Czech band MAHAGON's oeuvre, 1977 to 1980 [no download, available on CD]

Yes we know there is a masterpiece inside at least in the case of the first record, from the great beauty and artwork of the cover... and indeed this is a gorgeous masterpiece of eastern European progressive fusion... I've mentioned before how astounded I was as an adult when internet music broke, to discover that Europeans not only mastered jazz in a sense they surpassed the American style of swing with inventiveness and the importation of classical elements...  Equally surprising was the revelation that in the communist era artists were able to manufacture this 'capitalist and debauched bourgeois' music to perfection, seemingly against any official sanction I believe.



About this band:

"Czech jazz-rock/jazz-funk group. Formed in 1973 in Prague, led by bass player Petr Klapka. Since 1976 featuring vocalist and Klapka’s wife Zdena Adamová. Disbanded in 1980 after Klapka’s and Adamová’s emigration to USA. "


As a treat I've uploaded a gorgeous new lossless rip that truly does this warm and happy, energetic music justice, and as well an mp3 of the second album, a homage to Van Gogh, which suffers a bit in creativity, perhaps due to the loss of one ear in the intervening years.  Unfortunately the lost ear was the progressive one.  As well I've included their little-known third album done in conjunction with Jan Spálený -- "Czech band leader, composer, arranger, writer, producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. "  This appeared on a 2-for-1 CD of Edison.



Bros, it don't get any better than this...


The first album by Spaleny, Edison, is quite fabulous as well, recalling the best of famed progressive songwriter Dezo Ursiny:

Here's the first track for a quick and delicious taste of the oddball songwriting: