Record Reviews

SHQ ~ [S+H]Q + FRIENDS INDIES HAPPY TRAILS 731 (Barcode: 8595026673120) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 1964 - 1965 Released: 2016 This is the fourth of a series of eight reissue / archival albums presenting the recorded legacy of one of the Godfathers of Czechoslovak modern Jazz, vibraphonist / pianist / saxophonist / composer / bandleader Karel VelebnyFind albums by this artist and his SHQFind albums by this artist ensemble. 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). This album presents material captured during three recording sessions from November 1964. The eight tracks that were recorded during these sessions were released as the second SHQ LP, shortly after the release of the debut. The SHQ lineup on these sessions included the basic quintet with Velebny, who played vibraphone and piano, tenor / baritone saxophonist / flautist Jan KonopasekFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Laco DecziFind albums by this artist, bassist Jan ArnetFind albums by this artist and drummer Laco TroppFind albums by this artist, which was extended by a plethora of other musicians to form lineups varying from a septet to a thirteen piece band, which included: guitarist Rudolf DasekFind albums by this artist, trombonist Zdenek PulecFind albums by this artist, bassist Jiri MrazFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. George MrazFind albums by this artist), East German (at the time) pianist Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist and many others. The bonus tracks include three rare recording from 1965 of a short-lived SHQ quartet lineup comprising of Velebny, Dasek, Mraz and drummer Milan MadarFind albums by this artist and one track recorded in 1964 by the quintet lineup above, all released on a Various Artist compilation LP or a SHQ compilation LP. The music, similarly to the debut album, includes mostly American standards, with just two original compositions (one each by Dasek and Velebny), but this time the large ensemble arrangements take the music quite away from its Bebop origins, and shows more sophisticated approach to orchestration and harmonic structures, bringing back the music to its European base. The bonus tracks are in contrast mostly original and point towards future development of the SHQ identity. As expected the performances are phenomenal and with the presence of the formidable guests the music shows a much wider scope of local Czechoslovak talent and beyond. In retrospect the list of the names is a sad indication of the tragic fate of Czechoslovak Jazz, which resulted in many of its finest musicians fleeing their homeland. For example both Konopasek and Mraz fled to US, Kuhn fled to West Germany to join his older brother Rolf KuhnFind albums by this artist and additional famous Czech musicians like Miroslav VitousFind albums by this artist, Jan HammerFind albums by this artist and others did the same, before the "Velvet Revolution" finally freed Czechoslovakia from the Socialist shackles. For fans of European Jazz and its history, the entire series is an absolute must, and the fact that most of this music is available on CD for the first time makes it an absolute treasure. Absolutely brilliant! 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: 26/02/2020Posted: 26/02/2020

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

SHQ ~ RODINNA KRONIKA INDIES HAPPY TRAILS 729 (Barcode: 8595026672925) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 1962 - 1963 Released: 2016 This is the second of a series of eight reissue / archival albums presenting the recorded legacy of one of the Godfathers of Czechoslovak modern Jazz, vibraphonist / saxophonist / composer / bandleader Karel VelebnyFind albums by this artist and his SHQFind albums by this artist ensemble. 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). This album presents early recordings by the SHQ ensemble, shortly after it was formed in 1961 and before it recorded the first full album, altogether eighteen tracks. Four of these track were previously released as an EP, thirteen others appeared on several Various Artists Jazz compilation LPs and SHQ compilation LPs, and one is previously unreleased. The first seven tracks (1-7), recorded in 1962, were performed by the first lineup of the ensemble, called at the time S+HQ, which included alongside Velebny baritone saxophonist / flautist Jan KonopasekFind albums by this artist, bassist Milan PilarFind albums by this artist and drummer Pavel StanekFind albums by this artist. Next four tracks (8-11) were also recorded in 1962 by S+HQ in the second lineup, which added guitarist Antonin JulinaFind albums by this artist and later changed the bassist to Jan ArnetFind albums by this artist. Next three tracks (12-14), recorded in 1963, were recorded by the quartet version (no drums) called S+H Quartet and finally the last four tracks (15-18) were recorded by various lineups including guests and finally called SHQ Ensemble. The music, most of which is original and composed by Velebny (eleven tracks) or other ensemble members, offers a wonderful glance at early Czech / European modern Jazz, which is clearly influenced by the Jazz tradition originating in America, but already following a completely new Jazz aesthetics, distinct and unique to what was happening in Jazz behind the Iron Curtain since the early 1960s. Already at that stage SHQ was a formidable ensemble, playing vital, sophistical Jazz, characterized by the vibraphone – baritone saxophone or flute front line, which set it apart from most of contemporaries. The brilliant performances testify to the high level of professionalism, despite the young age (late 20s early 30s) of the musicians involved and their familiarity with the contemporary Jazz conventions, as well as highly-developed improvisation skills and compositional quality. For fans of European Jazz and its history, the entire series is an absolute must, and the fact that most of this music is available on CD for the first time makes it an absolute treasure. Absolutely brilliant! 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: 26/02/2020Posted: 25/02/2020

