Record Reviews

LUBOS SOUKUP ~ SCANDINAVIAN IMPRESSIONS CESKY ROZHLAS 1216 (Barcode: 8590236121621) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is an album by Czech Jazz saxophonist / composer / bandleader Lubos SoukupFind albums by this artist, recorded with a Jazz quartet comprising of guitarist David DoruzkaFind albums by this artist, pianist Vit KristanFind albums by this artist, Danish bassist Thommy AnderssonFind albums by this artist and drummer Kamil SlezakFind albums by this artist, the Prague Radio Symphony OrchestraFind albums by this artist conducted by Bastein StilFind albums by this artist and the brass section of the Concept Art OrchestraFind albums by this artist (which includes my Friend trumpeter Stepanka BalcarovaFind albums by this artist). The album presents six tracks, which are in fact parts of a suite for Jazz ensemble and Symphonic orchestra, based on Soukup’s experiences during his stay in Scandinavia. The album was recorded live and offers an excellent sound quality. The music is absolutely delightful, a perfect amalgam of Jazz and the Classical vocabulary, tastefully and cleverly put together and brilliantly performed by all the musicians involved in this complex project. The music is a marriage of Slavic / East European melodic melancholy and Scandinavian ambience, which flows gently throughout the duration, constantly switching between the Jazz and the Classical facets, producing a superb example of European elegance and aesthetics. Individually, these are some of the finest Czech Jazz musicians, which in many respects are a class of their own judging by the incredible influx of Czech Jazz recordings released during the last decade or so, which often are surprisingly imaginative, innovative and original, despite the fact that they are all well within the “conventional” Jazz idiom, without moving into extreme Avant Garde in order to show something original. Although, as already stated, all the musicians involved in making of this album are highly professional and talented, the soling by Doruzka is the out-and-out highlight of the album, again emphasizing his undisputed position as one of the best guitar players in the world at present. Of course Soukup has to be congratulated for his brilliant composing / arranging work on this album, which is truly exceptional, making this album one of the most “natural” and coherent amalgamations between Jazz and Classical music, which I had the pleasure to enjoy and experience in a very long time. Overall, this is a superb Jazz-Classical Fusion album in every respect, full of exciting, moving and conceptually brilliant music, which should satisfy even the most capricious music connoisseurs. It is a gem in every respect, and it goes without saying that it deserves an honorable place in every serious Jazz records collection. Well done, my Friend!

Updated: 12/08/2024Posted: 10/08/2024

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