The Wide Point

by Michael G. NastosA studio date with Elvin Jones (d), this recording, on vinyl in the U.S., was probably the disc that introduced the brilliant Mangelsdorff to a stateside audience, albeit through the cutout bins, and with less than optimal pressings. Still, the feeling and empathy between the trombonist and drummer is palpable, and would bode well for future collaborations. An MPS recording in Europe, it made a brief appearance before going out of print. Heavy jazz worth seeking, and a great example of the Euro-jazz fusion that would come, not to mention a glimpse of the then burgeoning German free jazz scene.