Philip Catherine & Nicolas Fiszman – Live At The Berlin Jazzbühne Festival 1982
ORDER LIMITED TO ONE ITEM PER CUSTOMER
Guitar – Philip Catherine
Guitar, Bass Guitar – Nicolas Fiszman
Written by Philip Catherine (all tracks except A3), Charlie Mariano (A3)
1 LP, gatefold jacket printed in Italy
Limited to 2,000 numbered copies
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Live
Record Press : Optimal Media in Germany
Label : The Lost Recordings
Original label : The Lost Recordings
Recorded on 13th June 1982 at The Berlin Jazzbühne Festival
Remastered by The Lost Recordings
Lacquer cut by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
Originally released in December 2022
Tracks:
Side A
- Janet
- Babel
- Crystal Bells
Side B:
- Petit Nicolas - Grand Nicolas
- Air Power
- End of August
- Transvested Express
Reviews :
"In the afternoon we performed in a rather austere theatre in East Berlin. Then I remember we crossed Checkpoint Charlie that evening to play in a club in West Berlin. The atmosphere was completely different. I felt as though we were living in a black and white spy movie."— Nicolas Fiszman
Nicolas Fiszman recalls that chaotic day of 13 June 1982. Two outstanding guitarists, Philip Catherine and Nicolas Fiszman, who at the time was only 17 years old, were taken from one side of Berlin to the other in pouring rain to perform to unlikely audiences. At both concerts, they played the same program of seven pieces written by Philip, with the exception of "Crystal Bells," composed by Charlie Mariano. The pair were not master and student. Rather, Philip remembers Nicolas like a young brother he might have taken to the beach. After the 1960s, Philip became a major figure on the jazz scene, working with the greatest: Charles Mingus, Chet Baker, Stéphane Grapelli, Dexter Gordon, to name only a few. Nicolas has played with Charles Aznavour, Vanessa Paradis, Francis Cabrel and Eric Serra, and travels the world with Sting.
On that gloomy afternoon, the two guitarists, alone on stage, decided to brighten up the morosity that reigned. The pieces they played bore titles such as "Janet", "Babel" and "Petit Nicolas". It is hard to believe that this varied, well-constructed, polyphonic music was not entirely written down on paper. Philip says, "Nothing is written from beginning to end. I compose the themes and some harmonic bridges. Then we have a chord chart ... and that's it." The foundations are written; inspiration, taste, fantasy and friendship do the rest. We feel as though we are taking a nonchalant walk through Rio or Miami. The concert is punctuated by thunderous applause.
For these brief minutes in that year 1982, the East Berliners were able to fly over their tightly closed borders. Lost Recordings is privileged to have unearthed this unique concert where two outstanding artists bring together two cultures to create an intense blaze of happiness.
Ratings :
Discogs : 4 / 5