Kuře v hodinkách padesátileté - křest živého alba Flamengo Reunion Session s hosty 6.11. v Lucerna Music Baru

 Na podzim roku 2022 uběhne neuvěřitelných 50 let od vydání kultovního alba Kuře v hodinkách, bez nadsázky jedné z nejvýznamnějších nahrávek československého rocku. Toto půlstoleté výročí oslaví mateřská a legendární kapela Flamengo v současné sestavě pod názvem Flamengo Reunion Session, opírající se o dvojici původních členů Pavla Fořta (kytara) a Vladimíra „Gumu“ Kulhánka (baskytara), kteří oba pamatují zlatou éru Flamenga. Doplní je Jan Holeček (Hammond B3, zpěv), Jiří „Zelí“ Zelenka (bicí, vokály) a Vladimír Boryš Secký (saxofon a příčná flétna). Kapela připravila Kuřeti a všem jeho fanouškům k velkému jubileu krom koncertů i krásný dárek v podobě živého alba Live, které vychází stejně jako v roce 1972 původní LP na značce Supraphon. Skladby z Kuřete se nikdy nedočkaly živého provedení ve svých českých verzích s texty Josefa Kainara, jelikož se původní Flamengo rozpadlo dříve, než album vyšlo. I proto s padesátiletým odstupem kapela tyto klenoty oživuje. Program narozeninového večera v pražském Lucerna Music Baru bude pestrý. Návštěvníci se mohou těšit na významné hosty, jimiž jsou Marek Eben, Peter Lipa, Olin Nejezchleba, Pavel Skála a Michal „Kolouch“ Daněk. Během večera bude také pokřtěno zmíněné živé album, přičemž jméno kmotra je malým překvapením. Kuře v hodinkách pak zahraje Flamengo Reunion Session v celé jeho kráse. 

FB událost

Příběh jedné desky (Ilja Kučera ml. / Muzikus)

Flamengo mezi špiony a mikrofony (Jiří Křivka / Muzikus)

 

FLAMENGO REUNiON SESSiON - Live (Supraphon 2o22)

Úžas v rytmu a Maok

apple LEAF wlmpo18

jABLOŇOVÝ LiST (Jaroslav Uhlíř / Zdeněk Svěrák)

JiŘí SCHELiNGER & TOČR, conducted by JOSEF VOBRUBA

℗ 1974

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Retailed in a random preprinted neutral Supraphon sleeve with overprinted basic credits in black letterpress.
Uncredited: recorded December 20, 1973 at studio Mozarteum, Prague.

(p) 1973 Czech Radio (c) 2p18 Miloš Latislav & Schelinger Family Trust / BONTON MUSiC 1999

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PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL OTHER RELEASES OF ThIS RECORDiNG ::ARE:: pirate copies sold by Supraphon Inc. descended company to BELiEVE MUSiC ::thievery corporation:: and their re/TAiLers ∞

Myshkin's Ruby Warblers featuring Mat Martin will play two concerts in Prague

Wonderful band from Portland, Orgeon, US, MYSHKiN'S RUBY WARBLERS will play in Prague - on Saturday, June 8th at Habrovka Festival, and then on Sunday, June 9th at new friendly place in Prague Old Town, the FreeMasonic Club. This cellar space with great sound conditions in Týská street, just 5 minutes from Old Town Square, reveals to be really a place to discover for rock, jazz and related live music in Prague center!

More music to check in the beginning of June: 

www.nrpraha.cz

www.radiobeat.cz

Czechoslovak Comebacks in Prague again

40th Anniversary tour remembering Kuře v hodinkách, the only album of legendary Czech group   FLAMENGO (reissued earlier this year) is coming to its conclusion. Flamengo singer Vladimír Mišík with his current band Etc... plus Flamengo mates Pavel Fořt (guitar) and Vladimír Guma Kulhánek (bass guitar) will perform number of 40 years old songs at two concerts in Palác Akropolis, on November 12th and 13th.

