Hiroshima Mon

Eric Schaefer has been described as the “central shining star of the German jazz scene” by the prestigious weekly Die Zeit, while the Munich broadsheet Süddeutsche Zeitung has referred to the “wide-ranging inspiration that he brings to the jazz world.” In “Kyoto Mon Amour” the drummer/composer takes on the challenge of building bridges between Japanese and western music.

Drummer and composer Eric Schaefer has been described as the central shining star of the German jazz scene. On "Kyoto mon Amour", he takes on the challenge of building bridges between Japanese and Western music. Over more than a decade, he has made three visits to Korea and stayed in Japan no fewer than six times, trips which have greatly influenced Schaefer's musical psyche.

Eric Schaefer is much more than just a drummer who accompanies (as he does, for instance, with Michael Wollny): he is an instigator, a composer and a creator. One critic called him the central shining star of the German jazz scene. He certainly brings wide-ranging inspiration to it. The music, philosophy and religion of Asia, and especially Japan have fascinated him for a long time, and he has undertaken several journeys of study there. In Kyoto mon Amour this passion is now documented on record. With Japanese musicians, he takes on the challenge of building bridges between Japanese and western music.

Five CD set. Second collection of rare and unreleased live recordings by Alcatrazz. Kicking off at the Golden Bear in Huntingdon Beach, California, in December 1983 on Disc 1 which features a healthy selection of songs from Alcatrazz's debut.. A Japanese tour was booked for early 1984, from which the Osaka date on 24th January 1984 was recorded at the Festival Hall, included here on Disc 2. Disc 3 features a set recorded at Graham Central Station in Albuquerque in New Mexico. Highlights are Too Young To Die… Too Drunk To Live. The Agora Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio, had long been an important mid-west venue for touring rock bands in the 1970s and 1980s, so the band were guaranteed a warm welcome for their show there on 23rd May 1984, reproduced here on Disc 4. This collection concludes with Disc 5's gig on 8th June 1984 at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey. As an extra bonus, CD5 finishes with an interview originally released as a single promo B-Side, a Public Service Announcement from Graham, warning against drunk driving, plus three instrumental demo tracks.