Jazz Q was formed in 1964 by Martin Kratochvil (piano) and Jiri Stivin (woodwinds) in Prague, CZE. In their early years, they were inspired by the late 50s free jazz happening in America. By the late 60s though, after becoming familiar with the English rock scene, Kratochvil decided to go in a more electric and groove-based direction. Jiri Stivin wasn't keen on playing this style and left shortly after recording their debut LP from 1970 "Coniunctio", which was a collaboration with a severed line-up of Blue Effect, and stylistically was a mish-mash of rock, fusion and free jazz. Kratochvil completely revamped the line-up with guitarist Lubos Andrst (Framus 5, Energit), bassist Vladimir Padrunek (Energit, ETC) and drummer Michal Vrbovec.
In this line-up they recorded what may be their best known album "Watchtower". Frantisek Francl replaced Andrst and the band also worked with the English singer Joan Duggan on their next LP, "Symbiosis" from 1974. Amongst the scores of sound-alike jazz-rock bands present at the time, Jazz Q really found their own voice, although it could be argued that later stuff was more stylistically definable. Jazz Q was also one of the few long-lasting Czech fusion bands, being active from 1964 till 1984. In 2004 they have regrouped in a classic lineup, although Francl is substituted by Zdenek Fiser, another jazz-rock veteran from the Impuls fame.
CD1 Pozorovatelna (1973)
1. PORI 72/13:06 (Vladimir Padrunek, Lubos Andrst)
2. POZOROVATELNA / 6:48 (Martin Kratochvil)
3. TRIFID / 9:27 (Martin Kratochvil, Vladimir Padrunek)
4. KLOBASOVE HODY / 5:48 (Martin Kratochvil)
5. KARTAGO / 4:35 (Lubos Andrst)
Bonusy
6. WALTER L. / 5:43 (Gary Burton)
7. POZOROVATELNA II / 5:26 (Martin Kratochvil)
8. KARTAGO II / 5:23 (Lubos Andrst)
9. PERCENTA PRO HNIZDOVKU/9:19 (Martin Kratochvil)
Martin Kratochvil - el.p
Lubos Andrst - g
Vladimir Padrunek - bg
Michal Vrbovec - ds (1-5, 7, 8)
Vaclav Sirl - ds (6, 9) a hoste
Joan Duggan - voc (3)
Rudolf Chalupsky - vln (5)
CD2 Symbiosis (1974)
1. FROM DARK TO LIGHT (Ze tmy do svetla) / 6:02 (Vladimir Padrunek/Joan Duggan)
2. LOST SOUL (Ztracena laska) / 6:06 (Vladimir Padrunek/Joan Duggan)
3. STARBIRD (Hvezdny ptak) / 7:23 (Martin Kratochvil /Joan Duggan)
4. THE WIZARD (Carodej) /16:26 (Martin Kratochvil/Joan Duggan)
5. EPILOG /3:28 (Martin Kratochvil)
Bonus
6. PRESAGE (Predzvest) / 9:40 (Martin Kratochvil)
Martin Kratochvil - el.p, p, org, cemb
Joan Duggan - voc
Frantisek Francl - g
Vladimir Padrunek - bg
Michal Vrbovec - ds a hoste
Vladimir Misik - voc, Lesek Semelka - voc, Pavel Dydovic - voc, Jiri Rotter - voc
Jiri Tomek - con
Radek Poboril - tp
Jan Kubik - cl
Alexander Cihar - cb, g
CD3 Live 1974-1775 (1991)
1. WATCH OUT / 4:55 (Peter Green)
2. MY MOTHER ME PORODILA V STROUZE /8:13 (Jazz Q)
