the unique spatial sound design and the matching of African percussion ensembles—a hallmark of ECM. Highly recommended.
A1: Bitter Funeral Beer
A4: Tongsi
B1: Funeral Dance