Paratyphus B (1971)
I'm largely ignorant of Michal Urbaniak's extensive canon of work, though I've been aware of him since I started crate digging in the middle 1980s. Some like-minded friends were into him, though I never pursued in earnest. I recall very little about his music that was played for me back then.
As I listen to Paratyphus B, I can understand why I probably didn't pursue. You really have to be in the mood for stuff like this. Released only in Germany on the Spiegelei label, you can hear the avant garde jazz of the era almost immediately. Urbaniak provides a very adventurous type of electric violin, miles away from the likes of Jean-Luc Ponty. On the final track he plays the saxophone in similar fashion. Future wife Urszula Dudziak is very much into scat singing, and she is at once energetic and atmospheric, occasionally at the same time. Electric piano also gets a workout. The three piece rhythm sections rounds things out.
This title is a bit rough for my ears. The melodic jazz parts work really well in this setting, but it gets very noisy in places that I don't find pleasant or comforting. Not sure how this CD set will turn out. Depends on where I land with the other recordings. I don't mind owning music like this, as it provides a stark contrast, just not too much of it please. More to come.
Ownership: 2023 Made in Germany (3xCD). Part of Sound Pieces. Tri-fold digipak with historical liner notes within. Obviously mastered from vinyl (or a noisy tape). Acquired in 2026.
2/9/26 (review)
Also own and need to review: Inactin; Live at Lila Eule
Also once owned: Body English
2/9/26 (new entry)
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