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The new double album Live in Rhein-Main extends the documented journey of Gestalt et Jive, adding two essential live recordings to a body of work that already includes Nouvelle Cuisine, the trio album on Creative Works Records, and Neowise. Together, these releases trace the restless evolution of a group determined to stretch the boundaries of jazz and experimental music.

Disc one features the Wiesbaden concert of 1986, a set where daring interplay and spontaneous invention revealed the band’s creative intensity. Disc two captures their unforgettable appearance at the 13th Jazzfest Hofheim in 1987. On that night, Ferdinand’s delayed arrival from Avignon forced a reshuffle in the festival lineup, unexpectedly pushing Gestalt et Jive into the role of closing act. The result was a powerful, conclusive performance—one that left the audience exhilarated, sealing the evening with surprise, energy, and artistic closure.

Live in Rhein-Main is more than just another archival release. It reconnects the thread between the group’s formative studio works and their explosive stage presence, offering a vivid window into their mid-1980s aesthetic. At the same time, it stands as a tribute “For Holli”, the late drummer Peter Hollinger, whose precision, drive, and free-spirited energy gave Gestalt et Jive its heartbeat.

These two concerts confirm not only the band’s flexibility and fearless improvisation, but also their lasting contribution to the cultural fabric of the Rhein-Main area and the European avant-garde scene. Nearly four decades later, the fire remains unmistakably alive.