European guitarist Harald Haerter's music has been compared to that of John McLaughlin, Sonny Sharrock, and Tony Williams, but mostly it is a style that is all Haerter. Haerter refined his craft at the Berklee College of Music. From 1980 through 1984 he studied under John Scofield. The following year, in 1985, Haerter formed his own electro-jazz combo, the Intergalactic Maidenballet. Touring through Europe, the combo earned a place in the world of jazz quickly. In 1989, Haerter's Intergalactic Maidenballet recorded their debut album, Square Dance, under the ENJA Records label. Appearing on the album with Haerter was alto sax player John Zorn, drummer JoJo Mayer, bassist Thomy Jordi, and Roland Philipp on tenor sax. When the Intergalactic Maidenballet recorded Gulf for ENJA Records in 1994, the number of members had increased. John Zorn and Roland Philipp were gone, but artists such as Lauren Taylor, Walter Jauslin, Michael Grassmann, Dave Liebman, Christoph Stiefel, and others had stepped in to create a solid fusion band. Haerter performed at many jazz clubs and festivals over the years, like the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Montreux Jazz Festival. In 1996, he teamed up with Texas saxophonist Dewey Redman to complete another album, this one titled Mostly Live. The jazz tunes of this album have extra edge and spice stirred in. ~ Charlotte Dillon