Record Reviews

TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI ~ CHANGING TIMES AND MOVEMENTS SVART 386 (Barcode: 6430077093980) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1970 - 1971 Released: 2021 This is a brilliant archival album by the pioneering Finnish Jazz-Rock Fusion / Progressive Rock group Tasavallan PresidenttiFind albums by this artist, which presents live recordings captured in Finland and Sweden in 1970 and 1971. The group was fronted by British vocalist / lyricist Frank RobsonFind albums by this artist and included saxophonist / flautist Pekka PoyryFind albums by this artist, guitarist Jukka TolonenFind albums by this artist, bassist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist and drummer Vesa AaltonenFind albums by this artist. The 2CD album presents thirteen tracks recorded at three separate concerts. The music is all original, except for one song (repeated twice), from the debut album “Ahead Rings OutFind albums with this title” by the brilliant British band Blodwyn PigFind albums by this artist. Most of the material performed here was recorded for the groups second album “Tasavallan Presidentti (II)Find albums with this title” in August 1970, but was not released until spring of 1971, and therefore was yet unknown to the audiences. These live recordings, all of which offer brilliant sound quality, offer a completely new view of the legendary group, presenting them as improvisers and incredible soloists. Three of the tracks last between thirteen and seventeen minutes and are an orgy of Jazz-Rock Fusion extensive improvisation, mostly by Poyry and Tolonen (who was barely eighteen at the time). This album is an invaluable addition to the Tasavallan Presidentti recorded legacy, especially since the group never released a live album, and is a perfect companion to the “Live In LambertlandFind albums with this title” archival album, also released earlier on Svart Records, who do an absolutely fabulous job with reissues of great Finnish music. For European Jazz-Rock Fusion enthusiasts, this is an absolute must of course!

Updated: 28/07/2021Posted: 28/07/2021

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TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI ~ LAMBERTLAND SVART 250 (Barcode: 6430065588511) ~ FINLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1972 Released: 2019 This is a reissue of the third album by the seminal Finnish Jazz-Rock Fusion / Progressive Rock group Tasavallan PresidenttiFind albums by this artist (Eng. President of the Republic). This album was recorded in Finland and Sweden (vocals only) and originally released internationally on SonetFind albums on this label Records and locally on LoveFind albums on this label Records. The group was founded in 1969 by two ex-members of the group Blues SectionFind albums by this artist: bassist / keyboardist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist and British vocalist Frank RobsonFind albums by this artist and two members of HelpFind albums by this artist (led by vocalist Eero RaittinenFind albums by this artist): drummer Vesa AaltonenFind albums by this artist and guitarist Jukka TolonenFind albums by this artist and finally a seasoned saxophonist / flautist Juhani AaltonenFind albums by this artist, Vesa´s brother, who was a member of SoulsetFind albums by this artist. The group recorded their debut album the same year, which was one of the earliest releases on the absolutely legendary Finnish Love Records (catalog number LRLP 7), the home of the dazzling Finish music of the late 1960s and 1970s, which released an astonishing catalog of almost 400 LPs. By the time this album was recorded Juhani Aaltonen left to be replaced by another superb saxophone / flute player Pekka PoyryFind albums by this artist and so did Frank Robson, who was replaced by Eero Raittinen (see above). Tolonen, who started to develop a successful solo career and released his debut album "Tolonen!Find albums with this title" in 1971 (also on Sonet), became the group´s resident composer and wrote almost all the music on this album, except for one piece, which was composed by Poyry. The album presented six extended tracks, two of which were instrumentals. The lyrics were written by bassist Mats HuldenFind albums by this artist, founding member of WigwamFind albums by this artist, "the other" seminal Finnish Prog supergroup at the time. This expanded edition adds the two sides of the band´s single as bonus tracks. The music is classic Progressive Rock of the period, with complex compositions often combining several themes into a single musical piece. The vocal parts are relatively limited and most of the music is devoted to instrumental improvisations, with a strong Jazzy influence, which continues the Jazz-Rock element of the earlier albums. Tolonen and Poyry offer plenty of bloodcurdling soloing, which remains completely relevant to this very day. In retrospect this album stands out as one of the finest achievements of the European Prog in early 1970s, before the genre lost most of its steam and originality in the years that followed. For lovers of early European Jazz-Rock Fusion and Progressive Rock this is an absolute gem and a must in any serious music collection of that period. Thanks to the great Finnish SvartFind albums on this label Records for their fantastic job of keeping the Finnish musical legacy alive.

