JAZZ ROCK - JIŘÍ STIVÍN & RUDOLF DAŠEK - System Tandem - 1975

Artista / Banda: Jiří Stivín & Rudolf Dašek

Álbum: System Tandem

Ano: 1975
Gênero: Jazz Rock / Prog Rock

País: República Tcheca

Comentário: Duo formado em 1972 na cidade de Praga, atual capital da República Tcheca e na época Tchecoslováquia, por dois músicos locais que passaram por bandas reconhecidas como Jazz Q, SHQ e Prague Big Band. A parceria rendeu 3 LPs. Dividido em 6 faixas, longas e curtas, este álbum é todo instrumental e revela-se mais uma grata surpresa do rico jazz fusion no leste europeu, com momentos de avant-garde e progressivo. O saxofone e flauta flutuam de forma viajante e dinâmica sobre a guitarra, que faz trabalho rítmico e consistente.
Um excelente trabalho para todos os fãs de jazz europeu, altamente recomendado!

Jiří Stivín is a true renaissance man. Widely involved as a classical musician in especially early and Baroque music circles, the flutist and composer is also one of the most highly regarded jazzmen of the Czech Republic. On System Tandem, he joins guitarist Rudolf Dašek, a partner in crime since 1971. System Tandem came on the heels of a collaboration with bassist Barre Phillips, and the latter’s balance of form and spontaneity is certainly in the air. Dašek, who passed away in 2013 at the age of 79, was another stalwart of the Czech jazz scene known for crossing the genre divide.

For its second album, System Tandem focuses the integrity of the music. Stivín pens the first cut and arranges the second. “Puddle On The Muddle” shows off the duo’s sense of light and shadow in a steely combination of registers. The lively interplay and ping-ponging of ideas allows Stivín to veer down wilder paths of squealing abandon in a robust opening gambit. The Moravian folk song that follows, “Forman Going Down The Valley” is the first of a few pairings of flute and guitar. The theme here is mountainous, painterly, and segues into the album’s remainder, all of which bears Dašek’s stamp. “Hey, Man (Let’s Play Something About Spain)” is the first standout and deepens the fluted streams of its predecessor. He speaks in tongues, becoming more vocal by the moment, for stretches abandoning the flute altogether. “What’s Your Story” mark’s the flute’s last appearance in a forlorn piece of restrained melodic shape. Stivín breaks out the soprano for “Shepherd Song,” evoking a dance party of undomesticated wildlife. This leaves us with the album’s pièce de résistance, “Puzzle Game.” For this marvelous foray into Baroque territory, Stivín plays a dizzying recorder against an enervating Django Reinhardt rhythm. Dašek’s finger picking works wonders in the final stretch.

Jirí Stivín & Rudolf Dašek - System Tandem - 1975 (MP3 192 kbps):

https://yadi.sk/d/1XEK4Vda3Dgi9V

Músicos:

Jiří Stivín (saxofone, flauta)

Rudolf Dašek (guitarra)

Faixas:

01 Puddle on the Muddle 5:39

02 Moravian Folk Song - Forman Going Down the Valley 5:13

03 Hey, Man (Let's Play Something About Spain) 9:10

04 Shepherd Song 10:33

05 What's Your Story 8:01

06 Puzzle Game 3:00