Splitting time between working with Herbie Mann and recording under his own name, self taught vibes-man Dave Pike has remained a relative unknown in the world of jazz – there are of course the voracious soul jazz collectors who are more than familiar with him, but not too many folks outside of that register his existence. During the ‘60s and into the ‘70s as jazz took on an ever expansive aural palette, Pike was there along with ever other player that could and or should be considered influential. He even claims to be the first vibes player to mic his instrument. And while that remains difficult to substantiate, Pikes’ performances are undeniable proof of his creativity.

After the beginning of the ‘60s saw Pike flitting about from one imprint to the next, he settled on the MPS imprint for three offerings in ’69. The label, known for some forward looking works, embraced the fusion of ideas that Pike and his combo worked with. Everything from funk to soul and jazz were welcomed. And while settled in Europe for a while the Dave Pike Set recorded what would be his final contribution to the MPS catalog in the form of Live At The Philharmonie.

Set to tape at the Berlin Jazz Days Festival, Pike found his group amidst others as varied as the electric Miles Davis ensemble and a few krautrock groups. In hindsight, the bands and players included don’t seem too out of place, but in ’69 it wouldn’t have seemed the same. The next ‘new thing’ was still in the process of being disseminated by Davis and not all listeners were willing to lend it an ear. The AMG critic, Thom Jurek figures that while there may have been a sort of push and pull atmosphere at the festival due to the growing differentiation between camps, the Dave Pike Set functioned as a sort of intermediary. The combo wasn’t a full on rock group, each composition being rooted in jazz arrangements, but the utilization of electrified instruments and the funk that was inserted into each work separated the ensemble from other performers.

Over just five tracks on the album, Live At The Philharmonie is able to cover a good amount of territory that the jazz world was comprised of at the time. Of course, nothing represented here was able to touch the Davis/McLaughlin group in terms of aggression and sheer wild abandon, but there are grooves galore.

The album closer, “The Secret Mystery Of Hensh,” might be the most drastic representation of how expansive the Dave Pike Set was – and in fact, the track is good enough to have been included on a jazz/funk compilation entitled The Meltdown. The compilation version, which includes a bit of Hebrew at the beginning, bears only passing similarities to what’s represented here. But regardless of the differences, the track reigns in some weird eastern drones, a bit of funk and some traditional aspects of jazz. It might be a defining statement from the group, but that doesn’t mean the song is even best offering from Live At The Philharmonie.