Updated: 21/04/2020Posted: 21/04/2020

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TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI ~ LIVE IN LAMBERTLAND SVART 387 (Barcode: 6430065588559) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1972 Released: 2019 This is an archival album by the seminal Finnish Jazz-Rock Fusion / Progressive Rock group Tasavallan PresidenttiFind albums by this artist (Eng. President of the Republic). This material was recorded live on three separate occasions in the summer of 1972, after the album "LambertlandFind albums with this title" was recorded in the studio in the spring of that year, and offers mostly renditions of the material from that album except for one composition originating from the debut alum by the guitarist (see below). The recordings were done by the YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Company), which similarly to the BBC has bottomless archives of absolutely sensational material recorded over the years, which offers an amazing opportunity to hear past treasures, usually captured with a superb sound quality. All the material on this 2CD album was previously unissued. The group was founded in 1969 by two ex-members of the group Blues SectionFind albums by this artist: bassist / keyboardist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist and British vocalist Frank RobsonFind albums by this artist and two members of HelpFind albums by this artist (led by vocalist Eero RaittinenFind albums by this artist): drummer Vesa AaltonenFind albums by this artist and guitarist Jukka TolonenFind albums by this artist and finally a seasoned saxophonist / flautist Juhani AaltonenFind albums by this artist, Vesa´s brother, who was a member of SoulsetFind albums by this artist. The group recorded their debut album the same year, which was one of the earliest releases on the absolutely legendary Finnish LoveFind albums on this label Records (catalog number LRLP 7), the home of the dazzling Finish music of the late 1960s and 1970s, which released an astonishing catalog of almost 400 LPs. By the time this material was recorded Juhani Aaltonen left to be replaced by another superb saxophone / flute player Pekka PoyryFind albums by this artist and so did Frank Robson, who was replaced by Eero Raittinen (see above). Tolonen, who started to develop a successful solo career and released his debut album "Tolonen!Find albums with this title" in 1971 (on SonetFind albums on this label), became the group´s resident composer and wrote almost all the music on the "Lambertland" album, except for one piece, which was composed by Poyry. The lyrics were written by bassist Mats HuldenFind albums by this artist, founding member of WigwamFind albums by this artist, "the other" seminal Finnish Prog supergroup at the time. The music, as usual with live recordings, offers much more expanded versions of the studio material, which feature long and complex instrumental improvisations, and as a result bring this music closer to the Jazz-Rock Fusion idiom than the original album´s Progressive Rock ambience. The strong Jazzy influence is more obvious and allows Tolonen and Poyry to produce plenty of bloodcurdling soloing, superbly supported by the rhythm section and even the vocal parts feature some wordless vocalese. Overall this music is a splendid example what this group was capable off at their absolute best. For lovers of early European Jazz-Rock Fusion and Progressive Rock this is an absolute gem and a must in any serious music collection of that period. Thanks to the great Finnish SvartFind albums on this label Records for their fantastic job of keeping the Finnish musical legacy alive.

Updated: 24/04/2020Posted: 24/04/2020

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TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI ~ TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI (II) SVART 298 (Barcode: 6430065588535) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz-Blues Fusion Recorded: 1970 Released: 2019 This is a reissue of the second album by the seminal Finnish Jazz-Rock Fusion / Progressive Rock group Tasavallan PresidenttiFind albums by this artist (Eng. President of the Republic). This album, same as the debut, was also eponymous and therefore its title is often supplemented with (II) to distinguish between the two. This album was recorded in Sweden and originally released on Swedish EMIFind albums on this label in hope of exposing the group to a wider European audience. The group was founded in 1969 by two ex-members of the group Blues SectionFind albums by this artist: bassist / keyboardist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist and British vocalist Frank RobsonFind albums by this artist and two members of HelpFind albums by this artist (led by vocalist Eero RaittinenFind albums by this artist): drummer Vesa AaltonenFind albums by this artist and guitarist Jukka TolonenFind albums by this artist and finally a seasoned saxophonist / flautist Juhani AaltonenFind albums by this artist, Vesa´s brother, who was a member of SoulsetFind albums by this artist. The group recorded their debut album the same year, which was one of the earliest releases on the absolutely legendary Finnish LoveFind albums on this label Records (catalog number LRLP 7), the home of the dazzling Finish music of the late 1960s and 1970s, which released an astonishing catalog of almost 400 LPs. By the time this album was recorded Juhani Aaltonen left to be replaced by another superb saxophone / flute player Pekka PoyryFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original tunes, eight of which feature lyrics (in English) by Robson. The music was composed by Groundstroem, Tolonen and Robson or co-composed by all members of the group. The music is absolutely stunning and every bit as good as the best efforts produced at the time in the UK. With a big heavy sound, obvious Blues influence and featuring wicked flute solos it resembles the early albums by Jethro TullFind albums by this artist and many other proto Jazz-Rock Fusion and Progressive bands of the era. Robson´s expressive vocals and English accent make this music sound as if produced by a British group, which enabled Tasavallan Presidentti to tour the UK several times, where I heard and met them for the first time. The unique combination of extraordinary instrumental abilities and sublime songwriting, which was about to explode on their next album "LambertlandFind albums with this title" made Tasavallan Presidentti one of the unforgettable and iconic bands in Finnish music history, which in its entirety remains one of the greatest hidden treasures of the European music scene. For lovers of early European Jazz-Rock Fusion and Progressive Rock this is an absolute gem and a must in any serious music collection of that period. Thanks to the great Finnish SvartFind albums on this label Records for their fantastic job of keeping the Finnish musical legacy alive.

