For this 1981 album, their 2nd for MPS, pianist Christoph Spendel and vibraphonist Wolfgang Schlüter assembled a finely-tuned quartet of top-flight musicians. Spendel has worked in groups that have included Didier Lockwood, Lonnie Plaxico and Alphonse Mouzon, and Schlüter is acknowledged as one of the most important European vibraphonists of his generation. Virtuoso Austrian bassist Adelhard Roidinger worked with Achim Kühn, Karl Berger, and Anthony Braxton; drummer Ralf Hübner was a member of the legendary Albert Mangelsdorff Quartet. Old Henry sings out with a lilting two-beat melody and sterling piano, vibe and bass solos. The balladic September Memories begins with an autumnal feel and Spendel’s poignant solo. Three Days on the Percussion Road trips down the modal highway with outstanding piano and marimba solos, while the upbeat Friday Breakfast provides a pleasurable musical repast and a meaty electric bass solo. Autumn Colors is a multi-hued romance with the players waltzing through the changes. Roidinger’s reflective e-bass intro to The Candle lights the way to a brightly swinging finale to the album. Memorable original compositions and outstanding solos flow melodically out of this tightly-knit quartet.
