Sven-​Å​ke Johansson Roundup: BBQ & Associated

By Nick Metzger

Three more releases to discuss with Johansson, here in the company of three of his greatest co-conspirators in Luten Petrowsky, Rüdiger Carl, and Hans Reichel. It was very sad news this year regarding the passing of Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, a giant of European free improvisation. Despite being in ill-health over much of the last decade, as noted in Martin’s remembrance, these archival releases find him in great company and making the kinds of music that endeared him to us. He was also one of the most enduring GDR musician operating in free music and if you’re in the mood for a little complementary reading I came across a really good essay in the Critical Studies in Improvisation Journal from Harald Kisiedu on Petrowsky and the beginnings of experimental jazz within the GDR here. Fantastic stuff and enlightening for those of us who weren’t there. Sven-​Å​ke Johansson, who said that the members of the group all met during various tours within the GDR and West Germany (when ELP was permitted), shared: “In the late 70’s I invited ELP to West Berlin for a few projects, among them there was an ensemble that played pieces by operetten composer Paul Lincke (1866 - 1946). We played arrangements from: „wir sind immer noch Berliner“, „morgens früh um fünfe“ and others. In a similar project he was invited, but the GDR authorities refused to give him a travel document from East Berlin to West Berlin. Because of that the performance was recorded by the RIAS (Radio in American Sector), one of many political games in the time of the Cold War. The music of the performance can be heard on: "Sven-åke Johansson and the NMUI im SO 36 -79“ on GROB and Olof Bright Records.”

As promised Sven-Åke Johansson has kept these archival Bergisch-Brandenburgisches Quartett releases coming at a steady drip over the last four years. It’s a pretty remarkable development considering that their eponymous 1984 debut on Amiga (another political game of the GDR) was the only documentation of this gnarly conglomerate - aside from the odd bootleg - until ‘Free Postmodernism’ popped up on the SÅJ Bandcamp page back in 2020. This was followed up with ‘vorwiegend blaues Gezwitscher’ in 2021, another excellent and highly recommended 1981 date. It’s also worth noting in a BBQ roundup that there was a separate iteration of the Quartett called the BBBQ (British Bergisch Brandenburgisches Quartett) that featured Steve Beresford on piano filling in for Petrowsky on reeds. For those interested, the only release of the BBBQ that I know of is included in the SÅJ boxed set “the 80’s - select concerts”, a bonkers collection with a nearly four-and-a-half hour run time - and a steal for the price. Below I discuss three releases, one we’ll call pre-BBQ - as it fits nicely within their canon – finds Johansson, Reichel, and Petrowsky as a trio in 1980, and then there are two BBQ recordings from 1982, one at Moer’s Festival and one at the Total Music Meeting (TMM) in Berlin. Both of the BBQ releases feature the classic lineup of Johansson on percussion, etc., Petrowsky and Rüdiger Carl on reeds (mostly), and Reichel on guitar, and of course you know when Johansson and Carl are together there are usually dueling accordions close at hand.

Hans Reichel & Sven​-​Å​ke Johansson with Ernst Ludwig Petrowsky - Loft München 1980 (SÅJ, 2023) 

I got a little bit of background on this release from Johansson who said that the BBQ was formed in the Summer of 1980, so this January 1980 date just precedes the groups formation. He and Reichel had played a few duo concerts towards the end of the 70’s and invited ELP along for this date. He also noted that this is probably the first and only performance of this trio - as it was mostly the BBQ formation after that – so it’s a significant, historic release for those of us paying attention. The recording captures their concert in a fleeting performance space called the Loft in Munich. The sound is excellent for an archival release, only some slight tape hiss, and the music is even better. The instrumentation has Johansson on percussion, Reichel on guitar, and Petrowsky on reeds and flute. Their playing is fresh and urgent and the recording stretches to an hour and 40+ minutes, so there is a lot of music here.

The first piece doesn’t waste any time getting into the good stuff. Johansson is high energy out of the gate and ELP obliges with some nasty lines whilst Reichel finds his footing and quickly bubbles to the top. It sounds like SÅJ is playing pots and pans (he very well may be) against the staccato playing of the guitar and saxophone. Things eventually loosen and the playing becomes more inquisitive, ELP and Reichel trade barbs over the scrapes and scratches of the percussion. The second piece palpably sprouts in this valley – the sounds of drums and guitar barely trickling from the players. Plinking single notes puff amid bowed cymbals and birdlike reed screeches. Reichel and ELP engage in a lowercase clash of extended technique and percussive amalgams while SÅJ narrates. The trio promptly spools up as Johansson returns to the kit and like falling dominos the intensity resumes in a glorious flurry of free play to close the piece. On “Loft III” accordion takes prominence in the three-way dialogue, with ELP back on sax and Reichel scratching, tapping, and rubbing audio phantoms to life. It’s a relatively short piece of enquiring back-and-forth that serves as a bridge into the next piece’s wild tapped guitar intro. Sometimes you think Reichel is totally off in his own world, plunking out Waltz or R&B rhythms, and then he’ll swoop back into the fold and it all makes perfect sense. The track bustles like the surface of a pond with a water strider infestation - tiny ripples discharge, reflect, and intermingle.