Other much remembered album of 1972, Zelená pošta (aka Green Post), is studio-based cooperation of Slovak singer /songwriter PAVOL HAMMEL with his former bandmate, composer, keyboard player and a true musical genius MARiAN VARGA. Album was never performed live in its entirety until this year's autumn, when a special concert was held together by organisers of Konvergencie Festival in Bratislava (in the end, there were three more concerts due to enormous interest). Promoters of United Islands festival in Prague made their part in bringing Zelená pošta to Czech stage, in Archa Theatre, Prague on November 21. Together with Hammel, Varga and his band COLLEGiUM MUSiCUM, there will be also Czech guitar maestro RADiM HLADíK (of Blue Effect), who played 2 solos on original album. Collaborations of Hammel-Varga-Hladík triumvirate continued further on occasionally, so along entire Zelená pošta, songs from newer critically acclaimed albums like Na II.programe sna (1976) or Labutie piesne (1993) will be performed hopefully. As November concert is nearly sold out in advance, organisers announced one more Prague date for Zelená pošta on stage ---  MARCH 13th.2o13.

Read more about mentioned concerts here (in Czech), and more about Kuře v hodinkách album here (in English)

Zelená pošta - Pávi ples (Peacock's Ball)


Collegium Musicum - Street Full Of Raincoats (Live 2010)




Kubo Ursiny & Provisorium - Vagon Club, Praha, 21.11.

Kuře v hodinkách a Zelená pošta znovu na scéně

Povzbuzeni úspěchem výroční reedice Kuřete v hodinkách, jediného alba skupiny FLAMENGO z roku 1972, rozhodli se Vladimír Mišík s agenturou 100PROmotion uspořádat ojedinělé turné, na kterém se sejdou tři ze členů albové sestavy Flamenga a samozřejmě zaznějí skladby z této desky, obdařené nadčasovými texty básníka Josefa Kainara. Vedle zpěváka se tak na pódiu objeví basista Vladimír Guma Kulhánek a kytarista Pavel Fořt, sestavu doplní současní členové Mišíkových Etc..., bubeník Jiří Zelenka a kytarista Pavel Skála. Hosty s úlohou doplnění "flamengovského" zvuku jsou Rostislav Fraš (první tři koncerty) nebo Jakub Doležal na saxofon a flétnu plus Pavel Bohatý (klávesy, zpěv). Turné startuje v neděli 16. září v Plzni, následují koncerty v Brně (18.9.), Opavě (24.9.), Hradci Králové, Ostravě, Kolíně... viz rozpis na webu Vladimíra Mišíka. V Praze bude čtyřicetileté Kuře v hodinkách představeno na dvou koncertech v Paláci Akropolis 12. a 13. listopadu, v programu zazní i písně z raných alb a současného repertoáru Etc... Kuře v hodinkách vyšlo v remasterované podobě se třemi bonusy na CD letos v únoru, následovala také vinylová verze - bez bonusů, ale zato s otevíracím obalem. Přes jisté obavy ohledně návratnosti investic, které jsem zaznamenal ze strany vydavatele (tedy Supraphonu) v loňském roce, se reedice stala záhy po vydání jedním nejprodávanějších titulů na našem trhu (druhá příčka v žebříčku ČNS IFPI už na konci února), a to i jako digitální download (mp3 + flac) v obchodě Suphaphonline. Některé skladby z Kuřete v hodinkách mimochodem znějí ve zdařilé podobě už několik let také na koncertech současného Blue Effectu.

