Third Eye - 1977 - Connexion

Third Eye

1977

Connexion

01. Maroon Dance (10:50)

02. The Healer (8:36)

03. Landings (12:43)

04. Ogetnom (8:52)

Wilton Gaynair / tenor & soprano saxophones, percussion

Gerd Dudek / tenor saxophone, flute

Ali Haurand / acoustic bass

Frank Köllges / drums & percussion

Rob van den Broeck / Fender Rhodes, ARP Odyssey

Steve Boston / congas

Recorded August 29-30, 1977 at Procom Studio in Kirchhellen, Germany.

Produced by Hans Köllges.

1977 masterpiece by international jazz band „Third Eye“ featuring Jamaican saxophone legend Wilton Gaynair (1927-1995). Four epic tracks filled with deep grooves, Latin/ African influences and stratospheric abstraction. Terrific mixture of modal, spiritual, bop and fusion, recorded from the master tapes. Mainly contains original material by Gaynair, played by Gerd Dudek (sax/ fl), Ali Haurand (b), Frank Köllges (dr/ perc), Rob van den Broeck (fender/synth) and Steve Boston (congas). First reissue - 6-page-digipack CD and limited vinyl LP - with original cover and new sleeve notes.

„Third Eye“ was formed in the Netherlands as a piano/ bass/ drums jazz trio and later expanded into an international band led by bassist Alfred „Ali“ Haurand. The group played a terrific mix of modal jazz, spiritual jazz, bop and fusion. In 1976 they recorded their fiirst album simply entitled „Third Eye“. For this second album named „Connexion“ and released the following year, Ali Haurand brought the Jamaican Jazzman Wilton Gaynair (1927-1995) into the band.

„Connexion“ mainly contains original material by Wilton Gaynair and stands out as a landmark in the fields of European progressive jazz from the 1970s. The LP includes the excellent Latin/ Brazil fusion track "Ogetnom", made famous by French DJ Cam on a long deleted Jazz Fusion Compilation from 1994. The band pursues a considered and planned format in jazz with four extended album tracks, that combine creative voices in both the writing and performing areas. Their music is inventive, intriguing, imaginative and well played.

Wilton Gaynair and Gerd Dudek are not just blowing experts who „wail“ frantically. Together with their solos, the intelligent charts written for only a 2-man front line reflect and support the total performance in a perfect way. In the rhythm department, they are ably supported by the voices of Frank Köllges, Ali Haurand and Steve Boston, tastefully performing their own limited solo chores. It seems that each note of Haurand`s full-toned bass is carefully cultivated in pitch and timbre. Köllges was one of the true „all rounders“ regarding the drumming while Rob van den Broeck came up with unusual ideas on Fender Piano or synthesizer.

The album may also be viewed as a suite, basing on colour and climate, with separate parts oscillating between ethereal moods and the more rhythmic, fusion-oriented patterns. During the 1970s, new impulses have come from abroad and became a part of the European jazz scene, for example: West Indian, Brazilian or African - clearly documented on this rare LP with its full-blooded fusion feeling. At the same time the style of „Third Eye“ relied on a sense of form or structural cohesion which has been part and parcel of the European music tradition.

The vinyl album was originally released on the small German independent label „Ring Records“ in an edition of 600 copies only and became a sought after collector`s item over the years. It was produced by architect, painter and jazz drummer Hans Köllges, father of Frank Köllges (1952-2012). The master tape for this first reissue was kindly provided from the estate of Frank Köllges, stocked at the „Heinrich-Heine-Institut“ in Duesseldorf. Final support came from Claas Brieler (Jazzanova), who traced this rare gem and supplied an original copy of the rare LP.

The third and final album by „Third Eye“ was recorded live in 1982 and released on the small label „View Records“. This was followed by an extensive tour featuring Wilton Gaynair, Tony Levin, Alan kidmore and Kenny Wheeler. Their music was not „strict, once and for all“ - „live“ it sounded different from one concert to the next. Until the band`s split, they always played strong, resourceful music with self-relaxed confidence. From today´s view, some talented perfectionists simply knew what to do and enjoyed it a lot.