Curt Cress Clan - CCC (2010)

1975 Curt Cress was only 22 years young but already known as one of the best and multi-purposed drummers in Germany. What we’re calling a fusion nowadays, the self-taught Curt Cress already fulfilled since end of the 60’s when he came from Orange Peel via Atlantis to Passport, the super-group around Klaus Doldinger. In between there happened numberless vinyl productions with the drummer, which strongly fortified his awesome reputation amongst the scene. The former label-boss of Passport, Sigi Loch, offered Cress the possibility to record an own album. Thus „CCC“ has been formed with Kristian Schultze and Dave King, whom Cress met shortly before, and with whom he wrote most parts of the album. With Volker Kriegel and Ack van Rooyen two international high respected musicians joined the group. With this cast the recording sessions have been done in the Munich Scala Studio. Curt Cress remembers the relaxed work for this album: „The studio was on first floor directly above a pub. When we were getting hungry or thirsty we just went down to the pub for having meal and something to drink. Easy going!“ End of 1975 the album has been published at Atlantic and was a sensation. Hermann Haring praised in SOUNDS 1/1976 the agility and virtuosity of the album. The role of Curt Cress, who also was the producer of this album, he picked out in special: „During the mix at the studio Curt -and thus the rhythm basis- has been pushed to the fore with a lot of sure instinct. The listener is not feeling hassled by the drummer but is checking subliminal that he is the central figure of this album.“ Curt Cress comments this by retrospective: „It never was planned that my drums play an outstanding role, although my name was on the cover. When I listen to the songs today I cannot notice any oustanding of the drums. We players of „CCC“ had 100% equal rights at the development of the album. We have been friends who admired each ones work.“ Although „CCC“ was not called compatible for the mass, more than 10,000 pieces of the album have been sold, not bad for a Jazzrock-production. Curt Cress, Kristian Schultze and Dave King one year later knotted with SNOWBALL to the „CCC“-concept and brought the successful mixture of Jazz, Rock, and Funk to perfection and to an international high reputated project until the early 80’s