FLAMENGO - Kuře v hodinkách (1972) - full album in YouTube player

Další zásadní album české a slovenské progresivní hudby, natočené shodou okolností také v roce 1972, zazní jako celek naživo letos úplně poprvé. Zelená pošta je v podstatě experimentální studiovou spoluprací zpěváka Pavola Hammela a jedinečného klávesového hráče Mariana Vargy (přičemž oba se zhruba stejnou měrou podíleli skladatelsky) s účastí členů Vargovy kapely Collegium Musicum a textařů Kamila Peteraje, Borise Filana a Miroslava Válka. Varga s Hammelem velmi dobře spolupracoval už v kapele Prúdy, na jejíž mimořádný albový debut Zvoňte zvonky ostatně Zelená pošta jasně navazuje. Kytarová sóla ve skladbách Smutná ranná električka a Slnečnice natočil jako host Radim Hladík. S ním se Varga s Hammelem poté ještě několikrát spojili, aby už jako ústřední trojice natočili podobně vyjímečná písničková alba Na II. programe sna (1976) a Labutie piesne (1993). A jelikož se mistr Radim Hladík letošních koncertů také účastní, zazní krom Zelené pošty i ukázky z těchto novějších alb. Nejdříve to bude 23. září na festivalu Konvergencie v Bratislavě, a pak 21. listopadu v pražském divadle Archa (pod záštitou festivalu United Islands). V aktuální sestavě Collegia Musica se na koncertech představí původní členové, baskytarista Fedor Frešo a kytarista František Griglák, bubeník nové éry kapely Martin Valihora (jinak jazzový hráč, úspěšně působící i v Americe, třeba s pianistkou Hiromi) a jako host prověřený klávesista Peter Preložník. Pohnutky ke koncertnímu provedení Zelené pošty prozradil Marian Varga v rozhovoru pro iDnes.cz: "Na začiatku tu bol priamy podnet môjho priateľa, violoncellistu Jozefa Luptáka, ktorý je zakladateľom festivalu komornej hudby Konvergencie. Oslovil ma s nápadom uviesť premiéru koncertného prevedenia Zelenej pošty práve na tomto festivale." Za zmínku stojí skutečnost, že Zelená pošta i všechna původní alba Collegia Musica na značce Opus jsou dlouhodobě stále na trhu.

Launching and feasting

40th Anniversary edition of Kuře v hodinkách album by Flamengo (already available for download at Supraphonline) will be launched on February 28th at Prague restaurant, named after this legendary album - Kuře v hodinkách at Seifertova street. There will be appropriate live act for the evening: Kulhánek-Holeček-Razím-Kowacz quartet.

This group went together last year, when extraordinary talented singer and multiinstrumentalist Jan Holeček asked his Enregit bandmate and Flamengo veteran bass player Vladimír "Guma" Kulhánek (who played in Krausberry, T4, Jan Kořínek & Groove, and other bands since his departure from Mišík's Etc...) to form blues rock line-up for one-off concert in Germany with renowned jazz / rock drummer Pavel Razím and Red Baron Band guitar player Paul Kowacz. Quartet then decided to continue in playing their original cover versions of various classic songs from repertoire of Buddy Guy, Beatles, Cream, CCR, Elvis Presley, Rolling Stones, Edgar Winter and others.

By the way, Red Baron Band changed his line-up radically during last year's autumn: gone are bass guitarist, organ player, and lead singer Monika Infernalis (who is still active with her other band Andezit). All three were replaced by Jan Holeček, who made first two albums with the band and works also with Paul Kowacz & 3 Band. Holeček is now handling lead vocals, bass guitar and vintage keyboards (hammond organ, moog & mellotron) in RBB. They are reviving some songs from early days and working on new material as well. In between, they compiled material from their four albums for two volumes of Anthology, released as free download on their website and also did some new video clips to old favourites. Other Red Baron Band players and founding members are Paul Kowacz (guitar and vocals) and Radek "Miner" Horník (drums). Their next concert, a birthday concert, will take place at Kuře v hodinkách again on March 7th.

Another launch evening is planned at Futurum Music Bar on February 29. NTS Trio will be celebrating release of concert DVD Permanente Live with guests: visual artist Dominika Divá and singer / speaker Michael Kyselka. NTS is comprsied of keyboard player Michal Nejtek (a succesful composer of contemporary classical music and member of electric Limbo or Face Of The Bass), double bass player Petr Tichý and drummer Štěpán Smetáček. All three are also using samples and electronics to process their own sound and / or signal of their bandmates in live performance. NTS were honoured with independent music prize Tais Awards for their second album Permanente Frustration, released last year in vinyl form and as free download.

