Record Reviews

RUDOLF DASEK ~ JAZZ ON SIX STRINGS INDIES HAPPY TRAILS 771 (Barcode: 8595026677128) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 1970 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of the debut album as a leader by legendary Czech Jazz guitarist / composer Rudolf DasekFind albums by this artist, recorded in 1970 and produced by my great friend Antonin MatznerFind albums by this artist (now sadly departed), which finds him in a trio setting with bassist Vincenc KummerFind albums by this artist and drummer Ivan SmazikFind albums by this artist. On a couple of tracks bass guitarist Lubos NyvltFind albums by this artist is added. The album presents nine tracks, five of which are original compositions by Dasek and four are Jazz standards. All the music is beautifully remastered and the album comes with extensive liner notes, extremely well researched and full of discographical information, sadly only in Czech language (which works fine for me, but probably less so for other enthusiasts who also might be interested). Although Dasek recorded earlier on with various Czechoslovak ensembles, including SHQFind albums by this artist and Jazz CellulaFind albums by this artist, this album has put him in the focus of attention as one of the greatest Jazz virtuosos of the time, easily equaling famous "classic" Jazz guitarists active since the 1950s on, but also standing shoulder to shoulder with the pioneering European contemporaries like John McLaughlinFind albums by this artist, Philip CatherineFind albums by this artist, Christian EscoudeFind albums by this artist and others. Numerous album releases followed in time, many of which were duo recordings, which appears to be his favorite modus operandi, and all of which are masterpieces. The music is absolutely astounding, both the interpretations of the standards and the original compositions, superbly performed by the trio / quartet, with elegance, flair and typical European elegance presiding at the helm. The virtuosic performances by Dasek are heaven on earth for guitar lovers and the musical environment where every single note played relates perfectly to the notes played before and after, which always characterizes Dasek´s performances, is a rare treat. The album sounds completely contemporary and is perfectly valid today, despite the fact that it was recorded half a Century ago, easily deserving the "timeless classic" status. For fans of European Jazz and its history, reissues of this kind are an absolute must, and the fact that this music is available on CD for the first time makes it a wonderful treasure. Brilliant stuff! My personal thanks to Jaromir KratochvilFind albums by this artist, the owner of Indies Happy TrailsFind albums on this label, for his friendship and the incredible job he is doing to keep this music alive! Side Note Since the 1950s Czechoslovakia had a highly developed Jazz scene, certainly in proportion to its population, which included many successful ensembles and even Big Bands, as well as Jazz clubs, festivals and publications, all this in spite of state censorship and political limitations. The similar situation existed since the 1960s as far as Rock (including Progressive Rock and Jazz-Rock Fusion) was concerned, resulting in many excellent, interesting and innovative ensembles. The music was relatively well documented by the three state owned record labels: SupraphonFind albums on this label (founded in 1927), PantonFind albums on this label (founded in 1968) and OpusFind albums on this label (founded in 1971 and based in Bratislava, created on the base of Slovak division of Supraphon). Following the "Velvet Revolution" in 1989, the state owned record labels were privatized, with Supraphon dominating the local market. However, Supraphon was quite reluctant as far as exploring its vast back catalogue is concerned, and this is where the small independent Indies Happy TrailsFind albums on this label Records, a reissue label dedicated to the preservation of the recorded legacy of Czechoslovak music, owned and run by the devoted enthusiast / historian Jaromir KratochvilFind albums by this artist, founded in 2007, comes in. Over the years the label released a plethora of brilliant music, reissuing long deleted LPs and extensively exploring the archives in search of bonus material. The quest of Indies Happy Trails is similar to what the GADFind albums on this label Records label, run by Michal WilczynskiFind albums by this artist, is doing for Polish music, with similar consistency and praiseworthy dedication.

