Record Reviews

JAZZ Q ~ HODOKVAS (FEAST) (EXPANDED EDITION) GAD 198 (Barcode: 5903068122972) ~ CZECHOSLOVAKIA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1978 - 1980 Released: 2022 This is a reissue of the 6th album by the original incarnation of the seminal Czechoslovak Jazz QFind albums by this artist ensemble, founded and led by keyboardist / composer Martin KratochvilFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded by a quartet version of the ensemble, which also included guitarist Frantisek FranclFind albums by this artist, bass guitarist Vladimir PadrunekFind albums by this artist and drummer Pavel TrnavskyFind albums by this artist. Two additional musicians took part on selected tracks. All the music was composed by Kratochvil. The music was recorded in 1979 and released on LP by SupraphonFind albums on this label the following year, in 1980. This remastered and expanded version of the album includes an entire second CD of bonus material, presenting twenty tracks of studio and live recordings made between 1978 and early 1980s, mostly by the same lineup and all but two previously unreleased. As usual with GADFind albums on this label releases, the album includes informative in-depth (bi-lingual) liner notes, photographs and detailed information about dates and places of recording. The music is, as always with Kratochvil´s work, absolutely brilliant. Although dominated by his keyboards, there is plenty of space left for some blood-curdling guitar work by Francl and superb rhythm section work by Padrunek, and the new drummer Trnavsky, which gave the group a much sharper / Rocky feel and sound than ever before. Francl and Padrunek both rejoined the group, having earlier played on the album “SymbiosisFind albums with this title”. The compositions are amongst the finest ever of all Kratochvil’s legacy, realized after crystalizing his experiences as the leader / composer of the group’s material since its inception, and he is one the greatest musical tension builders, as reflected by his hypnotic compositions, which the group performs exquisitely. The Jazz Q material firmly belongs to the finest Eastern European Jazz-Rock Fusion material ever recorded, which sounds today every bit as brilliant as it did at the time it was created. The incredible reissues by GAD Records bring this legacy back to life and give an opportunity to younger generation of music lovers to get familiar with these treasures. Overall this is an absolute must for all Fusion lovers the world over, but lovers of Jazz created behind the iron curtain should find this especially interesting. Not to be missed!

Updated: 13/01/2025Posted: 02/05/2022

CD 2 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

JAZZ Q ~ JAZZ Q (EXPANDED EDITION BOX SET) SUPRAPHON 5872 (Barcode: 099925587222) ~ CZECHOSLOVAKIA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1973 - 1986 Released: 2007 This wonderful reissue Box Set collects all the recordings by the Czechoslovak ensemble Jazz QFind albums by this artist. It is a brilliant document of the music scene, which thrived in Czechoslovakia (and other so-called "Socialist" Eastern European countries behind the Iron Curtain) following the 1968 Prague Spring, cut short by the brutal invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Warsaw Pact armies. Although the liberalization and reform that the Czechoslovak People yearned for was crushed by force and had to wait for two more decades to be finally achieved, the spirit of the Prague Spring lived on in People´s hearts and Arts were one of the areas where these feelings could be manifested, albeit carefully in view of the censorship and persecution. Jazz was an escape route to many Eastern European musicians, as it was tolerated and even supported by the Socialist regime (for reasons, which are beyond the scope of this review) and by the early 1970s many Rock musicians collaborated with their Jazz colleagues in order to avoid the scrutiny, which "decadent" Rock suffered from, in contrast to the relative liberal approach to Jazz. This strengthened the Jazz-Rock movement, which at the time was gaining worldwide popularity, with many Jazz-Rock Fusion ensembles active on the Czech music scene from the early 1970s to mid 1980s, with Jazz Q being the best and most important representative of that phenomenon. It was formed by the legendary keyboardist / composer Martin KratochvilFind albums by this artist and during the decade of its activity included in its ranks a long list of superb Czech musicians, like guitarists Lubos AndrstFind albums by this artist and Frantisek FranclFind albums by this artist, bassists Vladimir PadrunekFind albums by this artist and Premysl FauknerFind albums by this artist, drummers Jaromir HelesicFind albums by this artist and Pavol KozmaFind albums by this artist and many others. The British vocalist Joan DugganFind albums by this artist (wife of Frantisek Francl), who lived in Czechoslovakia at the time was also a member of the group as was the Czech vocalist Jana KoubkovaFind albums by this artist. Kratochvil wrote most of the fantastic music played by Jazz Q, although some of the material came from various band members. In their live performances the ensemble also included standards. This Box Set includes all six studio albums recorded by Jazz Q, an archival live album released only in the 1990s and a whole CD of bonus material. In retrospect this is some of the best Eastern European Jazz-Rock, which should not be missed by any connoisseur of the genre. An essential piece of music history!

