Record Reviews

LUDEK HULAN ~ JAZZ IN MY SOUL INDIES HAPPY TRAILS 774 (Barcode: 8595026677425) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 1962 - 1964 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of the debut album as a leader by Czech Jazz bassist / composer and occasional vocalist Ludek HulanFind albums by this artist, one of the pioneers of modern Jazz in Czechoslovakia and a founding member of the Studio 5Find albums by this artist ensemble. The album compiles music that was recorded over a span of two years with various lineups, mostly with a trio which included pianist Rudolf RoklFind albums by this artist or guitarist Vladimir TomekFind albums by this artist and drummer Ivan DominakFind albums by this artist, or a quintet / sextet which added to the trio musicians like: trumpeter Richard KubernatFind albums by this artist, trombonist Artur HolitzerFind albums by this artist, clarinetist / saxophonist Karel KrautgartnerFind albums by this artist or flautist Zdenek ZikaFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven tracks, ten of which are original compositions by Hulan and one is a standard. Three tracks, which were a part of a Jazz & Poetry project, include recitation. All the music is beautifully remastered and the album comes with extensive liner notes, extremely well researched and full of discographical information, sadly only in Czech language (which works fine for me, but probably less so for other enthusiasts who also might be interested). The music is all melody based modern mainstream Jazz, which moves between Bebop and Cool, with wonderfully structured harmonies and sophisticated multiple melody lines, which easily stand shoulder to shoulder with what was happening in Jazz across the pond. The performances also don´t disappoint and are a showcase of professionalism and talent, with perfect interplay between the musicians and excellent soloing. Hulan, who is the focus of this album, proves to be not only a wonderful composer, but also a virtuosic bassist, which is plainly evident from his performances captured herein. Hulan sadly managed to record only one additional album, called "Mila SpolecnostFind albums with this title" in 1977 before his tragically early departure before the age of fifty. For fans of European Jazz and its history, reissues of this kind are an absolute must, and the fact that this music is available on CD for the first time makes it a wonderful treasure. Brilliant stuff! My personal thanks to Jaromir KratochvilFind albums by this artist, the owner of Indies Happy TrailsFind albums on this label, for his friendship and the incredible job he is doing to keep this music alive! Side Note Since the 1950s Czechoslovakia had a highly developed Jazz scene, certainly in proportion to its population, which included many successful ensembles and even Big Bands, as well as Jazz clubs, festivals and publications, all this in spite of state censorship and political limitations. The similar situation existed since the 1960s as far as Rock (including Progressive Rock and Jazz-Rock Fusion) was concerned, resulting in many excellent, interesting and innovative ensembles. The music was relatively well documented by the three state owned record labels: SupraphonFind albums on this label (founded in 1927), PantonFind albums on this label (founded in 1968) and OpusFind albums on this label (founded in 1971 and based in Bratislava, created on the base of Slovak division of Supraphon). Following the "Velvet Revolution" in 1989, the state owned record labels were privatized, with Supraphon dominating the local market. However, Supraphon was quite reluctant as far as exploring its vast back catalogue is concerned, and this is where the small independent Indies Happy TrailsFind albums on this label Records, a reissue label dedicated to the preservation of the recorded legacy of Czechoslovak music, owned and run by the devoted enthusiast / historian Jaromir KratochvilFind albums by this artist, founded in 2007, comes in. Over the years the label released a plethora of brilliant music, reissuing long deleted LPs and extensively exploring the archives in search of bonus material. The quest of Indies Happy Trails is similar to what the GADFind albums on this label Records label, run by Michal WilczynskiFind albums by this artist, is doing for Polish music, with similar consistency and praiseworthy dedication.

Updated: 02/03/2020Posted: 02/03/2020

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ PIANO JAZZ IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA JAZZHUS 7643 (Barcode: 4714816786435) ~ CZECHOSLOVAKIA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1965 - 1967 Released: 2012 This is a reissue / remaster of an album originally released by the Czechoslovak SupraphonFind albums on this label label in 1968. It presents six Czech and Slovak pianists, who shaped the Czechoslovak Jazz scene in the 1960s: Jan HammerFind albums by this artist (before he left for the US), Ladislav GerhardtFind albums by this artist, Rudolf RoklFind albums by this artist, Josef BlahaFind albums by this artist, Karel RuzickaFind albums by this artist and Ludek SvabenskyFind albums by this artist. Each of them presents two tracks, recorded in a classic piano trio format, except Rokl, who presents just one track (together eleven tracks). The Ruzicka tracks are recorded in a quartet setting. The music is a mixture of original compositions and Jazz standards. All the tracks were recorded in 1967, except the Rokl track, recorded in 1965. The original album was produced and includes liner notes by my dear late Friend Antonin MatznerFind albums by this artist. The remastered edition offers brilliant sound quality, considering the music was recorded almost sixty years ago. The music is a splendid document of the incredibly high level of the Eastern European Jazz scene behind the Iron Curtain, at that time. Czechoslovak Jazz musicians were producing brilliant albums, which still sound incredible today and every bit as advanced musically as anything happening on the Western side of Europe, being an integral part of the exploding European Jazz emancipation. The musicians featured here were to produce many more excellent recordings in the future as leaders or members of other ensembles. Overall, this is a brilliant time capsule, which offers a unique glimpse on the Czechoslovak Jazz scene at the time. Considering that these tracks were recorded spatially for this compilation, this album is a must for collectors of East European Jazz albums and of course Jazz piano trio lovers :)

Updated: 14/12/2024Posted: 14/12/2024

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Recommend To A Friend