YELLOW FIELDS

Of all of Eberhard Weber's classic albums, YELLOW FIELDS is probably the most likely to appeal to the average prog fan. First of all, it opens with "Touch", the most "symphonic" piece Weber has ever recorded without using an orchestra: a lush, stately, moving instrumental ballad featuring gorgeous mellotron, with the main melody performed by Charlie Mariano's lyrical sax, Rainer Brueninghaus's synth and Weber's own plangent bass playing in unison. "Touch" remains utterly delightful, a highlight in Weber's oeuvre.

The remainder of the album's original A-side is taken up by the fifteen-and-a-half minute "Sand-Glass", which is strongly reminiscent of mid-seventies Weather Report, especially because Brueninghaus's playing on Fender Rhodes borrows a trick or two from the late Joseph Zawinul. As the title of the piece suggests, the beat is rockier and steadier than with Weather Report (not polyrhythmic) and the main melody sounds somewhat hesitant, at least until Mariano switches from sax to an Indian wind instrument (either shenai or nagaswaram, I don't know which) and the piece suddenly acquires wings! It's another magic moment on a deeply satisfying album.

YELLOW FIELDS' B-side opens with the ten-minute title track, one of the sprightliest tunes Weber has written, beautifully played by Mariano on soprano sax. The real highlight of this piece, however, is Brueninghaus's exciting Fender Rhodes solo. Together with the magisterial Weber and the energetic Jon Christensen (on drums) Brueninghaus is also the star of "Left Lane", the thirteen-and-a-half minute closing track. Once again he shines on Fender Rhodes, but the piece also contains an intriguing extended break for solo piano, reminiscent of Yes's "South Side of the Sky" but much better recorded and played with far greater subtlety.

Anyone familiar with ECM Records knows they are all about class, and here's another excellent example. Eberhard Weber is a German bass player who has played with so many greats over the years including Jan Garbarek, Volker Kriegel and the German band ET CETERA. Pat Metheny is a big fan of Eberhard's playing as well. We also get Jon Christensen from Norway on drums and he's also played with the best including Terje Rypdal, Miroslav Vitous, Ralph Towner and so many more. We have saxophonist Charlie Mariano and keyboardist Rainer Bruninghaus to round out the lineup. I almost feel like I should have a small section in my collection for ECM released albums as they all are so professional and classy. Makes me feel like I should be drinking wine or doing something snooty. Not (haha).

"Touch" opens with piano,drums and bass standing out in this laid back affair. The sax joins in and this is all so intricate with the sax playing in a relaxed manner over top. "Sand-Glass" is quiet to start with a beat. Sax after 1 1/2 minutes. Piano before 4 minutes but it's brief. We then get one of those strange sounding Indian horn instruments before 5 1/2 minutes. The piano is back out front before 7 1/2 minutes then sax again. Piano leads around 9 minutes.

"Yellow Fields" picks up before 2 minutes to a bright sound. Gotta love the fender rhodes that follows as it picks up even more. I like the contrasts in this one. Great tune ! "Left Lane" opens with piano, bass and a beat. Sax before 3 minutes then we get a calm a minute later. The piano then starts to lead. It picks up at 8 minutes with prominant bass.The sax leads then the piano takes a turn before 10 1/2 minutes. Sax is back around 12 minutes.

Beautiful cover art on this one from Maja Weber. A classy 4 stars.

A solid followup to The Colours of Chloe finds whispers of the "ECM Jazz" style that Weber would eventually settle into, but the album is still rather wilder and woolier than is typical of the label, combining the fusion chops of the likes of weather report with a sense of playfulness which, whilst not going fully into Canterbury territory, feels like you can potentially see the back garden of Gilgamesh or the Muffins if you found a tall place in the Yellow Fields to look from. You can tell its the real deal 1970s stuff because Rainer Brueninghaus' mellotron is such a signature instrument, particularly in the opening Touch that leads into the wide fusion vistas of Sand-Glass.