The fifth segment beings with a phantasmagoria of chuffed guitar harmonics and bowed cymbal. Train whistle flute tones coast within a frame bounded by unsettled, jerky, mechanical rhythms. The intensity of the music ebbs and flows, rising in intensity until you think it’s going to boil over before receding completely into a welcome poetry recitation that lands somewhere between Sinatra and Stroszek. “Loft VI” is already well in motion as we join (perhaps the tape ran out), with the trio almost at a full gallop. It finds the trio agitated and tempestuous, ELP utterly wailing against the two-fold grit laid down by Johansson and Reichel. Searching chords and scratching noises initiate the seventh section of the set. There is some stray music in the left channel, hard to tell if it’s a tape artifact or a group playing in another room, curious indeed, it continues throughout the track intermittently. The accordion returns after a few minutes of this with ELP on clarinet. The piece is scant, bare bones fare except for some remarkable yelping from the clarinet.“Loft VII” starts much more assertively, grounded by the drums Reichel also works his instrument over in a very percussive manner as Petrowsky enthusiastically solos. Gaining momentum as they feed off each other, the piece reaches a culmination of efforts before settling into a taut dialogue between ELP and SÅJ. The next piece is also a comparatively meager, a slight development is built up, but this is mostly lowercase improvisation. A slowly unfurling exploration of the drum kit finishes up. The tenth piece is the set closer and it starts with a high energy burst before lolling off momentarily into a more relaxed posture. Petrosky’s hoarse alto lines find common ground with the machinations of Reichel’s playing and Johansson keeps it all flowing. Spare accordion toots, recitations, and copious tape hiss close out a terrific set.

Bergisch-Brandenburgisches Quartett - BBQ Live ‘82 (Black Truffle, 2022)

The first of the BBQ releases was put out last year on Oren Ambarchi’s terrific Black Truffle imprint, and as of this writing there are still vinyl copies available, both from the label and from Johansson. The recording is from the 1982 Moer’s Festival and the sound quality is great. The set starts off with plucky ruminations of the double bridge variety and disjointed percussion. Carl serves up multitudes of grima on the Brazilian cuica, a small Brazilian drum, as Petrowsky follows on clarinet. Reichel’s guitar sound hovers in the background like an alien spacecraft, warbly and outlandish, while the reedsmen wail like startled abductees. Johansson works all manner of percussion and objects, giving the improvisation a crooked, hinted at structure that is madly reconnoitred by the bass clarinet and flute. He then switches to accordion and begins his serenade, joined in short order by Carl with steampipe flute accents from Luten and the tapped, pointillist patterns of Reichel. These patterns set-up the next segment, as Johansson returns to his kit, Carl switches to Tenor, and Petrowsky to baritone and the group returns to free jazz blow-out territory. The group covers a lot of ground on this track in particular and it’s a great example of the free jazz/bop/folk fusion that makes this group so interesting to listen to. The second half of the set sprouts from the seeds of the first, with the group in an inquisitive dialogue of woozy guitar shimmer and percussive swing that pulls several playful quotes and references from the horns. Judging from the chuckles and hoots of the crowd there is something the listener misses by not being there, as is generally the case, and the band sounds like they’re also having a great time (Reichel even plays some straight guitar). The sound again dissociates and goes on a softer path with Johansson crooning and whistling the way before splintering into parallel streams of snake charmer whistles, hot guitar licks, and half sung folk melodies that likely played out spectacularly in front of the audibly entertained onlookers.

Bergisch-Brandenburgisches Quartett - BBQ at TMM 1982 (SÅJ, 2023) 

This second set from the Quartett was recorded at the Total Music Meeting (TMM), again in 1982, so the instrumentation is pretty much the same, starting with Carl’s cuica which gives the first piece its title. Rubs and squeaks merge with the aural potpourri of Reichel and Johansson as ELP adds melody on flute. The chiming haze of guitar relents to a low end thrum occasionally. Stating the obvious, there really isn’t anyone else like Reichel - in a group setting or otherwise. The pace quickens and the reedsmen engage in dueling dialogue with brief bouts of carnival music and folk piercing their flow. As the energy relaxes the accordion makes its first appearance and the quartet stretches out. Johansson recites poetry and the cuica and accordion get acquainted in some seriously delightful music making. There are segments of long held tones by the woodwinds, drone like, with Reichel’s saucer of mercury spilling all over the place. The next track “Figur” begins with some seriously bluesy ruminations. Woody clarinet runs and accordion honks flow down a stream of turbulent percussion and walking guitar thump. Insect-like sounds buzz the periphery as avant folk pours from the accordion and Johansson sets to work on his traps. Audible chuckles from the audience during quieter moments again reveal that tape can’t capture the whole performance, and with the manic nature and circus calls that are audible it sounds like a good time with BBQ indeed. There are some great interactions b/w the reeds and guitar on this piece, Reichel’s playing maintaining a bluesy undertow throughout much of the track. On “Roll” we get just that from Johansson with some very chime-like, dry guitar and percussive reed pops. The drums relent and Johansson recites improvised poetry as all manner of grimy sounds manifest, including what sounds like violin, I assume from Reichel (it was his childhood instrument). After the spoken word the track explodes into wild improvisation, the saxophones growling, yowling, bellowing. On “Sunny Side”, the final piece of the set, the stage is set for Johansson who croons and laments. Reichel plucks harmonics that drift like sky lanterns against heavy bellows noise and bright accordion melodies. The Quartett shifts between modes of dry, probing dynamism and explosive, torch-the-village melees before wrapping the track in introspection, perhaps as a reminder to keep on the sunny side of life.