Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Franz Koglmann / Steve Lacy: Flaps

Franz Koglmann / Steve Lacy: Flaps

By Mark Corroto
February 28, 2019
View read count

A bit of surface noise on the reissue of 1973's Flaps—originally issued by

Franz Koglmann

flugelhorn
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Franz Koglmann's Pipe Records—can be easily excused. This long out- of-print collectors vinyl has been made available by Black Monk Records, and we can now rejoice.

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Lacy went to Vienna and made this somewhat strange recording with the then relatively unknown flugelhorn/trumpet player Franz Koglmann. Strangely, Koglmann included Gerd Geier's electronics in the session at a time when few musicians and even fewer jazz musicians (with the exception of

Sun Ra

piano
1914 - 1993

" data-original-title="" title="">Sun Ra) were utilizing electronics. Lacy must have recognized budding talent. Bassist Toni Michlmayr and drummer Muhammed Malli are also heard here, playing again with Geier in 1976 on Opium For Franz (Black Monk, 2019).??

Lacy's way with electronics makes him a rare find, as heard on Saxophone Special (Emanem, 1975), 1974's Sideways (Roaratorio, 2000), and New Jazz Meeting Baden-Baden 2002 (hatOLOGY, 2006). The singular sound of Lacy's soprano is evident throughout. Flaps's title song makes great use of the two-horn front line before the music crackles and scatters into both acoustic and electronic parts. The music is knitted together by skeletal compositions, for example on multiple takes of both "Misera Plebs" and "Bowery." The framework stands in each, emphasizing different entry points. Koglmann's muted trumpet maintains a running conversation with the electronics on the former piece, and switches to a

Donald Ayler

trumpet
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Donald Ayler sound on "Steirish WC Nr. 2." Koglmann's "Hommage To An Old Raincoat (To Fritz Kotrba)" finds the soprano and trumpet in sonic competition with Geier's electronics. Which one prevails? That is up to the listener.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Flaps (To Pee Wee Russel); Misera Plebs, Take 1; Misera Plebs, Take 2; Bowery 1; Steirish WC Nr. 2; Flops (To Charles Chaplin); Bowery 2; Hommage To An Old Raincoat (To Fritz Kotrba).

Personnel

Franz Koglmann / Steve Lacy

Franz Koglmann: trumpet, flugelhorn; Steve Lacy: soprano saxophone; Toni Michlmayr: bass; Gerd Geier: electronics; Muhammad Malli: drums.

Album information

Title: Flaps | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Black Monk

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Dianne Reeves at The Rose Theater
< Previous

Red Blooded American
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.