Altoist
Bud Shank and tenor saxophonist
Bob Cooper toured Europe extensively in 1957 and spent two months in Germany. While there, they often worked with trombonist
Albert Mangelsdorff's unit, a group that also featured guitarist
Attila Zoller.
Mangelsdorff appeared on a few broadcasts with
Shank and
Cooper, with the two previously unissued broadcasts on this valuable CD being under the trombonist's name.
Mangelsdorff is best remembered for his work in free jazz and the avant-garde but in 1957 he was a very fluent bop trombonist, one who held his own with the two saxophonists.
Zoller also fares particularly well during these straight-ahead performances while
Shank (doubling occasionally on flute) and
Cooper (who switches to oboe for a couple of specialties) are heard in their early prime. Fans of West Coast jazz will definitely love these rare and well-preserved broadcasts.