Mhdb photos & bio
German
.
Since 2010/12-: The Mhdb Session Trio
. Since 2010: Bambulete
.
2005-10: The Open & Virtual Mhdb Band.
Mhdb sessions. Metropolises, Jazz & Percussion
. 1999-2005: The Mhdb Trio.
The Mhdb website
. 1994-98: The Mhdb Duo. Mozart had
the
Blues
. 1993-96: The Scheik Duo
. 1992-93: The Scheik Trio
. 1989-91: Mozart. The Mhdb Percussion Group & Session Band
.
1964-1989: Pre-Mhdb bands. The
Esquires (1964-67), et al.
Since 2010/12-: The Mhdb Session Trio
- Over some 20 years (approx.
1990-2010) Mhdb have created a repertoire of 43 own songs,
which have been interpreted by
The Mhdb Session Trio as 'Mhdb standards'
on the Mhdb sessions
and which were fully
documented on live video in 2016
- From
October 2017 to April 2018, the Mhdb MP3s were updated
- Song examples (see below): "KarlMarxShuffle", "BumerangTrophue"
The Mhdb Session Trio, image, 2014
(from right to left):
-
Barbara Nespethal
(voc, recorders)
-
Anton Cik (key, arr)
-
Wolfgang Billmann (voc, steeld,
d)

Thanks to Dieter Bitter (g), The White
Shadows, 2014

Mhdb 2018

Mhdb acoustic sessions, 2018-



Thanks to Dieter Bitter (g),
The White Shadows, 2012

Mampf, September 2012,
Frankfurt/Main, Germany :
" ... Wed, Sept 12, 2012.
Mhdb 2012. - Barbara Nespethal (voc, recorders, key), Anton
Cik (key, arr) and Wolfgang Billmann (voc, steeldr, dr).
Maybe you remember the following performances at the Mampf:
2000 ('Mozart has the blues' = Mhdb, trio:
voc-v-g, voc-b, voc-steeld-d), 1997 ('Mozart
has the blues', duo: voc-b, voc-steeld-d), 1996
('Scheik' ~ Sheik, 5/4, duo: sous, steeld-d), 1994
('Scheik' ~ Sheik, 5/4, duo: sous, steeld-d), 1993
('Scheik' ~ Sheik, 5/4, quartet: tbn, key, perc, steeld-d).
Based on these performances the repertoire of self-created
experimental pieces with absurd German lyrics and a few
instrumentals has been developed.
... " (www.mampf-jazz.de/programm.html,
September 2012, approximate English translation)
Song examples:

"KarlMarxShuffle" (The Mhdb Session Trio,
Mhdb session, 2014. 3:43)
-
MP3 (The Virtual
Mhdb Band, computer-generated, updated 2018)
-
KarlMarxBambulete (Bambulete,
atonal & percussive,
updated 2018)
-
CharliesShufflete (Bambulete,
atonal & percussive,
2010)

"BumerangTrophue" (The Mhdb Session Trio, Mhdb session, 2014.
3:24)
-
MP3 (The Virtual
Mhdb Band, computer-generated, updated 2018)
-
BambuleteRangTrophue (Bambulete,
atonal
& percussive,
updated 2018)
- Since 2010: Bambulete
- Bambulete:
Bambulete - a virtual
percussion group, established in 2010
- also performs the 43 Mhdb songs or
standards with German spoken lyrics, but in a
largely atonal
& percussive style, as well as entirely
computer-generated
- From October 2017 to April 2018, the
Bambulete MP3s were updated and completed, especially the Bambulete sets 4
& 5
- Song examples (see above): "KarlMarxShuffle", "BumerangTrophue"
-
2005-10: The Open & Virtual Mhdb Band.
Mhdb sessions.
Metropolises, Jazz & Percussion
- The Open Mhdb Band: On the Mhdb sessions, starting in 2005, the
missing musicians were replaced by self- and computer-generated playback (vice versa:
The Virtual Mhdb Band)
- The Virtual Mhdb Band (at the same time) :
. The live songs by Mhdb,
which have evolved since around 1990, were systematically digitally reworked in the
Mhdb style between 2005-10, and have since been available
as a computer-generated Mhdb real book containing standards,
which are used for the Mhdb sessions
. With these
digital song versions, Mhdb have also been establishing
themselves since 2008 as a virtual
band in the internet charts, for instance at
SoundClick.com
- 'Metropolises, Jazz & Percussion':
from 2007 on a
new chapter in 'Mozart had the Blues'
- Song examples (see above): "KarlMarxShuffle", "BumerangTrophue"

The Mhdb title photo since 2005

The Mhdb Trio (1999-2005)
-
1994-98: The Mhdb Duo. Mozart had
the
Blues
- The Mhdb Duo: In 1994 Mhdb became an experimental duo (voc-b,
voc-steeld-d). This duo completed the prototype songs with absurd texts, that
have since been influenced by:
Stan & Ollie
*,
Mrs. Miller
*, Mozart,
Joachim Ringelnatz,
Karl Marx
*, et
al., and the music & culture of the global megacities and historical
metropolises
- 'Mozart had the Blues': 1st ed. 1997, German, manuscript
- Song examples: "KarlMarxShuffle"
(mp3, 30 sec), 1998, text. "BumerangTrophue"
(mp3, 30 sec), 1997, text

The Mhdb Duo (1994-98)
- 1993-96: The Scheik Duo
- The Scheik Duo: From 1993 to 1996, The Scheik
Duo (sous,
steeld-d) developed Mhdb prototype songs from the former Scheik trio adaptations
of 1992-93,
but still only in 5/4, and added the first self-composed song prototypes, for
instance:
- Song example: the prototype of the "KarlMarxShuffle"
(mp3, 30 sec), 1996, without text

The Scheik Duo (1993-96)
- 1992-93: The Scheik Trio
- The Scheik Trio: From 1992 to 1993, the Mhdb-related 'Scheik'
trio (tbn, b, steeld-d) processed the percussion & session stuff of 1989-91 into various 5/4 adaptations without
texts
- Song example: "Trophie"
(mp3, 30 sec), a 5/4 adaptation of a jazz standard by
Monk
*
*
*/Clarke,
'Epistrophy', and the prototype of the later Mhdb "BumerangTrophue" (see
above: The Mhdb Session Trio, 2014; The Mhdb Trio,
2003; The Mhdb Duo,
1997)
-
1989-91: Mozart. The Mhdb Percussion Group & Session Band
- 'Mozart': From 1989 to 1991, a proto Mhdb band
called 'Mozart' (g, b, d) existed
- The Mhdb Percussion Group & Session Band: In 1991, Mhdb were founded as an
open percussion group and also session band. This group or band tested out
rock & jazz standards, German folksongs, and arias and is condidered the 1st Mhdb band
- No song examples
-
1964-1989: Pre-Mhdb bands. The
Esquires (1964-67),
inter alia
-
Rock in Berlin: Wolfgang
Billmann, 1965-81
-
The Esquires were the 2nd of
20 pre-Mhdb & Mhdb bands, a Berlin-based beat band from 1964-67, and were
the first semi-professional band of the Mhdb founder & drummer (Wolfgang
Billmann)
- Songs examples: see
The Esquires

The Esquires (Berlin-West, 1964-67)
The
whole Mhdb story (approx. 1960-),
theoretical background (texts, arrangements, melodies, chords, measures), and the 20 pre-Mhdb & Mhdb bands:
"Mozart
had the Blues, The theory, history & prehistory of 'Mozart has the
blues' (Mhdb) - or: an amateur drummer's autobiography". By Wolfgang Billmann,
Kassel, Germany, 2015 (updated from
time to time, 1st ed. 1997), password via
mozarthatdenblues@gmail.com
German -
Mozart has the blues - A-Z