Jaki Liebezeit - A Tribute

JAKI LIEBEZEIT - a Tribute
January 22, 2018

Watching this, was a treat ... and I am not sure that King Crimson needs the credit, but all of a sudden, seeing all these drummers together to say hello to Jaki, is one of the wonderful moments in a lot of music ... a tradition that is obviously more respected in Germany than it is in some other places.

In many ways, seeing this, was a bit sad ... it felt like the end of "krautrock" ... when we got to see some older folks in this almost imaginary concert. Including in this concert were Rosko Gee on bass, Jochen Irmler on Keyboards, Jah Wobble on Bass, and even Irmin Schmidt and then Damo. And if that is not enough try Michael Rother on Guitar.

Perhaps the greatest thing in all this, is watching the improvisations take place, so different than what you hear on the tube these days, that is called an "improvisation" that comes off more as a solo for an instrument, than it does the addition of something more to the piece which creates a very different improvisation, that doesn't need solos to show its ability and desire to create something out of a sound, with everyone involved. This is something that Germany developed, and while I would imagine that CAN is probably one of the more important ones on this kind of thing, in the end, it was also done in other groups very differently, and also very well. And this is not quite appreciated in the Anglo-American world, where the ego-centric music design, if not commercial music design, is the only thing that the majority of folks get to see.

Watching this develop, right from the start, is an incredible exercise, in how much these folks knew what they were doing and what it was all about ... and they all perform superbly ... a great treat for a fan of experimental music, and what is really, the perfect example, of what it was way back when called "krautrock" ... which was, for all intents and purposes an experience that could only happen at that moment in time, and it would be very different next time.

We need more of this ... so that a musician's ability is not centered on mechanics, but on his/her ability to fly along with the other musicians, instead of a DAW. And when you start watching the so very different folks play ... you end up sitting here and go ... wow ... the courage to do this, not knowing where things would go, and how they would develop ... it takes a musician that ... we rarely see, because so many folks are so engrained in a beat, to the point that they forget where the music started in the first place.

And by the time you watch Murat Ertel do his thing ... a little instrument that made a guitar seem so limited and not as good ... you wonder how far some folks will go to create something out of a sound, out of nothing, and make a moment so special that it makes you ... just want to be there, and experience it, and the finest thing, for me, is that none of the moments fall into rock or jazz music traps, so it can shine in its freedom. I'm not sure that many fans in the Western World, can even appreciate this freedom, that for our eyes and ears, lacks structure, and in the end, the thought that it gives you, is that music, on its own, does not need any structure ... just needs to have people play!

Pi-hsien Chen did a couple of pieces by Scarlatti, and I am not sure how it related to Jaki, but my guess was that it was one of his favorite pieces of music. She does have a wonderful touch on the keys.

If that is not enough you get Jah Wobble doing a drum thing, and I had a crazy deja vu ... there were a couple of albums by a "group" called Niagara that featured nothing but drummers, and you got to admit that listening to these things, is fun, and something that we don't do enough of ... here was the bottom line of a lot of really early CAN material, by the time he picks up his bass guitar.

And if that's not enough, you really get to see where some of Irmin Schmidt's inspirations came from, in what might be considered classical music, in its more avant-garde and experimental. You never really thought of that when listening to Irmin, but after this, you could just about imagine how some of it crept in unannounced all the time, which made his keyboard work with CAN so special and added a vivaciousness, that allowed the group to live and create its music. A stunning, image, and in so many ways a snap shot of the band's creativity.

And in a situation like this, all you can say is ... amazing ... total wow! And if that is not enough, at least appreciate the so many varieties of music, that influenced one of the most creative of all bands and bunch of musicians. Oh, btw, some of them came from a school of music with some very high level classically known folks? And you got a band that ...

And if you have not gotten tired of all this, you get Damo, just for a nice and special moment ... it felt like early CAN ... it really did! And done today ... quite amazing, and one of the best things I have ever seen in concert, even if only on the tube! AND, most importantly, if you want to see how "krautrock" is made and formed, you only need to see this, and how these folks work together. It's so different than a rock'n'roll "jam", and it makes me wonder, what the heck is everyone learning in school about music?

One of the great music tributes all around ... and a must see!

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