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