Record Reviews

JAZZ Q ~ HVEZDON (ASTEROID) (EXPANDED EDITION) GAD 119 (Barcode: 5903068120756) ~ CZECHOSLOVAKIA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1979 - 1982 Released: 2020 This is a reissue of the 7th and last album by the original incarnation of the seminal 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 Vit MusilFind albums by this artist and drummer Pavol KozmaFind albums by this artist. Three additional musicians took part on selected tracks. All the music was composed by Kratochvil, with one track co-credited to all four members of the ensemble. The music was recorded in 1981 but released on LP by SupraphonFind albums on this label only three years later, in 1984. This remastered and expanded version of the album includes an entire second CD of bonus material, presenting twenty-one tracks of alternate versions and other recordings made between 1979 and 1982 by the same lineup. It will take over three decades of waiting for the next Jazz Q album to be recorded. Kratochvil, who was also heavily involved in composing and recording music for the Czechoslovak film industry, was recording the music in his own studio and managed to produce vast amounts of material, which he used "interchangeably" between his Jazz Q activities and his cinematic creations, which resulted in versions of the same compositions appearing in both idioms, which is reflected on this album. 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 bass playing by Musil, who left Czechoslovakia for Western Europe and was accordingly omitted from the artwork´s credits on the original release. 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 GADFind albums on this label 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: 15/09/2020

CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend