Willem Breuker Kollektief, William Breuker Collective (side A)

The strangest thing about this LP is the translation of Breuker's first name in the album title!  While Breuker's early albums are stylistically more diverse and conceptual, by 1984, the Kollektief's style and line-up were more clearly defined.  The obvious antecedent here is Mingus's The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady, with a swinging rhythm section behind swirling horn charts, that is occasionally interrupted by breakdown sections.  Rob Verdurmen's drumming is more precise and less fluid than Dannie Richmond, and the horn solos tend to be more cerebral than Mingus's leads.  The sound of William Breuker Collective is overly bright and modern, with the bass sounding especially thin.  The explosion drawing on the front cover is tasteful, but the surrounding design makes little sense.  I appreciate the title "Women's Voting Rights" for an instrumental track.