Zeitgeist
Bowers/DeMars/Stockhausen
Sound Environment Recording Company (US) 1981
37662 (LP)
sleeve : VG+(SRW, TEOC, SPSE: 3cm and 5mm crack on side, wear and collapse on corner, dirts.)
media : VG+/VG+(some slightly noises. light wear that does not affect to sounds.)
Centered around composer/pianist James DeMars, the lesser-known American group Zeitgeist released this masterpiece album in 1981 on the ultra-minor Nebraska label, Sound Environment Recordings. The group also features Joseph Holmquist (percussion) and Jay Johnson (piano, percussion). The album includes original scores by James DeMars, along with compositions by Stacy Bowers and Karlheinz Stockhausen. In addition to the core members’ piano and percussion ensemble, guest musicians contribute electric bass, trombone, and alto saxophone, creating a beautifully experimental approach that straddles the line between jazz and contemporary music. All three tracks on the album are outstanding, but the highlight is Side A, which features a score by Stacy Bowers. It presents a long-scale, minimal contemporary jazz piece where melodic patterns on piano intertwine with marimbas, tam-tams, and various percussive elements, gradually expanding in a hypnotic manner. A must-listen for fans of Steve Reich. On track B2, the group delivers a deep and immersive string ensemble performance that could easily be mistaken for an avant-electronic composition.
A1: Pattern Study #2
B1: Premonitions of Christopher