Record Reviews

AALTONEN, HELASVUO, HAUTA-AHO, VESALA / EDWARD VESALA ENSEMBLE ~ JAZZ LIISA VOL. 17 & VOL. 18 SVART 100 (Barcode: 6430065583516) ~ FINLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 1973 - 1974 Released: 2018 The two "Jazzstudio" broadcasts compiled on this CD focus on the iconic figure of drummer / composer / bandleader and Godfather of modern Finnish Jazz, Edward VesalaFind albums by this artist, who is probably the most famous Finnish Jazz musician outside of his native country. Born in 1945, Vesala was active on the local Jazz scene since the late 1960s and until his tragically premature death in 1999 at the ridiculous young age of 54. His premiere recording was the little known album "NykysuomalaistaFind albums with this title" (Contemporary Finnish) from 1969 and the full debut "NanaFind albums with this title" came a year later. In 1972 he took part in his first ECMFind albums on this label album, the Jan Garbarek´s "TriptykonFind albums with this title" and soon after recorded his debut album for the label "Nan MadolFind albums with this title". He recorded five more albums for ECM and also participated on albums by Polish trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist. On the whole he left an impressive recorded legacy, including releases on his own LeoFind albums on this label Records. The first session presents the Edward Vesala trio, with bassist Teppo Hauta-AhoFind albums by this artist and pianist Esa HelasvuoFind albums by this artist on one track composed by him and then with saxophonist Juhani AaltonenFind albums by this artist (who replaces Helasvuo) on two tracks, both composed by Vesala. Whereas the first track is still pretty conventional, the two other tracks are mostly freely improvised and explode with energy and spontaneous exploration as appropriate for Avant-garde at its best. The second session presents the Edward Vesala EnsembleFind albums by this artist, a collection of top Finnish Jazz improvisers at the time: trumpeter Simo SalminenFind albums by this artist, trombonist Mircea StanFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Juhani Aaltonen, Paroni PaakkunainenFind albums by this artist and Pentti LahtiFind albums by this artist, bassist Teppo Hauta-Aho, electric bassist Make LievonenFind albums by this artist and Antero HonkanenFind albums by this artist who added some electronic effects on one track. This lineup is very similar to the lineup that recorded the a.m. ECM debut a few months after this session was recorded. They play three stacks, all by Vesala, all of which were later recorded for that album. In addition a short interview with Vesala in also present, in Finnish of course, which makes it sadly accessible only to Finnish speaking audience. (A transcript in English would have been most welcome). The music is spectacular and breathtaking, a true Avant-garde masterpiece combining composed and group-improvised parts, mystic Nordic moods and brilliant performances by these excellent musicians. These versions of the material are quite different from the recorded versions, which makes this session especially valuable. These two sessions are some of the most important documents of Finnish Jazz and are definitely among the strongest releases in the entire Jazz Liisa series. Overall this is some of the most staggering music created in Europe in the early to mid 1970s that one is able to hear and for European Jazz connoisseurs this is an absolute must have! Side Note The Finnish independent label SvartFind albums on this label Records released an unprecedented series of albums called Pop Liisa and Jazz Liisa, which present priceless historical recordings of Finnish Rock, Progressive Rock, Jazz-Rock Fusion and Jazz music, recorded live and broadcasted from the Liisankatu Studios in Helsinki under the "Popstudio" and "Jazzstudio" monikers between 1972 and 1977. The studios were owned by the YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Company), a public broadcasting service, which not only allowed the burgeoning Finnish music scene at the time to be exposed but also carefully archived the recordings for future generations. All this incredible music was previously unissued and collectively is probably the most important document of Finnish music from that period ever assembled. The music was released on 36 LPs (Pop Liisa Vol. 01 to Vol. 18 and Jazz Liisa Vol. 01 to Vol. 18) and on 18 CDs with every two consecutive volumes combined on one CD. The sound quality is absolutely superb, often better than the sound quality on the LPs released by these artists at the time. Many of the groups appearing on these albums never managed to record an album and these recordings are the only recorded legacy in existence of their activity. The released are accompanied by well researched and intelligent liner notes. This archival project is an outstanding example of how Cultural Legacy should be treated as well as of exemplary dedication to record producing professionalism.

Updated: 28/06/2020Posted: 19/06/2020

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

AKE ANDERSSON / ANTERO HONKANEN ~ REIDARIN SAHKOISET KUVAT SVART 129 (Barcode: 6430065584483) ~ FINLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 1975 - 1976 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of a wonderful and pretty obscure album, originally released on the legendary LoveFind albums on this label Records, by two Finnish electronic music pioneers Ake AnderssonFind albums by this artist and Antero HonkanenFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, four each by the two team members and this is the first time this music appears on CD. Andersson and Honkanen were both studio technicians at the YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Company) and were in charge of producing a myriad of soundtracks used by the radio in its various programs. They decided to create an album of electronic music, based on the paintings by Reidar SarestoniemiFind albums by this artist. The music accompanied an exhibition of Sarestoniemi´s works, which was heard by Otto DonnerFind albums by this artist, the producer / co-owner of Love Records, who decided to release the music on an album. In retrospect this music sounds every bit as innovative and fresh as it did at the time of its recordings. Using a mixture of synthesizers, electronic devices and acoustic instruments the team managed to create a wide spectrum of sound vistas, which although lack strict melodic themes, make an aesthetic emotional impact based on pure sound variations. The fact that the music was released at the time speaks volumes about the role of Love Records in shaping the landscape of Finnish Culture and the openness of the label´s owners to all genres of music, as well as the sparkling diversity of the local music scene. Therefore this album is a superb document of the vitality of 1970s, which marked a rapid emancipation of the Finnish music from its earlier relative "provinciality". This is definitely a hidden gem waiting to be discovered.

Updated: 06/08/2020Posted: 06/08/2020

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

YLE EXPERIMENTAL STUDIO ~ ODE TO MARILYN SVART 130 (Barcode: 6430065584506) ~ FINLAND ~ Avant-Garde Electronic Recorded: 1973 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of one of the rarest and most important Finnish Jazz / Electronic Music / Avant-Garde albums from the early 1970s. The album was recorded under the auspices of the YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Company) Experimental Studio by a group of Finnish musicians led by trumpeter Jarmo SermilaFind albums by this artist, which also included flautist Mikael HelasvuoFind albums by this artist, bassist Teppo Hauta-AhoFind albums by this artist, drummer Edward VesalaFind albums by this artist and electronic music composer Antero HonkanenFind albums by this artist. Soprano singer Pirkkolisa TikkaFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents eight original compositions, three composed by Honkanen, two each by Sermila and Vesala and one by Hauta-Aho. The album’s title originates from the poem by Marilyn MonroeFind albums by this artist “A Doll’s Cry”, which lyrics sung by Tikka appear on one of the tracks. The music is a wonderful amalgam of contemporary Avant-Garde, Electronic Music and Jazz improvisation and remains completely original and unique today, almost half a Century later. The fact that such audacious music was recorded in Finland at the time is a testimony to the incredible musical Renaissance of Finnish music in the late 1960s / early 1970s, which produced an immense amount of fresh, inventive and challenging music at the time. This long overdue reissue (kudos to SvartFind albums on this label Records) is a wonderful opportunity for this music to be discovered by young generations of music lovers, as well as an important document of the era. For lovers of experimental music this album is an absolute classic and should not be missed!

Updated: 17/02/2021Posted: 17/02/2021

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend