We’re very excited to announce the release of the Time Flies LP, recorded last July in Germany and featuring new takes of tracks with legendary saxophonist Bob Berg as well as collaborations with German saxophonists Peter Lehel, Sandi Kuhn, und Lutz Häfner. The initial release tour is May 30 – June 9 in Europe, followed by a series of concerts in the US. As many are aware, Bob Berg was killed in a car accident during a New York Blizzard in 2002. We had the fortune of recording three of our originals with him in 1996. During last year’s recording session, we reworked those tracks and added new music featuring some of Europe’s leading players. The LP was produced by Michael Fetscher and Lothar Landenberger – here are the concert dates – and a taste from our Germany concert with fog machine!
May 30 – Berlin, B-flat
June 1 – Edinburgh, The Jazz Bar
June 2 – Glasgow, Swing
June 4 – Trochtelfingen, Live Studio Recording
June 7 – Köln, Altes Pfandhaus
June 8 – Esslingen, Dulkhäusle
June 9 – Karlsruhe, Hemingway Lounge
The story behind the project is fascinating and in order to understand, I came up with the following timeline:
| 19. August 1969 | Miles Davis brings together a group of young, open-minded musicians in CBS Studio B, New York, 39th St – Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Bennie Maupin, John McLaughlin, Dave Holland, Harvey Brooks, Lenny White, Jack DeJohnette, Don Alias, Juma SantosMiles distributes musical sketches and in circles, the musicians experiment with the open forms, the electronic instruments, the unusual cast and new recording methods. The result is Bitches Brew – Funk Grooves, Jazz |
| Februar 1972 | Chick Corea takes the debut album with his new groupReturn to Forever with Stanley Clarke, Flora and Airto Purim, and Joe Farrell, expanding Miles Davis’s fusion concept with Latin rhythms |
| 9. September 1985 | Miles Davis invites Bob Berg, a young saxophone |
| July 1985 | Pianist Monika Herzig takes part in the Jazz Summer Academy Remscheid and decides to become a jazz musician, her combo mate is bassist Andre Nendza |
| Februar 1986 | Founder of the Albstädter Jazzformation Bubblegun, Peter Kienle, finds out how cool it is to have a fellow player in the band. |
| August 1988 | Monika Herzig and Peter Kienle buy flight tickets to the USA and start the group BeebleBrox in Tuscaloosa, Al. |
| August 1991 | Monika Herzig starts her doctorate at Indiana University and on the 30th December Peter and Monika get married in Bloomington, IN |
| 1991 – 2001 | With their group BeebleBrox the musicians will release eight CDs, get prizes for the compositions and the band, touring internationally, and opens for Tower of Power, Dixie Dregs, Santana, Yes, Sting, and Bette Middler |
| Februar 1996 | Chick Corea´s Album Time Warp with the Elektric Band II featuring saxophonist Bob Berg receives a Grammy Award |
| August 1997 | Bob Berg records three originals with Monika und Peter at Airtime Studio in Bloomington, IN for the 1998 BeebleBrox CD Dominant Domain |
| 2. Dezember 2002 | Bob Berg is tragically killed in a car accident during a New York snow storm |
| Februar 2011 | Josh Roberts, a young drumming talent from Branson, MO is accepted into the jazz studies program at Indiana University – bassist Andre Nendza visits Bloomington through a sister city exchange program |
| Juli 2015 | Producer Michael Fetscher and music retailer/ leader of Wüste Welle Big Band Lothar Landenberger meet with Monika und Peter with the idea to release the Bob Berg recordings on LP combined with new recordings and current saxophone virtuosos Peter Lehel, Sandi Kuhn, and Lutz Häfner |
| Juli 2016 | Monika und Peter start The Time Flies in the US and bring drummer Josh Roberts and bassist Quinn Sternberg to Germany for a series of concerts and recordings at Michael Fletscher‘s Studio |
| November 2016 | Time Flies – the time circle closes and the production surpasses all expectations – limited LP release summer 2017 and new recordings with bassist Andre Nendza |
| Mai- Juni 2017 | Don’t miss it – The Time Flies is on tour in Europe and the opportunity arises only once – why? Time Flies! |
Sound Samples: Paul’s Vesper, Make It Count, Junk Jazz, Plugged In