Mallet Connection
Balzwaltz
Sandra (Germany) 1979
SMP 2103 (LP) Coated sleeve.
sleeve : VG+(RW, wear on corner)
media : VG+/VG+(some light noise and pop noise caused by light marks)
The sole album left on the Sandra label in 1979 by Mallet Connection, a group led by German vibraphonist Wolfgang Lackerschmid, who also took part in Head, Heart + Hands and recorded collaborative works with Chet Baker. The lineup features Wolfgang Engstfeld on saxophone, known for his work with groups such as Jazztrack and Changes as well as collaborations with Michel Herr, along with Christof Lauer on saxophone, Ed Kroger on piano, Peter Bockius on bass, and Peter Weiss on drums. Highlights include A1, where saxophone and marimba lightly intertwine their melodies over a fast-moving samba rhythm, and the title track A3, whose gentle waltz beat creates a moody, nocturnal atmosphere like a veil of night fog. An excellent work of European contemporary jazz carrying forward the spirit of post-bop.
A1: Samba di Commerce
A3: Balzwaltz