Niagara ~ Germany

S.U.B. (1972)

Niagara were founded by drummer and percussionist Klaus Weiss, who also happened to be the leader of the fine jazz rock group known as Sunbirds. Niagara released three albums in the early to mid 70s, the first which is entirely percussive. Their second album S.U.B. is a jamming rock fusion session with an all star cast including Daniel Fichelscher (Popol Vuh), Kristian Schultze (Passport, and leader of the The Bridge / Recreation album), and Udo Lindenberg among a handful of others. The presence of trumpet and the bass heavy percussive driven sound reminds me of early 70's Miles Davis, especially on the opening title track. Compositions such as 'Niagara' and 'Gibli' are similar to their debut, in that they are primarily percussion ensembles. 'Kikiriti' is the highlight for me, with an abundance of flute, and recalls Weiss' other outfit Sunbirds, especially on their own debut.

Ownership: 2016 PMG Audio (LP)

6/12/10 (review); 10/26/17 (update / new entry)