myspace.com/szobel
Hermann Szobel classical jazz, fusion and nuts musical stuff.
rare lp 1975.
pianist was 16 years old at the time of recording and was responsible writing all music, charts and arrangements.
http://www.myspace.com/szobel for more info
audio only video of music by Hermann Szobel, at the time of recording hermann was 18 years old he wrote and recorded only one album in 75', to be called an obscure album, maybe an under statement, he is virtualy unknown. his solo debut can be found as a rare lp Only.i had to get this from a drum teacher who had it copied from lp to tape then to cd.(a scratched up one at that lol) while it came out during the prog fusion era, his album may have likely been out casted due to it really not being a pure prog or fusion album. some sort of avant modern classical may be more fitting due to complex arrangements very remenecent of artist like frank zappa and others of that vain.Also being so young at the time and not playing shows wouldn't have helped, Its said he had a break down of sorts while making this recording, and quit shortly there after. his chops on piano were unique and skills remind me of like an Art Tatum meets something else. not much is known about his life, but this music is insanely beautiful and haunting and every track is unique. the following is some of the only info one can find on him.
The enigmatic Hermann Szobel's only album was made marginally less obscure when Mike Magnuson mentioned it in his 2002 autobiographical novel, -Lummox, as a precious treasure around which his beer-swilling, jazz-obsessed protagonists congregate. The back cover carries a love note from Roberta Flack, a hearty plug from Arista's then-resident jazz mogul, Steve Backer, espousing "a very significant career," and special thanks to Flack and Bill Graham. The pianist, 18 years old when the record appeared and photographed naked to the waist at his keyboard, not only composed but also arranged and produced the whole affair, then promptly vanished (Magnuson's characters hear rumors of a mental home). Szobel's soloing runs to simplistic spirals up or down octaves on the opener, "Mr. Softee," but his compositional strengths handily unfurl, and indeed spotting a conventional jazz solo in this set is difficult in a good way. Working not so much in jazz or fusion than in instrumental prog rock or modern classical, he alternately unites, distributes, matches, and contrasts the timbres of five men playing ten instruments on constantly challenging charts. In the early going of "The Szuite," reedman Vadim Vyadro, as otherwise unknown as his leader, jumps through tenor sax octaves nimble as a commuter running for a train, switches to clarinet for a reflective passage accompanied only by vibist David Samuels (Spyro Gyra), then picks the tenor back up for a fresh shot at the hurdles. For "Transcendental Floss" Vyadro unleashes a voluminous run with well-timed shrieks over a an angular, irregular meter. "New York City, 6 A.M." updates the Viscounts' "Harlem Nocturne" with sax as the shuddering subway cars, bass and drums as the clicking of traffic lights. It fades, and with it any knowledge of this distinctive composer, or the whereabouts of the master tapes for a much-needed CD reissue, leaving listeners, as Roberta Flack sang sadly many years later, and probably not with Szobel in mind, "thinking of what might have been." ~ Andrew Hamlin, All Music Guide
I dont know if it helps to the song or not, (or even goes with it) but the stock footage put to music, is pretty random and not meant to make any statement about szobel music or anything else, its just a backing track and not a whole lot of thought was put into it.
tags may include
hermann szobel herman jazz funk soul fusion jam improv prog avant obscure rare crazy insane flack music complex piano zappa ish
Tags: herman hermann szobel szoble piano classical jazz fusion avant prog crazy insane music genius frank zappa koyaanisqatsi