Updated: 01/03/2020Posted: 29/02/2020

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

NAIMA ~ NAIMA INDIES HAPPY TRAILS 772 (Barcode: 8595026677227) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 1985 - 1986 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of the debut album by Czechoslovak Jazz quartet NaimaFind albums by this artist, which comprised of keyboardist Zdenek ZdenekFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Frantisek KopFind albums by this artist, bassist Jaromir HonzakFind albums by this artist and drummer Martin SulcFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all composed by Zdenek except one co-composed by him and Honzak, recorded in 1985. These tracks were released as the debut LP only in 1988. This reissue adds three additional tracks, also composed by Zdenek, recorded in 1986 and produced by my great friend Antonin MatznerFind albums by this artist (now sadly departed), released originally in 1986 (before the debut album was released) as part of a Various Artists compilation. One of these tracks features violinist Martin ZbrozekFind albums by this artist. All the music is beautifully remastered and the album comes with extensive liner notes, extremely well researched and full of discographical information, sadly only in Czech language (which works fine for me, but probably less so for other enthusiasts who also might be interested). The group´s name originates of course from the title of the John ColtraneFind albums by this artist composition, suggested by Kop, who was a dedicated Coltrane follower. In the years that followed Naima released three more albums, following some lineup changes. The music is all melody based, offering mostly ballads, and quite typical of the 1980s European mainstream Jazz, with clear connections to the Jazz tradition but with an updated attitude and sound-wise often close to the European Fusion. The compositions are all well structured and prove that the second generation of the Czech Jazz scene was well versed in the Jazz idiom. The performances are also all excellent, especially those by Kop, who offers brilliant soprano and tenor saxophone soli, which drive the music forward. Zdenek plays fluent piano and synthesizer parts, technically perfect but a bit over-influenced by Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist´s style. Honzak, a great bassist, adds the pulse, and only Sulc suffers from being way too low in the mix making his contributions hardy audible. Overall this album is a great listening experience, accessible to a wide audience, which still sounds great today. For fans of European Jazz and its history, reissues of this kind are an absolute must, and the fact that this music is available on CD for the first time makes it a wonderful treasure. Brilliant stuff! My personal thanks to Jaromir KratochvilFind albums by this artist, the owner of Indies Happy TrailsFind albums on this label, for his friendship and the incredible job he is doing to keep this music alive! Side Note Since the 1950s Czechoslovakia had a highly developed Jazz scene, certainly in proportion to its population, which included many successful ensembles and even Big Bands, as well as Jazz clubs, festivals and publications, all this in spite of state censorship and political limitations. The similar situation existed since the 1960s as far as Rock (including Progressive Rock and Jazz-Rock Fusion) was concerned, resulting in many excellent, interesting and innovative ensembles. The music was relatively well documented by the three state owned record labels: SupraphonFind albums on this label (founded in 1927), PantonFind albums on this label (founded in 1968) and OpusFind albums on this label (founded in 1971 and based in Bratislava, created on the base of Slovak division of Supraphon). Following the "Velvet Revolution" in 1989, the state owned record labels were privatized, with Supraphon dominating the local market. However, Supraphon was quite reluctant as far as exploring its vast back catalogue is concerned, and this is where the small independent Indies Happy TrailsFind albums on this label Records, a reissue label dedicated to the preservation of the recorded legacy of Czechoslovak music, owned and run by the devoted enthusiast / historian Jaromir KratochvilFind albums by this artist, founded in 2007, comes in. Over the years the label released a plethora of brilliant music, reissuing long deleted LPs and extensively exploring the archives in search of bonus material. The quest of Indies Happy Trails is similar to what the GADFind albums on this label Records label, run by Michal WilczynskiFind albums by this artist, is doing for Polish music, with similar consistency and praiseworthy dedication.

