THE BLUE EFFECT & THE JAZZ Q PRAGUE: CONIUNCTIO

4.5 stars. 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.