Reform Art Orchestra - Pannonian Suite

 2 CDr in LP jacket
Released 2014

1-1     –reformARTunit     Untitled     
1-2     –reformARTunit     Untitled     
1-3     –reformARTunit     Untitled     
2-1     –The MASTERs of unorthodox music     Untitled     
2-2     –The MASTERs of unorthodox music     Untitled     
2-3     –The MASTERs of unorthodox music     Untitled     
2-4     –The MASTERs of unorthodox music     Untitled     

Alaeddin Adlernest - bassoon (tracks: 2)
Paul Fields - electric violin (tracks: 1)
Johannes Groysbeck - bass guitar  (tracks: 1)
Inge Katharina Pechoc - piano (tracks: 2)
Monika Stadler - Harp (tracks: 2)
Shamal Amin - voice
Nikolaus Dolp - drums
Nigar Hasib - voice
Raoul Herget - tuba
Karl Wilhelm Krbavac - viola da gamba
Yedda Chunyu Lin - piano
Sepp Mitterbauer - trumpet   
Fritz Novotny - soprano saxophone, flute
Rudolf Ruschel - trombone
Hans Echnaton Schano - voice
Karl Vossner - english horn
 
Improcomposed on 10 September 2014
at Porgy and Bess jazz music club
produced by the reformARTorchestra

The Reform Art Unit featuring Sunny Murray - Subway Performance

Granit Records, GR 93003
RAU 1021
CD
1993

1  - Inside Work. Seven Movements Dedicated To Sunny Murray     20:00

Paul Fields - violin, piano
Sepp Mitterbauer - trumpet
Fritz Novotny - clarinet, soprano sax, flutes, small percussion
Mario Rechtern - alto, baritone and sopranino sax

Recorded live October 5, 1993 at Soundfield Studio, Lower Austria
Composed by Reform Art Unit

2 - The Subway Performance. Eleven Movements Dedicated To Adolf Frohner     45:00

Leena Conquest, Sainkho Namtchylak - vocals
Sepp Mitterbauer - trumpet
Fritz Novotny, Georg Graf, Mario Rechtern - reeds
Paul Fields - violin
Karl Wilhelm Krbavac - Viola
Mia Zabelka - violin
Reinhard Ziegerhofer - bass
Sunny Murray - drums
Walter Schiefer - percussion
Stefan Bochdansky, Susanna Wilhelmina - voices
Dieter Haspel - director

Recorded live on September 2, 1993 at the Subway Station U3 Westbahnhof in Vienna
Composed by Reform Art Unit

 

Reform Art Unit - Open Window Suite, 1986-1989

 granit record 2018

SIDE ONE
Part 1: 16 may 1986, Wien
Sepp Mitterbauer - percussion, trumpet
Fritz Novotny - percussion
Nikolaos Polimenakos - piano
Walter Schiefer - percussion

Part 2: 29 june 1986, Aigen/Enns
Gerhard Fritsch - tenor sax
Richard Isaiah - trombone
Siegi Lemmerer - hackbrett
Sandro Miori - tenor sax
Fritz Novotny - clarinet, soprano sax
Christian Salfellner - drums
Reinhard Ziegerhofer - double bass

Part 3: 6 march 1987, Linz
Paul Fields - keyboard, violin
Gerhard Fritsch - tenor sax
Fritz Novotny - khene, flute, soprano sax
Christian Salfellner - drums
Reinhard Ziegerhofer - double bass

SIDE TWO
Part 4:18 january 1989, Wien
Paul Fields - violin
Fritz Novotny - clarinet, soprano sax
Walter Schiefer - drums
Reinhard Ziegerhofer - double bass

Part 5: 17 september 1989, Wien
Paul Fields - violin
Fritz Novotny - glockenspiel, flute, clarinet
Sebastian Piekarek - flute
Walter Schiefer - drums
Reinhard Ziegerhofer - double bass
Rolf Schwendter - poetry

Part 6: 28 december 1989, Wien
Leena Conquest - vocal
Bleda Elibal - double bass
Paul Fields - violin
Fritz Novotny - flute, khene
Sebastian Piekarek - flute
Christian Salfellner - drums
Levent Tarhan - santur
Reinhard Ziegerhofer - double bass

