TRANSITORY

4.5 stars. PORK PIE were an obscure band that was founded in Baden-Baden, Germany by the trio of Jasper Van't Hof, Philip Catherine and veteran Charlie Mariano. They had a rhythm section that changed for each of the three studio albums they released. "Transitory" is their debut released in 1974 with J.F. Jenny-Craig on bass and Aldo Romano on drums. There is also a guest Brazilian percussionist Ivanir Do Nascimento who adds a lot to this record. The fact he played with Airto Moreira is all the credentials he needs as far as I'm concerned. But he is considered one of the greats.

The band would follow this up with album number two in 1976 before calling it a day. Then the re-union album in 1996 with the core three guys and Don Alias on drums and a different bassist once again. "Transitory" was released originally on MPS Records and the re-issue that I purchased comes with thick liner notes with lots of information. I absolutely love the black and white picture on the back cover of the band playing live, with Mariano out front on his sax and the other four musicians behind him.

Charlie had just come from playing with SUPERSISTER on their "Iskander" record that was released in 1973. Before that he was with EMBRYO. After the two albums with PORK PIE Mariano would hang out with Eberhard Weber and the land of ECM Records beginning in 1976 I believe. Charlie adds two types of sax along with flute, bamboo flute and nagaswaram. Charlie Mingus described Mariano's alto-sax playing as "tears of sound".

The leader is keyboardist Jasper Van't Hof who plays a lot of electric piano that sounds amazing plus grand piano and organ for the most part. He is also the youngest musician on here, and he came from the Dutch band ASSOCIATION P.C. and he has such a sense of humour that all who worked with him talk about. He composed five of the nine tracks here, with the other four members composing one song each. Guitarist Philip Catherine first came to my attention with the German band SUNBIRDS and their five star debut from 1971. He shows us his incredible skills on the song he composed called "Angel Wings" which is the closer of side one. Flute leads when the guitar isn't in that role.

The bass player J.F. Jenny-Clark won a competition as being the best bassist in Europe in 1969, in the classical field. He would be called on constantly by contemporary composers like Stockhausen and Boulez. I really have an appreciation for the two part title track which are highly experimental soundscapes. Dark and sparse as well as slow moving but I really dig these. Perhaps the most interesting piece though is the Mariano composition "Pudu Kkottai" that is very ethnic sounding with the bamboo flute and nagaswaram. This comes across like sounding like an improv but is actually a traditional melody from South India that Mariano has re-arranged.

"Something Wrong" sounds so beautiful with the electric piano. There's something about Jasper's playing and the tone of that e-piano that is so inspiring to me. We get the two part "Bassamba" which the rhythm section composed and dominates. Big fan of these two tunes. The bass especially on part one. "March Of The Oil-Sheikhs" is the closer and perhaps the most interesting piece on here. That title brings back memories of being a kid and hearing all the oil crisis news in the early to mid seventies.

This will be escorted into my "best of" Jazz and related section. The place of honour. I'm bumping this up.

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