Hartmut Geerken - Amanita

"Pratically impossible to make it brief here, HGeerken: author, composer, musician, film-maker, performer, actor, mycologist, archivist, stager of exhibitions, publisher of numerous authors from the circle of literary expressionism and dada, lumberjack, bumble-bee-keeper. during his six-year stay in Egypt in the 60's he is co-founder (together with Salah Ragab and Edu Vizvari) of the Cairo Jazz Band as well as founder and head of the Cairo Free Jazz Ensemble. played in various music groups: Embryo, trio with John Tchicai and Don Moye (extensive tour of Africa) and also with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. he worked with Sunny Murray, Don Cherry, Okay Termiz, Peter Kowald, Takehisa Kosugi, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Michael Ranta, ect... today Geerken possesses one of the most comprehensive Sun Ra archives (waitawhile sun ra archives). his book omniverse sun ra (1994) ,which contains a first all-embracing discography of the musician, has meanwhile grown to be a priceless cult book. together with James Wolf from the library of congress in Washington DC , he's editor of the recently published collected poems and philosophical works of Sun Ra (the immeasurable equation 2005). better to read his bio to know more.

This is Geerken 1st ever solo release (a major event indeed !) and it was recorded under the influence of magic mushrooms (dried amanita muscaria). one of the instruments played here is Sun Ra's Sun harp (a Bulgarian bandura), which Sun Ra gave him in 1971 in Egypt, were Hartmut invited the Arkestra to play... they got no money to fly back to the States, so Hartmut kindly borrow them some bread for the trip back... in exchange Sun Ra gave him his Sun harp (which you'd hear on several Saturn LP and which was one of the few instruments that Sun Ra played besides keyboards) saying i'll buy it back from you one day... which evidently never happened. the other string instrument played here is a Swarmandal, which was given to him in 1976 in New Delhi by the renowed Dhrupad singers: the Dagar brothers. probably the wildest qbico ever, alien sounds !"

side A
amanita spissa

side B
amanita ovoidea

side C
amanita strobiliformis
amanita vaginata
amanita phalloides
amanita rubescens

side D
amanita mappa
amanita pantherina
amanita vema

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