Anniversaries & opinions

February 24th will see release of 4oth Anniversary edition of Kuře v hodinkách (aka Chicken in the Clock), the one and only album of great Czech group FLAMENGO. The band existed from 1966 to 1972, line-up which recorded this masterpiece between October 1971 and March 1972 get together around 1970 with arrival of singer Vladimír Mišík, sax and flute player Jan Kubík and bass guitarist Vladimír "Guma" Kulhánek. Earlie members were guitarist Pavel Fořt, organ player Ivan Khunt (he also sings solo in one song) and drummer Jaroslav "Erno" Šedivý. All of them contributed to songwriting. They were playing the songs live with peudo-English lyrics first. Thanks to producer Hynek Žalčík, they have opportunity to record new music on album for Supraphon (one of two only official record companies in Czech, controlled by communist government) and to enrich the songs with Czech words, penned by prominent poet Josef Kainar. 

Flamengo 1972: Mišík, Kulhánek, Khunt, Šedivý, Fořt, Kubík

Kainar, who was great admirer of jazz and rock music, did his best, despite that he was ill and died before the album was finished. He provided timeless lyrics, experessing various approaches of term "Time", of Live, Love and Wandering. Words for the Stále dál (On and on) song were penned by Hynek Žalčík. Few guests was involved in recording, including additional saxes and vibraphone by renowned jazz master Karel Velebný. In sound, music of this album is very similiar to British Colosseum (who were playing at Internatinal Jazz Festival Praha in 1969 and Flamengo members were also familiar with Colosseum Live double album), Jan Kubík's expressive flute sometimes remind Jethro Tull. 
There is general consensus among music critics and lovers that Kuře v hodinkách is best album of Czech rock music ever. It was released in very limited edition and for subscribers of so-called Grammophone Club only, and was not reissued until 1990, as Jan Kubík, Erno Šedivý and Ivan Khunt emigrated from communist Czechoslovakia during 70's, when "normalisation" after 1968 went into full flow and situation for performing rock bands was very unfriendly. And sadly enough, Flamengo disbanded due to same reasons around the time when album was released. New reissue will include 2 songs from earlier single release (already available on previous CD version) and alternative single version of title song, extensive booklet, unpublished photos and new sleevenote.

So where the paths of Flamengo musicians led then? Drummer Erno Šedivý and organ player Ivan Khunt (this time as vocalist only) joined forces with ex-Framus Five guitar player Luboš Andršt in new band Energit - their early hard rock period is documented by six demo recordings, released as bonus on CD reissue of two later, instrumental jazz-rock oriented albums (Energit and Piknik, Indies Happy Trails 2oo8). After Khunt and Šedivý departed (and left for America via Scandinavia), Andršt and bass guitar player Vladimír Padrůněk were joined in Energit by Flamengo singer Vladimír Mišík for short time, before Mišík started his own successful career. In fact, few Flamengo members are playing on some songs from Mišík's eponymous debut album (Supraphon 1976), as it was recorded before he formed his backing band Etc... In this group Mišík in 80's reunited with bass player Vladimír Kulhánek, who stayed in Etc... for more than 10 years. 
In between, Kulhánek with sax & flute player Jan Kubík formed jazz-rock unit Bohemia, a kind of supergroup with singer and keyboard player Lešek Semelka (out of The Blue Effect, or M.Efekt as they were named during "normalisation" time, when English names of rock groups seemed dangerous for "culture wathers"), future guitar hero Michal Pavlíček, drummer Pavel Trnavský and second keyboard player Jan Hála. Bohemia's only album Zrnko písku (Grain of Sand, Panton 1978) is another gem of Czech music and was reissued on CD with 6 single bonus tracks (Supraphon 2008, two vocal songs from singles are sadly omitting from reissue). Before and after Bohemia Kulhánek earn his living as player in some pop / jazz / theatre backing bands, in Peter Lipa & Luboš Andršt Blues Band, and in mid 80's he reunited with Michal Pavlíček in rock / fusion project Stromboli. 