Updated: 21/04/2020Posted: 20/04/2020

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TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI ~ THE LOST 1971 STUDIO SESSION SVART 662 (Barcode: 6430080231041) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1971 Released: 2022 This is an archival release by the legendary Finnish Jazz-Rock Fusion / Progressive Rock group Tasavallan PresidenttiFind albums by this artist. It presents four tracks recorded by the first lineup of the group, which included British vocalist Frank RobsonFind albums by this artist, flautists / saxophonist / keyboardist Pekka PoyryFind albums by this artist, guitarist Jukka TolonenFind albums by this artist, bassist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist and drummer Vesa AaltonenFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded by the YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Company) in the autumn of 1971 and offers an exceptional sound quality and clarity. All the material is previously unreleased. The album presents just four tracks, two of which are of extended duration (13 or 16 minutes+) and the other two are shorter (4 or 7 minutes+), which means that the band were able to play at will without any time restrictions set by the studio. The material was composed by Tolonen (first two pieces) or co-composed by the band members (the last two pieces). Musically the band was light-years ahead of most of their contemporaries, both in Finland and in Europe at large, mixing Rock with Jazz and even Improvised Music already at this early stage. The two expanded pieces show how the music flowed organically incorporating some pre-composed material and then improvising on the themes at length. Especially interesting are the parts of the improvisations, which are completely Free Form and spontaneously created in the spur of the moment, which of course was quite normal in Jazz but rarely encountered in Rock or Prog. Overall, this is an absolutely astounding find as far as Finnish music is concerned and a Milestone of recorded Finnish music of the early 1970s, both thanks to the quality and scarcity of such material and the incredible sound quality it was preserved in. This is an absolute must have for all Finnish / European Fusion / Prog fans, no questions asked!

Updated: 15/02/2023Posted: 15/02/2023

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JUKKA TOLONEN BAND / HURMERINTA – SORVALI BIG BAND ~ POP LIISA VOL. 09 & VOL. 10 SVART 015 ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1975 - 1977 Released: 2016 Following the breakdown of the pioneering Finnish group Tasavallan PresidenttiFind albums by this artist in 1974, guitarist / composer Jukka TolonenFind albums by this artist continued his successful solo career, releasing albums on a regular basis. By the time his band was captured playing on this live broadcast, his fourth solo album "HystericaFind albums with this title" was about to be released soon after. The band, which also included saxophonist Pekka PoyryFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Esa KotilainenFind albums by this artist, bassist Heikki VirtanenFind albums by this artist and drummer Esko RosnellFind albums by this artist, perform four instrumental pieces, all originating from the "Hysterica" album and all composed by Tolonen. These live versions of the pieces are quite different from the studio versions and therefore their inclusion here is a perfect companion to the original album. The music is almost completely Fusion oriented, with superb soloing by all the band members. Kotilainen´s keyboard performances are probably the only strong link present here to Progressive Rock, but the Fusion elements include also some Funk influences. Considering the fact that the bad collectively comprised of the "hottest" players on the Finnish scene, the fact that all the performances here are simply stellar. Guitarist Sami HurmerintaFind albums by this artist, his wife vocalist Maarit HurmerintaFind albums by this artist and drummer Upi SorvaliFind albums by this artist put together the Hurmerinta – Sorvali Big BandFind albums by this artist in 1977, combining forces with many musicians they performed and recorded with earlier on, such as British vocalist Frank RobsonFind albums by this artist (ex-Tasavallan Presidentti), trumpeter Esko HeikkinenFind albums by this artist, Romanian trombonist Mircea StanFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Pertti PaivinenFind albums by this artist and Pentti LahtiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Kari KuusamoFind albums by this artist, bassist Harri MerilahtiFind albums by this artist, and second drummer Roope KoistinenFind albums by this artist. This eleven-piece Big Band was not a typical Jazz Big Band, but rather a Brass Rock ensemble with a double vocal front. The Big Band existed for about a year between 1977 and 1978 and never recorded a studio album, so this live broadcast is their only recorded legacy. The Big Band performs six songs, three of which were written by Jimi HendrixFind albums by this artist, two by Robson and one by Sami Hurmerinta. Hendrix was an obvious influence on these musicians and the legendary album by Gil EvansFind albums by this artist and his Orchestra "Plays The Music Of Jimi HendrixFind albums with this title" prompted them to form the Big Band in the first place. The music is of course typical of Brass Rock bands of the time, which combined Rock and Jazzy horns sound. 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 Fusion and Jazz oriented Prog-heads 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: 09/05/2020Posted: 08/05/2020

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