Riot -

Riot was a German post-bop quartet that released the 1977–79 albums Green and Blue and Black Hill on Någarå Records.

Members: Uli Beckerhoff (flugelhorn, trumpet), Wolfgang Ekholt (drums, percussion), Rainer Linke (bass), Andy Lumpp (piano)

Background

Riot assembled when veteran trumpeter and flugelhornist Uli Beckerhoff (b. December 6, 1947; Münster) enlisted three recent arrivals on the German jazz scene: pianist Andy Lumpp (b. April 1, 1957), bassist Rainer Linke (b. July 30, 1950), and drummer Wolfgang Ekholt.

Beckerhoff studied music in Cologne and won Best Trumpeter prizes at the 1966 and 1967 Osnabrück International Jazz Jamborees. In 1974, he formed Jazztrack with Cyklop saxophonist Wolfgang Engstfeld and Association PC bassist Sigi Busch. Meanwhile, Beckerhoff played with the Michael Gibbs Orchestra at the 1975 Berlin Jazz Days.

Jazztrack cut the 1975/76 albums First Call and Jazztrack for Happy Bird Records. Before their third, Beckerhoff departed for a spot at the 1977 International Trumpet Summit in Amsterdam. He assembled Riot with fresh talent apart from Linke, who cut a recent album with Key, a jazz quintet on Calig Records.

Riot linked with Någarå Records, a label run by former Dzyan and Drum Circus percussionist Peter Giger.

Green and Blue

Riot released their first album, Green and Blue, in late 1977 on Någarå.

The album contains three Uli Beckerhoff compositions plus two Andy Lumpp numbers (“To Myself,” “Agni”) and the Wolfgang Ekholt-written title track.

A1. “To Myself” (5:35)
A2. “Green and Blue” (9:20)
A3. “Sad Call” (5:00)

B1. “Agni” (7:20)
B2. “Crisis Stuff” (9:15)
B3. “Trees” (6:40)

Recorded May 1977 at Biton Studios, Frankfurt/Main
Produced By – Günther Georgy-Engelhardt, Peter Giger
Engineer – Paul-Gerhard Landsiedel

Cover Design – Giger
Photography By – Hannig

Black Hill

Riot released their second album, Black Hill, in early 1979 on Någarå.

The album contains four compositions by trumpeter Uli Beckerhoff, plus one apiece by contrabassist Rainer Linke (“For Bibi”) and drummer Wolfgang Ekholt (“Black Hill”).

Black Hill presents a quintet Riot with Mallet Connection saxophonist Christof Lauer.

A1. “Salzfisch” (5:23)
A2. “Black Hill” (3:57)
A3. “Some Days of My Life” (8:04)

B1. “Middelheim Special” (7:50)
B2. “The Border” (11:10)
B3. “For Bibi” (6:21)

Recorded November 1978 at Biton Studios, Frankfurt/Main.
Producer – Gerlinde Engelhardt, Peter Giger
Engineer – Paul-Gerhard Landsiedel

Cover Design – Franz Aumüller
Photography By – Godehard Hannig, Volker Hartmann

Discography: