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Coniunctio
There were three cornerstone prog bands from the Czech Republic: Blue Effect (later Modry Efekt), Jazz Q, and Collegium Musicum. Coniunctio is a 1970 release featuring a collaboration between members of Blue Effect and Jazz Q. Blue Effect was led by guitarist Radim Hladik. Jazz Q had two notable menbers - Martin Kratochvil (keyboards) and Jiri Stivin (flute and sax). This is an interesting album. At this point in time Blue Effect definitely had a blues feel to their music and Jazz Q were a jazz rock band. This meeting of the minds isn't what you would expect at first listen. Both bands bring their respected sounds to the sessions but the results are far more experimental and free wheeling than what you would imagine but it coaleses into something that is overall coherent. The technical abilities of all these great players poke through from time to time and you are reminded that not all the great players came out of Western Europe. There was a lot of forward thinking players and music from behind the Iron Curtain. Highly recommended.
"This is what happens when two legendary bands get together to record an album. BLUE EFFECT who are a trio at this point (as the vocalist / flute player from the debut is gone) join forces with JAZZ Q in what has to be an unprecidented event. I've just never heard of two bands at this level doing this before for a whole album. It's also not what I was expecting at all music-wise.This is Avant-garde and very challenging.This is definitely for the adventerous music lover.
"Coniunctio I" is the over 19 minute side long suite to get us warmed up. Actually i'm sweating when this one ends. It explodes to begin with in a very Avant-garde way as dissonant sounds fill the air. Very chaotic then it settles in before a minute with guitar standing out. Nice. Check out the bass before 2 1/2 minutes.Then it starts to build like a slow moving train with organ and horns helping out. Sax before 4 minutes. The guitar solos after 7 minutes then we get a calm with flute a minute later. Piano replaces the flute after 10 1/2 minutes and then turns discordant. Guitar and drums are back after 12 minutes. Flute joins in too. Some great sounding bass after 16 minutes then it turns avant once again.
"A Visit To Aunty Margaret For A Cup Of Tea" opens with flute and other sounds then the tempo picks up a minute in. The guitar sounds great 2 minutes in then it settles back with flute but not for long as contrasts continue throughout. Excellent track. "Perhaps We'll Probably Take The Dog Out" opens in a dissonant way with drums, horns and piano. Check out the drumming 3 minutes in. Intense section. It then settles before 4 minutes before the intensity returns. "Coniunctio II" opens with guitar and flute then drums join in as it builds. Some nice bass too. It turns wild before 5 1/2 minutes then settles back as the guitar solos and drums pound. The insane finish did not come as a surprise (haha).
A tough album to digest at times but man this is a blast. This may turn into a 5 star record for me in the future. It did." - ProgArchives
Fully licensed edition of 300 copies arrives in a nice O-card slipcase.