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

CD 8 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

JAZZ Q ~ LIVE PLZEN 1980 GAD 262 (Barcode: 5903068124709) ~ CZECHOSLOVAKIA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1980 Released: 2023 This is an archival live album by the original incarnation of the seminal Czechoslovak Jazz QFind albums by this artist ensemble, founded and led by keyboardist / composer Martin KratochvilFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded by a quartet version of the ensemble, which also included guitarist Frantisek FranclFind albums by this artist, bass guitarist Vladimir PadrunekFind albums by this artist and drummer Pavel TrnavskyFind albums by this artist. The album presents five tracks, four of which were composed by Kratochvil and one by Trnavsky. As usual with GADFind albums on this label releases, the album includes informative in-depth (bi-lingual) liner notes, photographs and detailed information about the recording and historical background about the group. The music is, as always with Kratochvil´s work, absolutely brilliant. Although dominated by his keyboards, there is plenty of space left for some blood-curdling guitar work by Francl and superb rhythm section work by Padrunek, and the new drummer Trnavsky, which gave the group a much sharper / Rocky feel and sound than ever before. Francl and Padrunek both rejoined the group, having earlier played together on the group’s 3rd album “SymbiosisFind albums with this title”. This album is especially important, since Jazz Q released relatively little live material from their early period. Since they were phenomenal live performers, every opportunity to hear them live is an absolute delight. The music was recorded during a concert following the release of the 6th album “Hodokvas (Feast)Find albums with this title” and this excellent quartet incarnation of the group was sadly short lived and did not survive until the recording of the 7th and last album “Hvezdon (Asteroid)Find albums with this title” recorded by the original group. The Jazz Q material firmly belongs to the finest Eastern European Jazz-Rock Fusion material ever recorded, which sounds today every bit as brilliant as it did at the time it was created. The incredible reissues by GAD Records bring this legacy back to life and give an opportunity to younger generation of music lovers to get familiar with these treasures. Overall this is an absolute must for all Fusion lovers the world over, but lovers of Jazz created behind the iron curtain should find this especially interesting. Not to be missed!

Updated: 19/12/2023Posted: 16/12/2023

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JAZZ Q ~ PORI JAZZ 72 GAD 130 (Barcode: 5903068121074) ~ CZECHOSLOVAKIA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1972 Released: 2020 This is an archival release presenting a live performance by Czechoslovak Jazz-Rock Fusion group Jazz QFind albums by this artist during the 1972 Pori Jazz Festival, excellently recorded by the YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Company). The group founded and led by keyboardist / composer Martin KratochvilFind albums by this artist included also guitarist Lubos AndrstFind albums by this artist, bassist Vladimir PadrunekFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal VrbovecFind albums by this artist. The album presents four original extended pieces, one by Kratochvil, two by Andrst and one co-composed by Andrst and Padrunek. One of the pieces was composed for the planned Pori performance another for a planned trip to Tunis, that never materialized and two were written for the group second album "Pozorovatelna (The Watch-Tower)Find albums with this title", which was recorded a few months later. The music is every bit as brilliant as one might expect; soaring, highly energetic Fusion, superbly executed and splendidly composed, easily matching everything in that was happening within the genre in Western Europe and the US at the time. The "Pori 72" mini-suite demonstrates the sophistication of Jazz Q, both on the compositional level and power of execution, which features impressive guitar and electric piano parts as well as virtuosic support by the rhythm section. But the rest of the pieces is equally impressive, and shows the incredibly high level of musical ingenuity present on the Czechoslovak scene at the time, which I wrote extensively about in my numerous reviews of albums released there at the early 1970s. This album is a wonderful addition to the recorded legacy of Jazz Q, and the fact that the music was recorded almost fifty years before it was released is truly astonishing, since the music sounds completely fresh and contemporary. As usual the YLE vaults prove to be a fountain of youth for hidden treasures, and GADFind albums on this label Records again demonstrates its justification as a crucial factor in preserving and exploring East European Culture at its best. A shining gem!