Reform ART unit Featuring The Americans - West East Suite

 RAU - 121610
Vinyl, Limited Edition of 95 copies
Released 21 Sep 2017

A1 - Songs Of July (Including <Witchi Tai To>)      
5:11
Bass Guitar – Dill Katz
Double Bass – Bleda Elibal
Drums – Brian Abrahams
Oud – Rabih Abou Khalil
Percussion [Tomback] – Mohammed Thamassebi
Piano – Paul Fields
Santoor – Levent Tarhan
Saxophone, Voice – Fritz Novotny, Jim Pepper
Vocals – Leena Conquest
Composed By Novotny, Pepper, Fields

A2 - East        
6:21
Clarinet – Fritz Novotny
Drums – Andrew Cyrille
Composed By Cyrille, Novotny

A3 - Pannonica. Pannonia
8:53
Percussion – Glen Hahn
Piano – Burton Greene
Soprano Saxophone – Fritz Novotny
Composed By Greene, Novotny, Monk

B1 - Ghana
6:30
Reeds, Percussion – Fritz Novotny, Walter Malli
Brass – Clifford Thornton, Franz Koglmann, Joseph Traindl, Sepp Mitterbauer
Keyboards – Giselher Smekal, Paul Fields
Bass – Heinz Jäger
Drums – Walter Schiefer
Composed By Thornton, Novotny

B2 - Double Three
12:32
Alto Saxophone – Anthony Braxton
Tenor Saxophone – Paul Fields
Soprano Saxophone – Walter Malli
Clarinet – Fritz Novotny
Double Bass – Heinz Jäger
Drums – Walter Schiefer
Composed By Braxton, Novotny

A1 — recorded 1990, July 6 at Vienna Town Hall (Rathaus, Wien)
A2 — recorded 1984, April 15 at Jazzforum Mödling
A3 — recorded 1982, November 27 at Podium Thürnthal
B1 — recorded 1978, October 1 at Krems Town Hall
B2 — recorded 1978, September 30 at Krems Town Hall

All titles released 1978 and 1999 on the millenium CD recorded by Granit Records

Fritz Novotny November 21, 1940 - May 7, 2019

This morning I learned the sad news of the death of Mr Fritz Novotny who was the founding member of the Reform Art Unit and musicians in many others bands like Three Motions, Clan Music Overdrive, Reform Art West or Acting Seven + various others records with Paul Fields.

The R A U if not the most popular free jazz band in europe was cult for many people. Mr Novotny, Sepp Mitterbauer and all of the founding members of this collective who have left this planet the years before were incredible musicians in the fact that they were able of a synthesis between so many styles of music from the contemporary classical music of the 20th century to some oriental traditions. Many renowned musicians have played with the R A U: Burton Greene, Evan Parker, Sunny Murray, Linda Sharrock, Carla Bley, Don Cherry, Anthony Braxton, Clifford Thornton, Jim Pepper to name a few.

Over the years we have posted many hard to find recordings of the R A U and crew. Ernst and also particularly Corvimax have made some important contributions.

For those who would like to get some physical recordings, there are always few for sale on Discogs, I think that Milo Fine still have some copies of the Reform Art West box set and Impro Jazz perhaps still have very few goodies but most are gone for good.

Thank you Mr Novotny for this great music who have inspired some of us.

As a tribute here is a cd from the period when the band turned his music into the contemporary classical direction, this cd have been recorded in 1998.

Reform Art Quartet - Homage To Arnold Schönberg and Anton Von Webern

Miniaturen For Quartet, Op. 97/1-3

01 Allegro non troppo

02 Scherzo

03 Finale

Fritz Novotny: Clarinet, Cymbal, Flute, Glockenspiel, Gong, Khene, Soprano Saxophone –

Sepp Mitterbauer: Trumpet

Karl Wilhelm Krbavac: Viola Da Gamba, Piano

Paul Fields: Violin, Piano

Recorded in 1998 Granit Records cd GR 98011 / RAU Records cd 1030

The picture of this post have been found by Ernst on this blog

https://burn-in.at/de/konzert-premiere-album-präsentation-pei-trio-burn-galerie

Reform Art Music - Es Steht Geschrieben

Reform Art Music - Es Steht Geschrieben, Drago PRELOG
homage for Walter Malli

CD AR 20105

Linda Sharrock - vocal
Sepp Mitterbauer - trumpet
Fritz Novotny - arghool, bombarde, clarinet, flute, soprano sax, percussion
Alaeddin Adlernest - basson
Yedda Chunyu Lin - piano, voice
David AyankokoVilayleck - laptop
Ram Chandra Mistry - sitar
Paul Fields - violin, synth, alto sax
Johannes Groysbeck - el. bass guitar, groysophon
Walter Malli - drums, soprano sax

homage 1 - live at the Amman Studios, april 2012
homage 2 - live at the Museum des XX.JAHRHUNDERTS, june 1981
homage 3 - live at the Sophiensale, march 1981

