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Collective Creativity: Karl Berger and the Music Universe
There was a good vibe in the air around Woodstock, and not only rock musicians were breathing it in. Mike Mainieri settled near the area where peace and music were celebrated, forming Steps Ahead within the walls of his mansion. In 1974, Carla Bley and Mike Mantler also moved there, establishing their own enterprise with the now-famous Grog Kill Studio. Others left their mark on that countercultural mecca of the time as well: Burton Greene, Barry Altschul, Peter Warren, and Jack DeJohnette, to name a few. Karl Berger joined them too. Among the first fruits of his stay, which eventually became permanent, were a dozen concerts he and Dave Holland organized at Washington Square Church in New York with several friends. The recordings from these performances were released as a double album featuring music from May 1974. Entitled Muun Music Universe Vol. I – The Peace Church Concerts, it was […]
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