Updated: 01/11/2020Posted: 01/11/2020

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JAZZ Q ~ POZOROVATELNA (THE WATCH-TOWER) (EXPANDED EDITION) GAD 068 (Barcode: 5901549197914) ~ CZECHOSLOVAKIA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1973 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of the 2nd album (but really a debut as the earlier album was recorded with another group called Blue EffectFind albums by this artist) by seminal Czechoslovak Jazz-Rock Fusion band Jazz QFind albums by this artist, led by keyboardist / composer Martin KratochvilFind albums by this artist, which at the time also included the legendary guitarist Lubos AndrstFind albums by this artist, bassist Vladimir PadrunekFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal VrbovecFind albums by this artist. British, resident in Czechoslovakia at the time, vocalist Joan DugganFind albums by this artist, guests on one track and violinist Rudolf ChalupskiFind albums by this artist guests on another. This remastered 2CD edition includes the original album on the first CD and bonus material, which includes early versions of the compositions, radio and live recordings, mostly previously unreleased, on the second CD. Except for one tune, all the music is original and was composed mostly by Kratochvil and the other members of the band. Forty five years after this music was recorded it still sounds remarkably fresh and powerful, standing shoulder to shoulder with the best early Jazz-Rock Fusion albums recorded at the time anywhere on the globe. In many respects this music managed to stay more relevant than many of the most influential albums recorded beyond the Iron Curtain, that are still considered classic of the genre today. The music on the original album presents a coherent ambience, full of mystery and suspension, quite minimalistic in many respects, especially in view of other Fusion albums. The melodic content is moody and subdued, and the instrumentalist perform with great delicacy and reserve, almost unheard of in the Fusion idiom. The overall result is that of a magic journey through space and time, which is fascinating and completely absorbing. In spite of the minimalistic approach the four members of the band present plenty of their virtuosic abilities, with Andrst simply tearing the space-time continuum to shreds. His incredible Blues feel, although not dominant here, is absolutely Godly. The bonus tracks reveal other facets of the quartet, with more vibrant and energetic material, all of which offers a superb sonic quality, which bonus tracks often lack. The material is quite mixed and offers a diverse stylistic ambience, with Jazz, Blues and Fusion pieces all present and which allow the players to show more of their excellent capabilities. As a result these bonus tracks are all worth being present here and listened to and are the antidote of the "filler" approach that so many reissues suffer from. Overall this is one of the greatest albums recorded by Eastern European musicians ever, not only within the Jazz-Rock idiom, but generally. Every second of this music counts and having it back in circulation is an absolute delight. This is an absolutely essential piece of musical history and a must have item in any decent music collection. Congrats to GADFind albums on this label Records again for the splendid and dedicated work of love!

