Kalemegdan Disk - ROCK FROM EASTERN EUROPE

Supraphon Release Information

Licensed rerelease of Blue Effect & Jazz Q Praha’s 1970 experimental album

For many fans of the songs on Blue Effect’s debut album “Meditace” (Meditation), it may be hard to swallow at first. For Radim Hladík and Co., on the contrary, it was a proof that their instrumental prowess was already comparable to jazz, and by then their colleagues, who often looked down on big band players, were gradually changing their minds. Moreover, the times began to favor similar fusions, professionally teaching rock players, welcomingly electrifying jazzmen, supremely unprovoking with English lyrics, and concert-worthy to the ear and eye.

Flutist Jiří Stivín has always been an enthusiastic experimenter, and his duel with the trio of Hladík, Kozel and Čech is still exciting. The path to a new synthesis was clear.

Progarchives Release Information

Fantastic early jazz-rock album, combining two of the greatest Czechoslovakian bands – Blue Effect and Jazz Q Praha. Second and last album still released by Blue Effect under their English name before being pressured by the Czechoslovakian government to change name into Modrý Effekt, or just M Effekt.

Just four compositions, but what a bright, fresh and energetic free-jazz chaos they play there! Blue Effect, being a power trio with blues-rock roots, brings heavy electric guitar (by the excellent guitarist Radim Hladík) and very energetic rock-jamming atmosphere. Jazz Q Praha is a jazz quartet at his very early step mixing free jazz improvisation with jazz-rock knocking on the door (the year is 1970). Their participation gave excellent flute, organ, acoustic piano and very free atmosphere as great addition to Blue Effect’s better structurized sound. (By the way, Jazz Q Praha flautist Jiří Stivín will participate on later Blue Effect albums).

“Coniunctio” (Conjunction) is a unique combination of two great components – free-jazz quartet and blues-rock based jamming trio, both on their very early steps to fresh-born jazz fusion – gave very informal musicianship and have some pros against both band’s later, more matured albums.

Line-up:

Blue Effect:
Radim Hladík: guitar, sound Fx
Jiří Kozel: bass, bells
Vlado Čech: drums

The Jazz Q Praha:
Martin Kratochvíl: piano, organ, trumpet
Jiří Stivín: flute, Hawaiian flute, piccolo, alto saxophone, wood blocks, sound Fx
Jiří Pellant: double bass
Milan Vitoch: drums, harness bells

Tracklist

1. Blue Effect & Jazz Q Praha: Coniunctio I
2. Jiří Stivín & Blue Effect: Návštěva u tety markéty, vypití šálku čaje
3. Jazz Q Praha: Asi půjdem se psem ven
4. Blue Effect & Jazz Q Praha: Coniunctio II