Duo - Milan Svoboda & Michal Gera

(CD PJ Music 1991 - PJ 003-2)

among TOP TEN EUROPEAN ALBUMS

All about jazz internet magazine 2006:

original link

Distribution of European jazz may be poor in the US, but, outside the country of origin and across borders, it's also poor within Europe, with the exception of the "international" labels like ECM, Hat and Steeplechase. These labels each have their own "take" on jazz that isn't fully representative. How could it be? With 60 years of post-shellac recording in all styles from dixieland to improv and everywhere in between, many musicians are known only by a tiny minority in their own countries. Yet the standard of musicianship is often superb.

So the only real way to track stuff down (apart from asking for recommendations on AAJ) is to use the net to track down artists you've read about or heard guesting on other people's records. You might even be able to listen to a 60 second track sample.

Only you know the musical styles you like, but whatever they are, you can bet that there are plenty Europeans out there playing great music in those styles. You just don't know who they are, (and neither do I!) and that's a tragedy for international musical understanding.

Someone said in a previous post that any list should miss out "England" (i.e. Britain). I suppose that's a compliment to British artists, but it's not entirely fair. There's another point, which is that it is difficult to suggest all-time classic albums from another country (the US excepted, because American records are distributed everywhere), because most of us just haven't heard enough stuff from these countries to make the judgement.

So with some hesitation, I'm going to name some records. The ones from the UK are definitely classics that many would agree on. The others are there because I own them and like them! Dates are approximate and from memory.

UK:
Stan Tracey - Under Milk Wood (about 1965)
Don Rendell / Ian Carr Quintet - Dusk Fire (about 1968)
Tubby Hayes - Mexican Green (about 1969)

All these are currently available on CD. However, the Hayes comes with a slight health warning. The CD remastering has been poorly done, so although the music remains superb, some of the presence of the LP issue has been lost.

Poland:
I endorse previous recommendations for:
Zbigniew Namyslowski - Kujawiak Goes Funky (late 70s)
Also:
Zbigniew Namyslowski - Lola (1964) - ZN's blistering western recording debut
Paradox - Drifting Feather (about 1970) - If you are familar with John Zorn's "News for Lulu", it was done here first!

Czech Republic:
Emil Viklicky - Beyond the Mountains, Beyond the Woods (1980s?) 
Milan Svoboda / Michal Gera - Duo (piano & trumpet)

Former Yugoslavia:
Dusko Goykovich - Swinging Macedonia (1966)

France:
Any compilation of 1930s tracks by the Hot Club Quintet!
Daniel Humair / Rene Urteger / Pierre Michelot - HUM (triple piano trio album from 60s, 70s and 90s - Urtreger and Michelot appeared with Miles on the "Lift to the Scaffold" soundtrack)

Netherlands:
Amsterdam Jazz Quintet - Portraits (1997)

Sweden
Lars Gullin - Stockholm Street (about 1960)

This is not a top ten but an unlucky thirteen!