Jan Kubík left Czechoslovakia after disbanding of Bohemia and is now living and playing jazz occasionaly in Austria. Guitarist Pavel Fořt after the end of Flamengo soon became member of backing band for most famous and widely populal Czech singer Karel Gott. In parallel, he was leader and arranger for studio-based group Labyrint, which worked a.o. with C&K Vocal sextet, most memorably on their first album Generace (Suprahon 1977, with assistance of 2 fellow Flamengo members Kulhánek and Kubík), where you can find excellent renditions of two songs from Kuře v hodinkách. Export Engish version of this album was issued earlier in 1976 as Generation. 

Erno Šedivý was active as a musician in United States and worked a.o. with Jello Biafra, who released album of Erno's band Life After Life on his Alternative Tentacles label in 1997. Around the turn of the century, both Erno Šedivý and Ivan Khunt were back in "free" Czech Republic. While first became extremely active on Prague scene, other stayed mostly in retirement and died early 2oo5.

March 1st 2oo6 saw concert in Prague Roxy club, composed as Memorial for Ivan Khunt, Vladimír Padrůněk (1952-1991) and Hynek Žalčík (1949-2oo5). Living Flamengo members except Mišík were joined by Jan Holeček (ex-Freeway Jam and Red Baron Band, will tell more about his recent activities later) on vocals, flute and hammond organ and performed most of Kuře v hodinkách album. Other act of the Evening was re-united Energit with Erno Šedivý on drums, Guma Kulhánek on bass and again Jan Holeček on vocals and keyboards. Energit continues playing until present day and will be part of Vladimír Padrůněk In Memoriam concert at Palác Akropolis on February 21, with guest singer Vladimír Mišík. Other band appearing at phenomenal bass player's 60th birthday memorial will be Jazz Q, where Padrůněk spent most of 70's - in fact he was migrating between this fusion group and Mišík's Etc..., which he co-founded with singer. In early 80's Padrůněk was not active on music scene due to serious illnes, his last stint with hard rock band Dux (1985-1987) is documented on Vladimír Padrůněk In Memoriam album (Panton 1992).

It is appropriate to tell here about new Supraphon web shop named Supraphonline, where you can buy most of their available catalogue in mp3 (320 kbps) or looseless Flac format, and they are making available many rarities for download now. Comparing to, say, eMusic, this shop is not yet very smart...  For example: to wiev all available Jazz Q albums (3 of them with Vladimír Padrůněk), you have to look for Jazz Q, Jazz Q Praha and Jazz Q Martina Kratochvíla. If you cannot handle Czech or cannot pay in Czk (no PayPal option there), you have rather go to eMusic or iTunes or Amazon (phew, they are not yet offering Flac..), where Supraphon has to be distributed, or check Supraphon website in English. In any case, do not expect that you can find every title on every distribution partner's shop ;-)

From previous year, Supraphon is also distributing catalogue of jazz label Animal Music...

And more - visit pages of dAdA ACTa international project, where huge number of artists express their opinions towards so-called Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, and where you can freely download 4CD compilation, for which every artist contributed original track.

And some jazz concerts - Sean Noonan's Brewed By Noon on February 23rd at Jazz Time, more at Jazz Meets World website. Ed Partyka Jazz Orchestra on February 22 and 23, and trio of Venezuelan pianist Louis Perdomo, Ravi Coltrane's bandmate on Monday 27th at Jazz Dock. See also 2o12 programme of AghaRTA Prague Jazz Festival with first concert on March 6th or really exciting line up on JazzFest Brno 2o12 (second half of April). Howgh.