Trio P E I - Yedda Chunyu Lin, Fritz Novotny, Lukas Ligeti

Many of us seem interested in the collective group Reform Art Unit. The history of this collective has often been punctuated by individual sub-projects among the members of the group. The trio Pei fits in this musical tradition. Indeed, Yedda Chunyu Lin is Reform Art Unit's pianist. She created the group with R A U's founder Fritz Novotny and Lucas Ligeti. P.E.I means Passion, Energy, Intensity. Here is a live recording kindly offered by Yedda, given at the release of their first album. Also included some sound clips of this first cd packaged in a beautiful gatefold lp sleeve.

This album is fantastic and you can support the artist and order it directly to Yedda 

PEIArtMusic@gmail.com

You can also visit her web at

https://yeddachunyulin.wordpress.com

Find one recent recording of the R A U with Yedda Chunyu Lin recently posted here

http://inconstantsol.blogspot.fr/2017/05/reform-art-quartet-prelogien-live-at.html

Great live, two tracks:

Yedda Chunyu Lin: piano

Fritz Novotny: Soprano sax, flute

Lukas Ligeti: Drums

Acting Seven - Clan Music Overdrive (Babel)

Here is the cd version of this curious and great album that contains two performances by two different bands with the same background. Almost all of the musicians comes from the Austrian avant garde music scene that is famous under names like Reform Art Unit, Three Motions or Masters Of unorthodox Jazz.

The two first tracks are credited to « Acting Seven » and the two last are from « Clan Music Overdrive ». This second band have recorded another album kindly shared by Corvimax here:

http://inconstantsol.blogspot.fr/2016/11/the-clan-music-overdrive-granit-1988.html

01. Babel 02. Jazz For Thinkers 03. Jackie 04. Clan Music Overdrive

Acting Seven:

Bass: Attila Lörinszky

Percussions: Walter Schiefer

Percussions/Reeds: Fritz Novotny

Piano: Giselher Smekal

Trumpet: Sepp Mitterbauer

Violin: Mia Zabelka

Voice: Othmar Zechyr

Clan Music Overdrive:

Bass/Electric Bass: Reynhard Ziegerhofer

Clarinet, Soprano Sax, Sheng: Fritz Novotny

Drums: Christian Salfellner

Drums: Walter Schiefer

Keyboards: Paul Fields

Saxophone Tenor & Soprano: Gerhard Fritsch

Saxophone Tenor: Sandro Miori

cd rip, longer than the lp version : KKM 1016-2

Ensemble Heute - Homage to Bela Bartok and John Cage (granit 2001)

From the usual people of Reform Art, but here completely different music from what I'v heard from them until now.The title says it all.

Paul Fields - violin
Margarete Jungen - mezzosoprano
Karl Wilhelm Krbavac - viola da gamba
Sepp Mitterbauer - trumpet
Fritz Novotny - glockenspiel, gongs, flute, soprano sax
Giselher Smekal - piano
Monika Stadler - harp

1. Pierrot Songs (Smekal)
2. Bela (Novotny)
3. John (Fields, Novotny)
4. Ovid (Fields, Novotny)

recorded between december 2000 and june 2001

Granit record, CD
GR 2001-0-05

REFORM ART UNIT "DARJEELING" (WM PRODUKTION, 1970)

Fritz Novotny, soprano saxophone, turkish & indian flutes
Sepp Mitterbauer, trumpet
Giselher Smekal, piano
Ram Chandra, sitar
Toni Michlmayr, bass
Muhammad Ali, percussion


1. Darjeeling - part 1 (20:59)
2. Darjeeling - part 2 (19:25)


Live at the "Museum of the 20th Century", Vienna, June 7, 1970.


WM Produktion WM 20 011 (this rip from a 1998 released CD-r version)

Three Motions Konzert: Impuls Maria Schutz

Kovarik's Musikothek, R.A.U. 1006
LP, 1977
Austria

A1 - Serpentine           3:29
Alaeddin Adlernest - Bassoon
Paul Fickl - Violin, Contra Violin
Fritz Novotny - Xylophone, Gong, Bells, Thai Flute
Walter Schiefer - Percussion

A2 - Kaukasus        19:17
Alaeddin Adlernest - Bassoon
Paul Fickl - Piano, Electric Piano
Muhammad Malli - Alto and Soprano Sax
Fritz Novotny - Flute, Soprano Sax, Xylophone
Walter Schiefer  - Drums and Small Percussions

B - Aquedukt          23:34
Alaeddin Adlernest - Bassoon
Paul Fickl - Piano, Electric Piano
Muhammad Malli - Drums, Alto Sax
Fritz Novotny - Soprano Sax
Walter Schiefer - Balaphone, Piano, Percussions, Drums

Recorded live September 17, 1977 at Kulturzentrum Impuls Maria Schutz.