Updated: 29/02/2020Posted: 29/02/2020

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ PIANO JAZZ IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA JAZZHUS 7643 (Barcode: 4714816786435) ~ CZECHOSLOVAKIA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1965 - 1967 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of an album originally released by the Czechoslovak SupraphonFind albums on this label label in 1968. It presents six Czech and Slovak pianists, who shaped the Czechoslovak Jazz scene in the 1960s: Jan HammerFind albums by this artist (before he left for the US), Ladislav GerhardtFind albums by this artist, Rudolf RoklFind albums by this artist, Josef BlahaFind albums by this artist, Karel RuzickaFind albums by this artist and Ludek SvabenskyFind albums by this artist. Each of them presents two tracks, recorded in a classic piano trio format, except Rokl, who presents just one track (together eleven tracks). The Ruzicka tracks are recorded in a quartet setting. The music is a mixture of original compositions and Jazz standards. All the tracks were recorded in 1967, except the Rokl track, recorded in 1965. The original album was produced and includes liner notes by my dear late Friend Antonin MatznerFind albums by this artist. The remastered edition offers brilliant sound quality, considering the music was recorded almost sixty years ago. The music is a splendid document of the incredibly high level of the Eastern European Jazz scene behind the Iron Curtain, at that time. Czechoslovak Jazz musicians were producing brilliant albums, which still sound incredible today and every bit as advanced musically as anything happening on the Western side of Europe, being an integral part of the exploding European Jazz emancipation. The musicians featured here were to produce many more excellent recordings in the future as leaders or members of other ensembles. Overall, this is a brilliant time capsule, which offers a unique glimpse on the Czechoslovak Jazz scene at the time. Considering that these tracks were recorded spatially for this compilation, this album is a must for collectors of East European Jazz albums and of course Jazz piano trio lovers :)

Updated: 14/12/2024Posted: 14/12/2024

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Recommend To A Friend

EMIL VIKLICKY ~ HOMAGE TO JOAN MIRO SUPRAPHON 11 0763 (Barcode: 8596911076323) ~ CZECHOSLOVAKIA ~ Pop-Classical Fusion Recorded: 1987 Released: 1989 This is a beautiful album by the Czech pianist / composer / bandleader Emil ViklickyFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet format with saxophonist Frantisek KopFind albums by this artist, bassist Frantisek UhlirFind albums by this artist and Slovak drummer Cyril ZelenakFind albums by this artist. The Talich String QuartetFind albums by this artist accompanies the quartet on the three-part suite, dedicated to the great Spanish / Catalan painter / sculptor Joan MiroFind albums by this artist. In addition to the suite, the album presents five tracks of quartet performances. All the music was composed by Viklicky, except one track composed by Uhlir and another by Czech bassist / composer Petr KorinekFind albums by this artist. It was Viklicky’s 4th album for the state owned (at the time) SupraphonFind albums on this label label. It was produced by my Friend Antonin MatznerFind albums by this artist, now sadly departed. In addition to the obvious Classical elements involved in the music presented here, there are also many references to Czech Folklore, which is almost an omnipresent component of Viklicky’s music over time. The wonderful amalgam of all these influences and the modern Jazz approach produce a powerful impression on the listener and results in a timeless masterpiece, which sounds today as fresh as it did when first released. I have not heard this album since it was first released and managed to find a copy in a Prague second hand CD shop during my recent visit in town, which makes me very happy. In retrospect, the album is a great document of Eastern European Jazz in the late 1980s, which were a troubled time, but also full of hope for a great change, which was forthcoming. I recall my visit in Czechoslovakia and the meeting with future President Vaclav HavelFind albums by this artist, during his 1989 imprisonment, which made a great impression on me at the time. Those were certainly interesting times and the Czech music scene was bubbling with invention and new discoveries, which is perfectly reflected in the music on this album and many other albums recorded around this period. Of course the musicianship and the quality of the compositions are all superb, and as already mentioned, lost nothing of its great vigor and intellectual quality. Although seemingly quite “tamed”, the music is full of surprises, twists and turns and farsighted innovation, which spark with talent and a great love of the Jazz idiom. Overall, this is a beautiful album in every respect, a true classic full of great melodies, perfect swing and aesthetic, innovative Jazz Classical Fusion, all wrapped in an irresistible package. It is definitely worthy of an honorable place in any serious Jazz albums collection and a must for East European Jazz enthusiasts.

Updated: 22/08/2025Posted: 22/08/2025

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend