Hartmut Geerken

Remembering his old friend and the days when this live recordings were taken, says Hartmut Geerken: "When John came to visit us in Afghanistan and in Greece, where we lived in the 70's and 80's, my wife Sigi had to extend his bed always with fruit boxes. His height didn't fit into a normal sized bed as well as his musical dimensions were too far out to fit into the mainstream taste of the masses. It was wonderful to hike with him in the Hindukush mountains up the Salang Pass. Afghanistan was a very peaceful and hospitable country before the westerners destroyed this unique paradise". We know that every time Hartmut Geerken unveil one of the many tapes he recorded and archived in the extraordinary life he spent travelling around the world it's an incredible gift. But listening for the first time after 40 years to these tunes, especially in the moment when John Tchicai stops playing and start his wild high-pitch singing...oh, that will really make you feel dizzy.