Hand und Fuß (Remastered) Aera

• 1 Mechelwind 10:00
• 2 Alabaster Keaton 03:04
• 3 Wrdlbrmfd (Fürn Karl Valentin) 05:54
• 4 Elephen Elephants 08:34
• 5 Herbstzeitlos 02:24
• 6 Ad absurdum 05:01
• 7 Kamele on 05:30
• Total Runtime 40:27

Info for Hand und Fuß (Remastered)

The second album by the Franconian jazz rockers Aera - "Hand und Fuss" - perhaps sees the group at the peak of their creativity (although I don't know the last two albums from the 80s).

But on "Hand und Fuss" the group seems to have found itself. After the somewhat cautious debut "Humanum Est" they approach things with more verve and self-confidence. Lucky Schmidt is a new drummer, but that's not all, because his predecessor Wolfgang Teske wasn't bad. Rather, it is the new guy on violin - Christoph Krieger - who brings exactly the tone color that Aera was still missing.

The musicians rock their way through their music, which was mostly composed by guitarist Muck Groh (and occasionally by bassist Malinowski), in a relaxed, colorful, moving and virtuoso manner. Groh therefore seems to be something like the soul of Aera at this point. And his rocky, bluesy guitar playing provides a successful counterpoint to the jazzy brass. Klaus Kreuzeder, the saxophonist and flautist in a wheelchair (!!), plays scratchy saxophone tones and lyrical flute parts, with the almost extraterrestrial flute interludes being particularly convincing. Especially when they combine with Krieger's singing violin. Malinowski plays a melodic bass and Lucky Schmidt even does a drum solo in "Elephen Elefants". The interludes by guest musician Onkel Latzi, who has some great duels with Kreuzeder, are also successful.

Aera play as light as a feather, but also powerfully, right on point. Stylistically somewhere between jazz, jazz-rock, folk and (kraut)rock, the music somehow seems to glow from within. A very unique thing, I only find it vaguely comparable to Kraan. The album is instrumental, even if the last two tracks contain some onomatopoeic singing and nonsense vocals. The final track, "Kamele On", is a bit reminiscent of Grobschnitt.

It's a shame that this incarnation of the band fell apart. The next album, "Türkis", already sees a completely different band, apart from Klaus Kreuzeder (from then on the constant in Aera).

"The somewhat harder successor Hand und Fuß (1976) has the same level and presents nuanced music with a lot of feeling, visionary approaches and fun with free playing. Essential." (Good Times)

"The first albums of the Phonoakademie award-winning German jazz-rock formation Aera around Muck Groh (g, ex-Ihre Kinder) and Klaus Kreuzeder (sax, fl) certainly exert a special magic not only for the reviewer, otherwise they would not be reissued for the third time. It always sounds imaginative." (Good Times)

Klaus Kreuzeber, soprano-and alto saxophone & flute
Peter Malinowski, bass
Christoph Krieger, violin
Lucky Schmidt, drums, vocals
Muck Groh, guitar, vocals (7)br> Guest:
Onkel Latzi, baritone saxophone & oboe (7)

Digitally remastered