LINDA SHARROCK, NIKO POLYMENAKOS, PAUL FIELDS, ANDREA HAINDL, RICHARD ISAIAH, FRITZ NOVOTNY, HARRY KLAFFENBÖCK ‎– JAZZ FOR THINKERS (KOVARIK'S MUSIKOTHEK, ‎1985)

A1. Ballad
A2. Ednilgeis
A3. Voice

B1. Inside
B2. Tasten
B3. Andrea


Harry Klaffenböck, bass
Fritz Novotny, flute, reeds, piano, percussion
Andrea Haindl, guitar
Niko Polymenakos, keyboards, tape
Richard Isaiah, trombone
Paul Fields, violin, piano
Linda Sharrock, voice

Recorded: January 26th 1985

Kovarik's Musikothek, R.A.U. ‎– KK-M 1013

LP Rip

Paul Fields, Fritz Novotny - To James Joyce (jazzfields1983)

Fritz Novotny - soprano sax, arghool, bombarde, glockenspiel, flutes, percussion, artwork
Paul Fields - violin (track 1), alto sax (track 2), synthesizer (track 3), piano (track 4)

A1 - Kinds Of...        8:34
A2 - Existence        5:10
A3 - Silence        5:41
B - Europe            19:45

Recorded September 14, 1983 at Jazzfields Tonstudios, Lower Austria.
Composed, Arranged by Fritz Novotny and Paul Fields

Jazzfields Records, RAU 1012
Vinyl
Austria, 1983

MASTERS OF UNORTHODOX JAZZ & REFORM ART UNIT "VIENNA JAZZ AVANTGARDE" (WM-Prod, 1971)

For Isabelle from Lyon, heres a repost from 2010, i've simply Changed the date on the original post to move it forward , everything else is as was originally published

Here's a little a little something congruent with the recent fascinating thread started by Onxydlib.
Firstly i must confess to an almost total ignorance of the Austrian and in this case Viennese Free Jazz scene of the late 60's and early 70's , knowing a few names , and having heard a tiny smattering of the music is all i can honestly profess.

Ive had this for years , whilst knowing next to nothing about it, and i guess i ought to declare that the vinyl itself is well worn , and covered in surface scratches... I've done my best in terms of balancing declicking the digital files and maintaining the Fullness of the original sound.

A lot of vinyl rips and concerts that have been cleaned up sound bleached out and thin to my ears ..... so ive done as little as possible ... a light sweep of crackle , and removals of individual objects... no compression, limiting or eq'ing what so ever.

Franz Ringel .. Who designed the cover is someone i know more about, He is one of Austrias national treasures.. More of his work can be Viewed here.

i find these sides , and particularly the reform art unit, more than merely very interesting listens and these certainly induce a craving to hear more!!!

Most people will have at least come across Toni Michelmyr , and Muhammad Malli, the bassist and drummer on both these sessions , they come across very strongly indeed , giving the impression they must have worked together alot....

Both also play on Steve lacy-Franz Kogelmqann's 'Opium" from the mid 70's which has been reissued By Kogelmann on his between the lines label , and is the only other thing i have actually heard by these guys .
there are- also a few tracks on the lacy Savarah Anthology "Dreams Scratching the 70s"which feature Muhammed MaLli as a guest percussionist.

There is not much info out there, in English about either of these groups .... its clear though that Masters of Unorthodox Jazz recorded several lp's at the very least, and Reform Art Unit , at least 4 or 5.
if anyone can provide more info , and or share other albums by these groups ... please do!

LP1 - Masters of Unorthodox Jazz
Allaeddin Adlernest (bassoon) Harum Ghulam Barabbas (as, ldr) Ahmed Pechoc (p) Tony Michlmayer (b) Muhammad Malli (d, perc)


LP2 - Reform Art Unit
Sepp Mitterbauer (tp, org) Heinz Cadek (tb) Fritz Novotny (sop, fl, perc) Giselher
Smekal (org, p, perc) Tony Michlmayr (b) Muhammad Malli (perc) Kristin Novotny (vcl)
Vienna, May 5, 1970
Meditation-conversation and love (kn vcl)



ENJOY!!