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We only play hand-picked songs from our extensive collection of worldwide 70s Jazz Rock Fusion and Progressive Rock artists like:
Al Di Meola, Passport, U.K., Gong, Jean-Luc Ponty, The Soft Machine, Tommy Bolin, Bill
Brufford, Larry Coryell, King Crimson, Focus, John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Allan Holdsworth, Jan Akkerman, Chick Corea, Area, Gentle Giant, Jan Hammer, Jeff Beck, Brand X, Etna, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke, Jaco Pastorius, Steve Morse & The Dixie Dregs, Billy Cobham, Narada Michael Walden, Lenny White, Tony Williams, and many more!
Featured Artist/Album
Thirsty Moon - You’ll Never come Back
Thirsty Moon’s second album is definitely titled as risqué, mostly due to its title and rather ugly semi-erotic cartoon artwork, but the music proves the title wrong. Lead by the Drogies brothers (I’m serious, check it out for yourself  this psych-jazz-rock septet has a very Krautrock feeling and can be assimilated to Kraan crossing Release Music Orchestra to remain in their German homeland. Indeed, there is a definite spacey-psychey attitude in their music, fitting well the legendary Metronome section of the Brain label.
The opening side is a killer with only two lengthy tracks allowing for tons of interplay, solos, plenty of tempo changes and embellishments of all sorts. The 14-min+ Trash Man is really enthralling and suffers no lengths or over-long soloing tirades. The opening I See You was in the same register as well.
On the flipside, after the very fusionesque Tune In, we are clearly waiting for the monster 12-min+ title track, which starts out very slowly, almost cosmic, slowly moving across the galaxy, powered by a Fender Rhodes engine to the dissonant, almost free-jazz realm (avoiding its black hole, though then by activating the saxophone booster gliding and grooving to its great j-r destination. The closing Das Fest is just as beautiful, starting slowly, evolving to a quiet peaceful groove before exiting on a fade-out.
One of the better Krautjazz-rock (if you’ll allow me album around, this easily beats most of Kraan’s works past their debut album and their double live album. I suggest the progheads to start with this album (most of their early ones have just received a remastering, some with bonus tracks) and their debut before eventually heading towards their next album Blitz, which is fairly different.
Sean Trane (Hugues Chantraine) PROG REVIEWER
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Atlantis - It’s Getting Better/Get On Board
Lineup:
Inga Rumpf: lead vocal, acoustic guitar, percussion
Adrian M. Askew: keyboards, vocals
Alex Conti: guitars, vocals
Karl-Heinz Schott: bass
Ringo Funk: drums, percussion
Atlantis was not only the name of the legendary island, the famous Greek author Plato mentioned, but also the name of a band formed by ex-Frumpy musicians Inga Rumpf, Jean-Jacques Kravetz and Karl-Heinz Schott, in late Summer, 1972. The initial line-up included guitarist Frank Dietz and ex-Emergency drummer Curt Cress (later with Triumvirat, Passport).
The band played a few live gigs in Germany before they recorded their debut in London’s Island Studios. The US magazine, Cash Box, compared Atlantis with the Doobie Brothers and praised Inga Rumpf’s blues-tinged voice. Shortly before the group went on a four week tour of England with Procol Harum, Traffic, Vinegar Joe and the Sharks, Cress and Dietz left and were temporarily supplanted by Udo Lindenberg and George Meier. After the tour, Atlantis recruited Dieter Bornschlegel (ex-Traumtorte) on guitar and Ringo Funk (ex-Jeronimo) on drums as new permanent members.
Rumpf and Kravetz remained the artistical nucleus of the band. Said Kravetz: “Inga determines this band like Rod Stewart & the Faces, her voice makes our image.” Atlantis’ second album “It’s Getting Better” was even more determined by Inga Rumpf’s preference for black rhythms: “I always took a special liking in blues, jazz and soul music, and, since I’m writing most of the songs, this influence is decisive in our music.” Melody Maker “recommended” the second album and Sounds attested the band to be “the most English of all German groups”.
After the gig at the Paris’ Olympia, Atlantis went, again, on a four week tour of England, which included a performance at the rock show, “Old Grey Whistle Test”. During this tour, Kravetz left the band and had to be hastily replaced by Rainer Schnelle (ex-Family Tree).
At the end of 1973, Atlantis was among Germany’s three most popular German rock groups, according to a Musikmarkt poll.
Half a year later, the line-up changed again. Schnelle and Bomschlegel were replaced by English keyboarder Adrian Askew and ex-Curly Curve guitarist Alex Conti.
Both were featured on the third LP “Ooh Baby”. Seven of the ten songs were written by Askew/Conti, while Rumpf only had three of her compositions on the album. The result was a “spicy funk album” (Musik Express) with a “bunch of Germany’s best soul” (Sounds).
Atlantis was at its best on stage, which was proved by a double album recorded live at the Hamburg Fabrik from 1973 - 1975.
In Summer 1975, Atlantis went on tour in the States, mostly as opener for Lynyrd Skynyrd. After the tour, guitarist Alex Conti was fired and went on to play with Lake. The new line-up was completed with former guitarist Frank Dietz and as second guitarist Rainer Marz.
The rockier American influence was noticable on Atlantis’ fourth LP “Get On Board”, but the LP and the following tour failed to have commercial success. Concequently, Inga Rumpf and Karl-Heinz Schott announced their departure in January 1976.
After the split, the album “Top Of The Bill” with unreleased studio recordings from December 1975 and March 1976 was released. On February 23, 1983, the original line-up reunited for a revival concert in the Hamburg Fabrik and received standing ovations.
Courtesy of Rock Musik Lexikon Christian Graf/Ulf Marquardt Taurus Press
1991 Repertoire Records CD: RR4145-WP
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