NOVÁ SYNTÉZA [AKA: NEW SYNTHESIS]

One of the most popular Czech Rock bands with links to almost every known Prog/Jazz Rock from the country, The Blue Effect from Praga were formed in 1968 by guitarist Radim Hladik and singer Vladimír Mi?ík, both coming from Matadors.The line-up included also bassist Jiri Kozel, drummer Vlado Cech and guitarist Milos Svoboda, who quit the next year.In 1970 they released their Psych/Blues Rock-influenced debut ''Meditace'' on Supraphon along with the Jazz Rock album ''Coniunctio'' in collaboration with Jazz Q.It was around the time when Misik left to join Flamengo, replaced by singer/keyboardist Le?ek Semelka.Renamed to Modry Efekt they released their second work ''Nova Synteza'' in 1971 on Panton label with the help of the Czechoslovakian Jazz Orchestra.

''Nova Synteza'' shows Modry Efekt taking a more artistic approach on their music, leaving the psych influences of their debut for a much more Jazz-oriented sound, inspired obviously by their co-performance with Jazz Q Praha on ''Coniunctio''.This sounds actually like a Brass Orchestra backing up a pure rock band, where there is enough space for both extreme guitar solos with a powerful sound as well as intense and frenetic brass sections.The compositions are long and as the album unfolds Hladik shows an incredible jazzy background on his guitar solos, while the Jirí Kozel offers also some freestyle jazzy bass lines supported by the smooth drumming of Cech.The Czechoslovakian Jazz Orchestra seems often the leading force of the album.Tons of melodic introductions and jazzy interventions performed by a great mass of brass instrumentalists.There are also some light organ waves to be found sporadically, but the Blues influences is still apparent at moments, while the intense use of brass instruments adds a dose of Soul in some orchestrations.

Not a fully developed sound, but a step towards the right direction from these Czech masterminds.Hladik's incredible guitar performance is alone a good reason to reach this work, which has been reissued with some bonus tracks from the group's early years.Recommended.