Updated: 13/01/2025Posted: 13/04/2018

CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

JAZZ Q ~ SYMBIOSIS (EXPANDED EDITION) GAD 170 (Barcode: 5903068121999) ~ CZECHOSLOVAKIA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1973 - 1975 Released: 2021 This is a reissue of the 3rd album by Czechoslovak Jazz-Rock Fusion band Jazz QFind albums by this artist, led by keyboardist / composer Martin KratochvilFind albums by this artist, originally released in 1974. The lineup that recorded this album includes also guitarist Frantisek FranclFind albums by this artist, bassist Vladimir PadrunekFind albums by this artist, drummer Michal VrbovecFind albums by this artist and British vocalist Joan DugganFind albums by this artist, as well as several guests on selected tracks. The original album, which is included here on the first CD, presented five tracks, one of which lasts over sixteen minutes, two composed by Padrunek and three by Kratochvil. This expanded edition includes also a second CD with twelve bonus tracks, recorded between 1973 and 1975, all composed by Kratochvil, originating from radio recordings and club appearances, mostly previously unreleased. As usual with GADFind albums on this label releases, the album includes informative in-depth (bi-lingual) liner notes, photographs and detailed information about dates and places of recording. With the change of the guitar player and addition of a vocalist, the music of Jazz Q expanded to include some Blues-Rock elements in addition to the Fusion elements that characterized the band from its conception. Duggan was a sole native English language female vocalist behind the Iron Curtain, which gave the band immediately a “Western” aura, so desired by all East European bands. Francl was obviously a brilliant guitar player with a deep feel for both Blues and Fusion and combined with Kratochvil’s brilliant compositions, Jazz Q were simply unstoppable. Fusion fans should find the track “Toledo” (on the bonus CD) especially fascinating, as it was recorded three years before Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist’s “My Spanish HeartFind albums with this title”, but sounds as if taken from that album. The music is absolutely timeless and amalgamates many influences, both the obvious ones like Jazz, Rock and Blues, but also subtle Folk and Classical music accents (see the Orchestral pieces on the bonus CD). Combined with the superb musicianship found here, this album is a true gem from start to finish. The fact that this music had no chance to reach listeners in Western Europe at the time is a travesty, which can now be easily rectified. Overall, this is obviously one of the best East European albums recorded at the time, and although it is almost fifty years old, it sounds absolutely fresh and exciting. As usual, hats off to GAD Records for bringing this treasure back to life and expanding it with additional brilliant music, which deserves to be heard and should not be forgotten. No decent Fusion record collection is complete without this album in it. Absolutely essential!

Updated: 13/01/2025Posted: 14/01/2022

CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

MARTIN KRATOCHVIL / JAZZ Q ~ TEMNE SLUNCE GAD 018 (Barcode: 5901549197204) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Soundtracks Recorded: 1979 - 1980 Released: 2014 This album presents the music by Czech composer / keyboardist Martin KratochvilFind albums by this artist, leader of the legendary ensemble Jazz QFind albums by this artist, which served as the soundtrack of the controversial movie "Temne Slunce", which was based on a novel by famous Czech novelist Karel CapekFind albums by this artist entitled "Krakatit". The novel (written in 1922) prophesizes the invention of nuclear weapons and is one of many prophetic science fiction works written by Capek, who belongs to the same category of science fiction giants as George OrwellFind albums by this artist and Aldous HuxleyFind albums by this artist. "Temne Slunce" was in fact a second redemption of a film based on the same novel and made by the same legendary Czech director Otakar VavraFind albums by this artist. The first, black and white version of the film from 1948 had the original title of the book and the second, color version from 1981 was entitled "Temne Slunce" ("Dark Sun"). Vavra, who used mostly the famous Czech cinematic composer Zdenek LiskaFind albums by this artist to create the soundtracks for the films he directed, entrusted the creation of the soundtrack in the hands of Kratochvil, following a recommendation by Liska, who spotted and appreciated the incredible talents of Kratochvil. The album includes thirty two, mostly short pieces, which are split into three groups: part one (eleven tracks) part two (fourteen tracks) and bonus material (the last seven tracks). The music is performed mostly by Kratochvil playing synthesizers with occasional participation of the Jazz Q members (guitarist Frantisek FranclFind albums by this artist, bassist Vladimir PadrunekFind albums by this artist and drummer Libor LaunFind albums by this artist) and other guest musicians. This is the first appearance of the film soundtrack on record. The music sounds astonishingly contemporary today, some three and a half decades after it was recorded, and in comparison to other ambient / electronic / atmospheric music created today it is much more intelligent and advanced than most of what is produced today. Kratochvil brilliantly explores the possibilities offered by the synthesizers, without moving into extreme territory and keeping melody, harmony and rhythm present even when the music is entirely ambient. His feel for the drama and the film´s context is equally masterful. In retrospect the film is mostly remembered as a propaganda piece presenting the Socialist side of the Cold War conflict (not less ridiculous than similar propaganda pieces produced on the other side of the Iron Curtain), which does great injustice to the original novel it is based on. At least the film´s soundtrack remains as superb example of film music, which is likely to stay with us for eternity. Remastered from the original master tapes the album sounds spectacularly and is another great tribute to the legacy of Martin Kratochvil and Jazz Q brought to us by GADFind albums on this label Records, for which we are, as usual, grateful.

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend