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Jazz Pistols, 3 on the Floor (53:58)










Lipstick Records LIP 8959-2, 1997
E-mail: info@jazz-pistols.de
Cyberhome: www.jazz-pistols.de

This German fusion trio is comprised of guitarist Stefan Ivan Schäfer, 
bassist Christoph Victor Kaiser, and drummer Thomas Lui Ludwig, all of whom 
are highly skilled, powerful musicians. Recorded in 1996, 3 on the 
Floor does them justice with high-quality production and a set of 
challenging, energetic compositions. Schäfer and Kaiser do most of the 
writing, both collaboratively and individually, coming up with fiery funk 
grooves and dizzying ensemble cohesion on tunes like "Three on the Floor," 
"Take the Brake," and the furious 9/8 workout "Tough Stuff." They’re more 
delicate and pop-jazzy on "Yellow Fellow," "Second Feeling," and parts of 
"Relax Max," however.

Schäfer can leap out with supercharged distortion, but he tempers his attack 
with a thoughtful, crisp musicality — think Steve Vai meets Wayne Krantz 
with a dash of John Scofield. Kaiser’s six-string bass work is reminiscent 
of Anthony Jackson, yet he and the group show their allegiance to the late, 
great Jaco Pastorius on an infectious cover of "Teen Town," the final track. 
His contrapuntal passage at the end of "Yellow Fellow" is one of the album’s 
finer moments. Ludwig is a strong, versatile fusion drummer who anchors the 
band through all its shifting styles. ~David R. Adler

1. Three on the Floor 2. Yellow Fellow 3. Tough Stuff 4. Seven Up 5. Second 
Feeling 6. Picard 7. Take the Brake 8. Boodubudubop 9. Relax Max 10. Bad 15 
11. Teen Town

Stefan Ivan Schäfer, guitar; Christoph Victor Kaiser, bass; Thomas Lui 
Ludwig, drums


Jazz Pistols, 3 on the Moon (54:05)
Lipstick Records LIP 8965-2, 1999
E-mail: info@jazz-pistols.de
Cyberhome: www.jazz-pistols.de

Similar in spirit to the Jazz Pistols’ previous effort, (3 on the 
Floor), this one has a bigger and clearer sound. The guitar/bass 
interplay of Stefan Ivan Schäfer and Christoph Victor Kaiser is more fully 
developed, especially on the moody original "Mystic Train." There are more 
covers this time around: "Blues for Gordon" is by Bela Fleck, "Spain" is of 
course by Chick Corea, and "Birdland" closes the album with another Weather 
Report cover. ("Teen Town" closed the prior album.) One of the songs from 
3 on the Floor, "Second Feeling," returns as a vocal feature for a 
singer known as Rosevelt. The song makes a decent pop/R&B track, schmaltzy 
lyrics and all, but it’s a bit jarring in this context. Of the originals, 
"Moby Dick" opens the album thunderously, and "Beast" also kicks, yielding 
the floor to Schäfer for some potent guitar-shredding. "Man In the Woods" 
begins with some of the band’s prettiest writing to date, but the pop-jazz 
tune that ensues is a bit of a let-down. And "Happy Hour" is a fun Latin 
romp, with some high-velocity clean soloing by Schäfer.

The Jazz Pistols may not appeal beyond a core group of diehard fusion fans, 
but their musicianship is undeniably excellent, and their writing packs 
punches and surprises that multiply with each record. ~David R. Adler

1. Moby Dick 2. Blues for Gordon 3. Mystic Train 4. Spain 5. Man in the 
Woods 6. Beast 7. Happy Hour 8. Second Feeling 9. Birdland

Stefan Ivan Schäfer, guitar; Christoph Victor Kaiser, bass; Thomas Lui 
Ludwig, drums; Rosevelt, vocals (track 8)



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