Cover: ECM Records
Band · 1980 to 1982
Werner Pirchner / Harry Pepl / Jack DeJohnette
The ECM trio with Jack DeJohnette
Guitar, vibraphone and Jack DeJohnette on drums: in June 1982 Werner Pirchner and Harry Pepl recorded an album for ECM with the American drummer, released in 1983. It contains Pepl's “Air, Love & Vitamins”, which is regarded as an Austrian jazz standard, and gave the two of them, in Pepl's words, their first look „über die Mauer“ [“over the wall”].
Harry Pepl Co-leader, Ovation guitar
At a glance
- Line-up
- Werner Pirchner (tenor vibraphone, marimba), Harry Pepl (Ovation guitar), Jack DeJohnette (drums)
- First appearance as a trio
- September 1980, Saalfelden Jazz Festival
- Recording
- June 1982, Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg
- Producer
- Manfred Eicher
- Release
- ECM 1237, 1983; digitally remastered 2019
- Best-known piece
- Air, Love & Vitamins (Harry Pepl)
How the trio came about
In September 1980 the Jazzzwio was playing at the jazz festival in Saalfelden (major jazz festival in the Salzburg region) when Jack DeJohnette spontaneously came on stage and joined in. A few months later, at a concert at the Jazzspelunke in Vienna, Pirchner and Pepl set up a drum kit as a precaution because DeJohnette was in town, and he really did come.1 The contact with ECM came about through the festival in Ancona. Manfred Eicher, who had turned down “Gegenwind” about two years earlier, now offered a recording.2
The recording
The recording took place on a Sunday afternoon in June 1982 at Tonstudio Bauer in Ludwigsburg, with Manfred Eicher as producer. The evening before, Pirchner and Pepl had still been playing at the festival in Neuwied and had driven to Ludwigsburg overnight.3 Pirchner played tenor vibraphone and marimba, Pepl the Ovation guitar. The pieces come equally from both of them; Pepl himself called the line-up „Jazzzwio und noch wer“ [“Jazzzwio and somebody else”].4 On the back of the record the two thanked “Brother Jack”.
Air, Love & Vitamins
Pepl's piece “Air, Love & Vitamins” was very important to him personally: a sweet, simple song that really called for a singer or a saxophone.5 It is regarded as an Austrian jazz standard; Wolfgang Muthspiel named an album after it in 2004.
Impact
The album was released in 1983 as ECM 1237. Nikolaus Kohler names an award in the quarterly list of the German Record Critics' Award 1983 (German award for outstanding recordings, chosen by a jury of critics), while the Österreichisches Musiklexikon speaks of a nomination.6 In 2007 Deutschlandfunk (Germany's national public radio station) played it in a programme about Harry Pepl from its series on classics of jazz history, and in 2019 it was released digitally remastered.7
Notes and sources (7)
Parts
This is the first time that we are really looking over the wall
It is a really sweet song with a sweet, simple melody that actually calls for a voice or a saxophone, something that comes along in long notes.
Releases
Listen and watch
A selection of Harry Pepl on Spotify, not only from this project.
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Questions and answers
When was the album by Pirchner, Pepl and DeJohnette made?
On a Sunday afternoon in June 1982 at Tonstudio Bauer in Ludwigsburg, produced by Manfred Eicher. It was released on ECM in 1983 under the number 1237.
How did Jack DeJohnette come to Pirchner and Pepl?
He joined the Jazzzwio spontaneously at the Saalfelden Jazz Festival (major jazz festival in the Salzburg region) in September 1980 and a few months later also played at the Jazzspelunke in Vienna. After that ECM (the renowned European jazz label) offered a joint recording.
Is “Air, Love & Vitamins” on this album?
Yes. Harry Pepl's piece is regarded as an Austrian jazz standard; Wolfgang Muthspiel named an album of his own after it in 2004.
Where is the album available?
ECM (the renowned European jazz label) lists the LP and CD as out of print; since 2019 a digitally remastered version has been available on streaming services.