SYMBIOSIS

I wrote about Pozoravatelna being the best of the lot in my review of that album. Well, maybe I really should point out that though that is true, in part, Symbiosis really is my choice of album when listening to Jazz Q. Pozoravatelna and Symbiosis are the best of the lot. There! Now I have said it.

Unlike Pozoravatelna Symbiosis is graced with vocals by Joan Duggan. She sounds like a Czech Janis Joplin or Maggie Bell. Sort of hoarse and powerful. The material on Symbiosis is really jazz-rock of the old school. Gritty, lengthy and soulful. This was the first album I really delved into and it is the only album by Jazz Q I find really interesting, seeing that I am no big fan of slick, noodling fusion.

"From dark to light" is a really great track. A slow, ballady thing that transcends the usual. It is spacious and floating, flowing and really interesting. The next track, "Lost soul", is apart from "The wizard" my favorite on here. Such a heavy piece, with the electric piano thumping and stabbing those great jazzy chords over the distorted guitar. Marvellous!

Then there is "The wizard". 16 minutes of jazz-rock extravaganza. It is really a tour de force of the genre, building and transforming itself it goes from rough to smooth and back again. Really impressive piece.

I sometimes find Duggans vocals to be slightly annoying, actually, but I am able to see past that and recognize the immense quality of this album. It is tight, cohesive, progressive and inspired. I really dig it and think that, while not in my top 5 when it comes to jazz-rock, it deserves to be ranked a classic in it's genre. More people really ought to check it out.