TRILOGUE — BERLIN 1976 Restored Version Albert Mangelsdorff · Jaco Pastorius · Alphonse Mouzon

This is a restored version of the celebrated *“Trilogue” concert**, recorded on **November 6, 1976 at the Berlin Philharmonie* during the Berliner Jazztage. Berlin was still a divided city, and the festival had become one of Europe’s major meeting points for American and European jazz. By the mid-1970s, the boundaries between free jazz, rock, funk and electric jazz were increasingly fluid. “Trilogue” captures this period particularly well, bringing together three musicians from very different backgrounds at fascinating moments in their respective careers. Albert Mangelsdorff was already one of the leading figures of European jazz. His highly personal approach to the trombone, particularly his use of multiphonics, had established him as an exceptional improviser and soloist. Through the 1960s and early 1970s he had moved increasingly toward free jazz and experimental forms, and by 1976 he was exploring new connections between European improvisation and amplified jazz. He would remain one of the most important European trombonists for decades to come. For Jaco Pastorius, 1976 was a pivotal year. His self-titled debut album had just appeared, revealing a radically new approach to the fretless electric bass. The same period saw him recording with Pat Metheny and Joni Mitchell and joining *Weather Report**. Yet many of the recordings that would establish his legendary reputation were still ahead of him, including *Heavy Weather*, “Teen Town” and his later *Word of Mouth project. The Jaco captured in Berlin is therefore at an extraordinary point in his career: his musical identity is already fully formed, but his international reputation is only beginning to explode. In this stripped-down trio setting, without piano or guitar, the bass moves freely between rhythm, harmony, counterpoint and melody. Alphonse Mouzon was already deeply associated with the emerging fusion movement. A former member of the original **Weather Report**, he had worked with McCoy Tyner, recorded as a leader for Blue Note and played with Larry Coryell’s Eleventh House. His powerful combination of jazz technique, funk and rock energy made him much more than a conventional accompanist. Here, the drums become a third independent voice in the conversation. That is perhaps what makes this performance so distinctive. There is no chordal instrument and very little musical safety net. Mangelsdorff’s trombone, Pastorius’ electric bass and Mouzon’s drums must constantly create and redefine the musical space around one another. The title “Trilogue” describes it perfectly: three individual voices listening, reacting, challenging and responding to each other in real time. The performance was later documented on Trilogue Live at the Berlin Jazz Days*, released by MPS in 1977. The filmed version remains an especially valuable record of this encounter and of a period when European free improvisation and American jazz fusion were increasingly intersecting. About this restoration My intention with this restoration has been to remain as faithful as possible to the original 1976 performance. The purpose is not to make the concert look or sound as if it had been recorded today. On the contrary, I wanted to preserve the identity of the original document while recovering as much information as possible from the surviving source. Image processing has therefore been approached with restraint: improving definition, stability, colour and clarity where necessary while retaining the original texture, contrast, camera work and atmosphere. The characteristics of a 1970s recording are part of the experience. Analogue texture, period colour rendition and the imperfections of the original source belong to the document and should not simply disappear behind modern processing. The same philosophy applies to the sound. The aim is not to reshape the performance or impose a contemporary sonic aesthetic, but to preserve its dynamics, its energy and, above all, the interaction between the three musicians. Nearly fifty years later, Trilogue remains an exceptional snapshot of a particular moment in jazz history: Berlin in 1976, Albert Mangelsdorff at the height of his creative exploration, Alphonse Mouzon as one of fusion’s most distinctive drummers, and a 24-year-old Jaco Pastorius just as the rest of the world was beginning to discover him. The restoration work concerns only the technical presentation of the surviving material — image and sound restoration, cleanup and preservation — and is in no way intended to replace, compete with or claim ownership of any official release. The sole purpose of this publication is to help preserve, present and celebrate this remarkable historical performance with the greatest possible respect for the original artists and rights holders. If you are a legitimate rights holder and have any concern regarding this publication, please contact me so the matter can be addressed promptly.