Kalemegdan Disk - ROCK FROM EASTERN EUROPE

Supraphon Release Information

The trio of Framus band leader Michal Prokop, super-genre guitarist Luboš Andršt and equally versatile violinist Jan Hrubý could be seen again at concerts in recent years. The ensemble was founded in 1987 and all members contributed equally to its sound and style. The song base is augmented by Andršt’s experience with blues and jazz-rock as well as Jan Hrubý’s distinctive playing on the electrified violin. The joint production also includes a number of free instrumental areas.

The repertoire has remained virtually unchanged since the band’s beginnings, and the nearly hour-long concert album, simply titled “Unplugged”, presents it in its entirety. The recordings come from two concerts on September 12 and 13, 2004 at the “Stará Pekárna” (Old Bakery) club in Brno, and alongside the well-known Framus Five songs “Bitva o Karlův most” (Battle of Charles Bridge), “Blues o spolykaných slovech” (Blues on Swallowed Words) we can find classic blues standards and songs of other moods, such as José Feliciano’s “Rain” or Petr Skoumal’s “Miss July”.

In addition to singing, Prokop handles the guitar accompaniment with ease and both instrumentalists complement it with solo improvisations. Andršt’s guitar playing ranges from blues to a style that is strikingly reminiscent of Al Di Meola in phrasing and overall sound. The band’s jazz attitude is shown on the track “Ztracená myšlenka” (Lost Thought), where Hrubý demonstrates that he has mastered jazz improvisation alongside his typical modern playing. The band plays in good form, the album has a pleasantly civil atmosphere and sound, and one can sense the joy of carefree musicianship without exhibition.

Full album: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzr8ORmy3Ag

Tracklist

Side A

1. Rain 7:24
2. Bitva o Karlův most 8:13
3. Boom Boom 6:13

Side B

1. Blues o spolykaných slovech 5:18
2. Miss July 5:13
3. Ztracená myšlenka 4:39
4. Dobrú noc má milá 7:07