Attila Zoller - Katz & Maus (1966/2015) [HDtracks]

“Attila is one of my heroes” was Pat Metheny’s comment when asked about Hungarian guitarist Attila Zoller. At the urging of Oscar Pettiford and Lee Konitz, Zoller moved from Germany to New York in 1959. Praised for his ability to combine straight-ahead playing with free jazz, his career included working with the who’s who of jazz. The album is ostensibly Zoller’s music for the movie adaptation of the Günter Grass book Katz and Maus. However the first three pieces were recorded in New York with the all-star group of bassist Ron Carter, pianist Albert Daily and drummer Bobby Thomas. The straight-ahead swing of Mahlke, emotive depth of Conradium Ballade, and free-flowing experimental drive of Pilenz highlight Zoller as a consummate straight-ahead change player and composer. The next three pieces has Zoller teamed up with premiere avante-garde bassist Barre Phillips and acclaimed trumpeter Jimmy Owens. Catnip and A.B.J. alternate between freedom and form. Seascape is a cleverly worked-out piece in 6/4. Exemplary music from a composer and player with a special voice whose music ranged from sophisticated modern jazz to free-form experimentation.