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

SHQ ~ SH / JAZZ QUINTET INDIES HAPPY TRAILS 730 (Barcode: 8595026673021) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 1964 Released: 2016 This is the third of a series of eight reissue / archival albums presenting the recorded legacy of one of the Godfathers of Czechoslovak modern Jazz, vibraphonist / pianist / saxophonist / composer / bandleader Karel VelebnyFind albums by this artist and his SHQFind albums by this artist ensemble. 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). This album presents material captured during three recording sessions from 1964. The first eight of the ten tracks that were recorded during these sessions were released as the first full SHQ LP. Of the two remaining tracks, which are added here as bonus tracks, one was released as part of a Various Artists compilation LP and another one was a part of an EP release. The SHQ lineup on these sessions included Velebny, who played tenor saxophone and piano, tenor / baritone saxophonist / flautist Jan KonopasekFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Laco DecziFind albums by this artist, bassist Jan ArnetFind albums by this artist and drummer Laco TroppFind albums by this artist. On five tracks the lineup was extended to a sextet with the addition of trombonist Zdenek PulecFind albums by this artist. The music, surprisingly and with the exception of one track composed by Velebny, includes nine American Jazz standards, which contrasts with the direction preferred so far by SHQ to play almost exclusively original material. It is difficult to analyze in retrospect what let to this decision; probably the fact the SHQ started to play abroad and wanted to present more familiar material to their audiences there. My dear Friend and Mentor, Lubomir DoruzkaFind albums by this artist, in his review of the album published in 1965, also wanders about the choice of the repertoire, which after all is not really challenging, being just a collection of Bebop tunes, which by that time were already a bit dated. However, SHQ being already a formidable ensemble at that time, plays this material with such professionalism and vengeance, that it easily stands up to any American combo active at the time. If anything, this material proves that European musicians at the time, even those separated from the West by the Iron Curtain, were truly up to date not only with American Music but also with the latest Jazz techniques and trends, and were able to perform them without any inferiority complex. For fans of European Jazz and its history, the entire series is an absolute must, and the fact that most of this music is available on CD for the first time makes it an absolute treasure. Absolutely brilliant! 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: 29/12/2023Posted: 26/02/2020

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

STUDIO 5 ENSEMBLE ~ MODERN JAZZ INDIES HAPPY TRAILS 728 (Barcode: 8595026672826) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 1958 - 1963 Released: 2016 This is the first of a series of eight reissue / archival albums presenting the recorded legacy of one of the Godfathers of Czechoslovak modern Jazz, vibraphonist / saxophonist / composer / bandleader Karel VelebnyFind albums by this artist and his SHQFind albums by this artist ensemble. 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). This album presents early recordings involving Velebny, before SHQ was formed in 1961, performed mostly by the Studio 5Find albums by this artist ensemble, formed in 1958, which included alongside Velebny many of the Czechoslovak Jazz pioneers, such as baritone saxophonist / flautist Jan KonopasekFind albums by this artist, trombonist Artur HolitzerFind albums by this artist, guitarist Vladimir TomekFind albums by this artist, bassist Ludek HulanFind albums by this artist and drummer Ivan DominakFind albums by this artist. The first twelve tracks on the album, recorded by Studio 5 (in various lineups from quintet to octet) between 1958 and 1961, are an expanded version of the original 10" LP by Studio 5 released in 1961 and called "Modern JazzFind albums with this title". The album also includes five bonus tracks, recorded between 1961 and 1963, which originate from the same session as other tracks recorded by Studio 5 but do not involve Velebny, or from a later session which involves Velebny and Konopasek, the founders of SHQ. The music, although clearly influenced by American Jazz from that era, is by far not an attempt to copy American Jazz but to use it as an influence and inspiration. As early as by the end of the 1950s Czech Jazz already had its own sound and character. Thirteen of the seventeen compositions on this album are originals and only four are American standards, which again exemplifies the extremely high Jazz awareness and deep knowledge of the idiom, which of course was characteristic not only of Czechoslovak Jazz, but also of Jazz being created behind the Iron Curtain in countries like Poland, and DDR (East Germany), and to lesser extent Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria and others. The brilliant performances testify to the high level of professionalism, despite the young age (late 20s early 30s) of the musicians involved and their familiarity with the contemporary Jazz conventions, as well as highly developed improvisation skills and compositional quality. For fans of European Jazz and its history, the entire series is an absolute must, and the fact that most of this music is available on CD for the first time makes it an absolute treasure. Absolutely brilliant! 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: 02/03/2020Posted: 24/02/2020

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend