Virgo was a German jazz-rock band that released a 1975 self-titled album on Vertigo, followed by the 1977–79 Bacillus titles Four Seasons, Lutello, and …Move On.

Members: Henryk Darlowski (piano), Reinhard Glöder (double bass), Bobby Stern (saxophone, 1975-76), Lothar Scharf (drums, percussion, 1975-76), Wilson de Oliveira (saxophone, 1976-80), Clemens Schuster (drums, 1976-80), Juraj Galan (guitar, 1978-80), Udo Kistner (bass, 1978-80)

Background

Virgo formed in Wiesbaden in 1972 around keyboardist Henryk Darlowski and saxophonist Hansi Fischer. By 1974, the group consisted of Darlowski, saxophonist Bobby Stern, bassist Reinhard Glöder, and drummer Lothar Scharf.

Darlowski was born in Warsaw in 1953 and played with the Rheingau group The Group Orgel from 1970 to 1972. He next joined Aus dem Nichts, another Wiesbaden group that included Fischer. Fischer previously played with Xhol Caravan and Embryo, then joined Charly Ratzer and Peter Wolf in Gorilla Gorilla for the 1972 Vienna Festival. On his return to Wiesbaden, Fischer played successively in Aus dem Nichts, Lava, and Virgo.

Stern was born Robert Allen Stern in Rochester, New York, on October 13, 1952, to opera singers Maurice and Barbara Stern. He attended the High School of Music & Art in New York City and studied tenor saxophone with Joe Allard. The Stern family moved to Germany in 1969 when Maurice Stern joined the Flensburg Opera. Bobby Stern studied clarinet at the Norddeutsche Musikhochschule and settled in Wiesbaden in 1971, where he played soul and R&B in U.S. military clubs.

Scharf studied at the Akademie für Tonkunst in Darmstadt and the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Berlin, where he qualified as an orchestral musician. He played with the Long Luis Jazz Babies and the Volker Kriegel Trio, toured Africa with Gerhard Vohwinkel and the Gentlemen of Jazz for the Goethe-Institut, and served as solo timpanist through 1969 with the Symphonisches Orchester Berlin. Just prior to Virgo, Scharf played with the Harald Eckstein Quartet and a non-record Dzyan lineup.

Glöder grew up as the son of a musician and learned recorder, piano, cello, guitar, and banjo. At fourteen, he played banjo in a Dixieland group. He studied piano at the Musikhochschule Berlin and double bass at the Robert Schumann Institute in Düsseldorf.

The quartet toured Central Europe and appeared at the newcomer matinee of the 1974 Deutsches Jazzfestival in Frankfurt. Virgo secured a one-album contract with Phonogram at the festival. The agreement led to January 1975 sessions for the self-titled Vertigo debut.

Virgo

Virgo released their self-titled debut album in 1975 on Vertigo

A1. “Innervoice” (5:08)
A2. “Valley” (9:52)
A3. “Cockroach Waltz” (5:53)

B1. “Dakar” (6:21)
B2. “For J.” (7:17)
B3. “Kattorna” (7:17)

January 20-28, 1975
Reinhard Glöder – double bass
Henryk Darlowski – piano, electric piano
Lothar Scharf – drums, percussion
Bobby Stern – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, percussion

Volker Heintzen – recording engineer
Ulli A. Rützel – producer

Four Seasons

Virgo released their second album, Four Seasons, in April 1978 on Bacillus.

A1. “Balloons” (7:20)
A2. “Slow Post” (4:23)
A3. “Henryk’s Trick” (5:29)
A4. “High Do” (2:06)

B1. “Summer Dance” (7:00)
B2. “Montserrat” (4:34)
B3. “Sarah” (7:58)

December 1976
Henryk Darlowski – piano, fender rhodes electric piano, producer
Wilson de Oliveira – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone
Reinhard Glöder – bass, electric bass
Clemens Schuster – drums

Raimund Bücher – producer
Martin Wieland – engineer
Thorsten Kierek – cover design

Lutello

Virgo released their third album, Lutello, in 1978 on Bacillus.

A1. “Hole in the Clouds” (7:14)
A2. “Phillway” (7:49)
A3. “Lotos” (4:16)

B1. “Niko” (3:14)
B2. “Fly Over” (5:00)
B3. “Lutello” (10:34)

February 1978
Wilson de Oliveira – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute, alto flute, strings
Henryk Darlowski – synthesiser, rhodes piano, producer
Juraj Galan – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Udo Kistner – bass
Clemens Schuster – drums

…Move On

Virgo released their fourth album, …Move On, in 1979 on Bacillus.

A1. “Sunset Boulevard” (4:49)
A2. “Hot Country” (7:24)
A3. “Allround” (9:36)

B1. “Feel Your Heart” (6:58)
B2. “Silent Bass” (3:03)
B3. “Guajira” (8:15)

Recorded at Tonstudio Bauer, September 1979
Producer – Henryk Darlowski
Engineer, Mixed By – Martin Wieland

Bass [Basses] – Udo Kistner
Drums, Congas, Vibraslap, Timpani – Clemens Schuster
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Guitar Synthesizer [Roland] – Juraj Galan
Synthesizer [Roland SH-7, Roland Jupiter-4 Polyphonic], Keyboards [Roland Strings RS-505], Piano [Acoustic], Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Henryk Darlowski

Photography By [Cover] – Ian Meconnachie
Photography By [Live Shots] – Reinhard Wolf

Discography: