Manfred Burzlaff

Previously unknown hard bop and cool jazz from Berlin Image Films of the 1960s, transferred from the original master tapes. All music by composer, vibraphonist and pianist Manfred Burzlaff (1932-2015), a true master of harmonies, inventing improvisational concepts and experiments somewhat comparable to the famous style of the Clarke-Boland Sextet. Burzlaff was one of the best European vibraphonists and a great arranger, which is not just a sentence being said because he doesn't live anymore! Vinyl-LP exclusive & digital, with unseen photos and nice obituary by Tatjana Wulfert.
"When he stands there, in a suit, with cufflinks and handkerchief, bent over his instrument, striking the plates, using the pedals, with sensational speed, highly dynamic, a master of harmonies, the layering of sounds. Even at eighty, suffering now from serious illness, from cancer, but still with that feverish energy. In the middle of the night, he might call a musician from his band and say, "Listen, I've got something here," finally playing over the phone. He is one of the best vibraphonists in Europe, which is not just a sentence being said because he doesn't live anymore.

But it's not just about intoxication, feeling, spontaneity. Improvisation is not an unrestrained digression. Manfred Burzlaff is more of an intellectual guy, inventing improvisational concepts and experiments. He meets the film producer Hansjürgen Pohland. "I need asoundtrack," he says, and Manfred Burzlaff replies, "I've never written one." - "Then you'll write one now." Then he composes his first soundtrack for the short film "Schatten", which is awarded with the “Berliner Kunstpreis” (“Berlin Art Award”) , Now he gets more jobs like that, for more than 40 films. Among them are not only cultural  highlights but also movies for sexual education or commercials. One, however, produced for the fashion house “Max Knaak”, makes it to the advertising film festival in Cannes. At least he is earning a little with these soundtracks, on top of his small concert fees .

He often performs at "Old Eden Saloon", a jazz club owned by Rolf Eden, founded long before Eden`s glamorous discoteque at Kurfürsten-damm. He jams every night with Albert Mangelsdorff, with Pony Pointdexter and with Art Farmer as a permanent guest. One time someone drops LSD into his drink, another time he carries Chet Baker on his back down from the stage, or a guy from the audience comes up, sticks a hundred-Mark bill to his forehead and asks him to play a very special tune. Eventually, the "Old Eden" closes and everyone moves on. Manfred Burzlaff begins to teach at the HdK art school (Hochschule der Künste) and the music school Berlin-Neukölln, builds up a mallet group, writes articles for specialist magazines, works as a lecturer in Stockholm, founds the ensemble "Mallets Ahead", composes and plays and plays and plays."

Tatjana Wulfert