3. WE ALL HAD A REAL GOOD TIME /3:12 (Edgar Winter, Dan Hartman)
4. SANCTUARY / 6:23 (John McLaughlin)
5. GIVING UP / 4:41 (Donny Hathaway)
6. FREEDOM JAZZ DANCE / 8:41 (Eddie Harris)
7. LONESOME / 7:50 (Jazz Q)
8. LIVING FOR THE CITY / 6:21 (Stevie Wonder)
9. CO DUM DAL / 5:26 (Jazz Q)
Martin Kratochvil - el. p, moog
Frantisek Francl - g
Jan Martinec - ss, vln (3 - 9)
Premysl Faukner - bg (3 - 9)
Libor Laun - ds (3 - 9)
Alexander Cihar - bg (1,2)
Michal Vrbovec - ds (1, 2)
Joan Duggan - voc (1,3, 5 - 9)
Jiri Tomek - voc (2), perc (1,2)
CD4 Elegie (1977)
1. SLUNOVRAT / 5:23 (Martin Kratochvil)
2. NADEJE / 7:13 (Martin Kratochvil)
3. CITADELA / 3:08 (Martin Kratochvil)
4. TANEC / 3:51 (Martin Kratochvil)
5. LETAVICE /5:18 (Martin Kratochvil)
6. TOLEDO / 7:34 (Martin Kratochvil)
7. ZRAVA DAMA / 5:20 (Martin Kratochvil)
8. VESTBA /1:54 (Martin Kratochvil)
Martin Kratochvil - el.p (1 - 7), moog (1 - 7), synth (1-4), org (1,5), p (3, 8) guiro (7)
Frantisek Francl - g (1 - 7), ac. g (3), triangl (3), pivni lahev (7), bvoc (2)
Premysl Faukner - bg (1 - 7)
Libor Laun - ds (1 - 7) a hoste
Jan Hruby - vln (2, 3, 8)
Tomas Prochazka - perc (3), claves (7)
Jiri Tomek - con (2,4,6)
Lenka Filipova - bvoc (5), ac. g(8)
Michal Gera - tp (2), maracas (7)
Ondrej Konrad - hca (5)
Michal Vrbovec - cow bells (7)
FrantiSek Lhotka, Zdenek Prouza -vcl (8)
Jirzi Cerha, Ladislav Kantor - bvoc (2)
CD5 Zvesti (1978)
1. KLEKANICE / 6:19 (Martin Kratochvil)
2. VZKRISENI / 4:57 (Martin Kratochvil)
3. SLEPEJ / 6:06 (Martin Kratochvil)
4. JINOTAJ / 4:37 (Martin Kratochvil)
5. TRIST / 4:29 (Martin Kratochvil)
6. KOROUHVlCKA / 4:30 (Martin Kratochvil)
7. KRUPEJ / 5:06 (Martin Kratochvil)
8. VETROPLACH / 7:13 (Martin Kratochvil)
Martin Kratochvil - keyb
Lubos Andrst - g, ac.g
Premysl Faukner - bg
Jaromir Helesic - ds a
Jan Martinec j. h, - ss (1, 8)
CD6 Hodokvas (1979)
1. POPRASK /7:11 (Martin Kratochvil)
2. VRESOVISTl / 5:46 (Martin Kratochvil)
3. MADONA / 8:04 (Martin Kratochvil)
4. PRALESNI PISEN / 9:10 (Martin Kratochvil)
5. DEJVICKE BLUES / 5:29 (Martin Kratochvil)
6. SEROSVIT / 8:02 (Martin Kratochvil)
Martin Kratochvil - keyb, bvoc
Pavel Trnavsky - ds, perc, bvoc
Vladimir Padrunek - bg, bvoc
Frantisek Francl - g, bvoc
Oscar Petr - ac.g. a hoste
Petr Kalandra - hca
Jiri Hrubes - perc
CD7 Hvezdon (1984)
1. TRHANEC / 4:37 (Martin Kratochvil)
2. ROZEPRE / 6:22 (Martin Kratochvil)
3. PROCITANI / 4:46 (Martin Kratochvil)
4. SILVESTR NA BASTIRNE / 5:55 (Martin Kratochvil)
5. PERUT / 7:22 (Martin Kratochvil)
6. PIVO V PRASKU / 5:05 (JAZZ Q)
7. HVEZDON /2:13 (Martin Kratochvil)
8. BOZI CLOVEK/513 (Martin Kratochvil)
Martin Kratochvil - keyb
Frantisek Francl - g, 12sg, ac.g
Vitek Musil - bg
Pavol Kozma - ds a hoste
Michal Gera - tp (3)
Jaroslav Rauser - perc (4)
Premysl Faukner - bg (7)
