Album Liner Notes
Montreux Concert
Montreux Concert is a compact but important Jeff Berlin credit because it strips the setting down to a live Don Pullen group and lets the improvising do the work. There are only two long performances here, which means every player is exposed.
Overview
This record matters because it shows Jeff in a very different frame from the arranged studio albums around it. Don Pullen is not asking for polish or crossover gloss here. The music is live, long-form, and open enough that every rhythmic and harmonic decision counts.
The dedication on 'Richard's Tune' matters too. The piece is dedicated to Muhal Richard Abrams, which places the album inside a much more serious modern-jazz lineage than a casual festival blowout would suggest.
It is also a useful Jeff Berlin document because there is nowhere to hide. With only piano, bass, drums, and later percussion, you hear exactly how he responds to Pullen's inside-outside language and Steve Jordan's drumming in real time.
Quick Snapshot
- The album was recorded live at the Montreux International Festival in Switzerland on July 12, 1977 and released by Atlantic in 1978.
- The program contains only two extended tracks: 'Richard's Tune' and 'Dialogue Between Malcolm and Betty'.
- Jeff Berlin plays electric bass throughout, with Steve Jordan on drums and Raphael Cruz and Sammy Figueroa added on percussion for the second performance.
Live and exposed
Only two long tracks, recorded live, which makes the bass role much easier to study than on an arranged studio date.
Dedicated to Muhal Richard Abrams
'Richard's Tune' explicitly carries the Abrams dedication and should be treated as an intentional statement, not a throwaway title.
Atlantic-era Don Pullen
This is part of Pullen's short but important Atlantic period, which briefly put him into a larger-label frame.
Listen For
Richard's Tune
An 18-minute opening performance dedicated to Muhal Richard Abrams, with Jeff and Steve Jordan handling the trio setting without extra percussion.
Dialogue Between Malcolm and Betty
The second side expands the sound by adding Raphael Cruz and Sammy Figueroa on percussion, which changes the rhythmic shape without reducing the openness.
Track Listing
- 1. Richard's Tune (Dedicated to Muhal Richard Abrams) — 18:10
- 2. Dialogue Between Malcolm and Betty — 21:47
Musicians
- Don Pullen: piano
- Jeff Berlin: electric bass
- Steve Jordan: drums
- Raphael Cruz: percussion on track 2
- Sammy Figueroa: percussion on track 2
Technical Credits
- Producer: Herbie Mann
- Producer: Ilhan Mimaroglu
- Recording engineer: John Timperley
- Recording engineer assistant: David Richards
- Mixing engineer: Bobby Warner
- Mastering engineer: George Piros
- Mixed and mastered at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York
- Cover illustration: Don Brautigam
- Cover design: Sandi Young
- Liner photography: Giuseppe Pino
Liner Notes Details
"Richard's Tune" is dedicated to Muhal Richard Abrams.