CD8 Bonusy (2007)
1. BLUES STARY ZENSKY / 4:48 (Martin Kratochvil/Josef Skvorecky)
Petr Kalandra - voc, Lubos Andrst - g, Martin Kratochvil - keyb, Joe Kucera - sax, Vladimir „Guma" Kulhanek - bg, Ivan Kadanka - ds
2. ZLY SEN / 5:56 (Martin Kratochvil/Jana Koubkova)
JAZZ Q: Jana Koubkova - voc., Martin Kratochvil - keyb, Frantisek Francl - g, Jiri Vesely -bg, Pavol Kozma - ds
3. JSEM SVA / 3:31 (Martin Kratochvil/Michael Zantovsky)
JAZZ Q: Jana Koubkova - voc, Martin Kratochvil - keyb, Frantisek Francl - g, Jiri Vesely - bg, Pavol Kozma - ds
4. OVCI VLNA / 4:58 (Martin Kratochvil)
JAZZ Q: Jana Koubkova - voc, Martin Kratochvil - keyb, Frantisek Francl - g, Jiri Vesely -bg, Pavol Kozma - ds
5. BLUES HOLKY NA VDAVANI / 5:02 (Jana Koubkova/Jirf Zacek)
JAZZ Q: Jana Koubkova - voc, Martin Kratochvil -keyb, Frantisek Francl - g, Jiri Vesely - bg, Pavol Kozma - ds
6. VELKY ВОНЁМ / 4:19 (Martin Kratochvil /Jan Kruta)
JAZZ Q: Petr Flyn - voc, Martin Kratochvil - keyb, Frantisek Francl - g, Jiri Vesely - bg, Pavol Kozma - ds
7. PRAZSKE BOOGIE / 3:30 (Martin Kratochvil/Josef Novotny)
JAZZ Q: Petr Flyn - voc, Martin Kratochvil - keyb, Frantisek Francl - g, Jiri Vesely - bg, Pavol Kozma - ds
8. ZATMENI MiSiCE / 4:32 (Martin Kratochvil/Oskar Petr)
JAZZ Q: Michael Kocab - voc, Martin Kratochvil - keyb, Frantisek Francl - g, Oskar Petr - ac. g, Vitezslav Musil - bg, Pavol Kozma - ds
9. BLUES PODZIMNIHO ODPOLEDNE / 4:16 (Martin Kratochvil/Oskar Petr)
JAZZ Q: Oskar Petr - voc, ac.g, Martin Kratochvil - keyb, Frantisek Francl - g, Vladimir Padrunek - bg, Pavel Trnavsky - ds
10. OBCHODNIK S DESTEM / 3:45 (Martin Kratochvil/Oskar Petr)
JAZZ Q: Oskar Petr - voc, ac.g, Martin Kratochvil - keyb, Frantisek Francl - g, Vladimir Padrunek - bg, Pavel Trnavsky - ds
11. WHAT A WAY TO START /2:18 (Martin Kratochvil/Michael Zantovsky)
JAZZ Q: Ondrej Hejma - voc, Martin Kratochvil -keyb, Frantisek Francl - g, Jiri Vesely -bg, Pavol Kozma - ds
12. WHY DO I HAVE TO MOVE /2:55 (Martin Kratochvil/Michael Zantovsky)
JAZZ Q: Ondrej Hejma - voc, Martin Kratochvil -keyb, Frantisek Francl - g, Jiri Vesely -bg, Pavol Kozma - ds
13. KONSTELACE / 6:32 (Martin Kratochvil)
JAZZ Q: Martin Kratochvil - keyb, Frantisek Francl - g, Premysl Faukner - bg, Libor Laun - ds
C&K Vocal (H.Arnetova, Z.Adamova, M.Cervena, L.Kantor, J.Cerha, L.Pospisil)
14. SVEDEK SVlTA (Witness To The World) / 6:30 (Martin Kratochvil/Joan Duggan)
JAZZ Q: Joan Duggan - voc, Martin Kratochvil -keyb, Lubos Andrst - g, Petr Korinek -bg, cb, Jan Martinec - sax, tamb, Jiri Tomek - perc, Josef Vejvoda - ds
C&K Vocal (H.Arnetova, Z.Adamova, M.Cervena, L.Kantor, J.Cerha, L.Pospisil)
15. GOOD BYE! / 9:04 (Martin Kratochvil)
JAZZ Q: Martin Kratochvil - keyb, Lubos Andrst - g, | Juraj Griglak - bg, Pavol Kozma - ds
