Record Reviews

PENTTI LAHTI / AHVENLAHTI – OJANEN / MIRCEA STAN / JUKKA RUOHOMAKI ~ JAZZ LIISA VOL. 11 & VOL. 12 SVART 036 ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1974 Released: 2016 The "Popstudio" / "Jazzstudio" broadcasts were usually dedicated to one band / artists, but in some cases two acts were combined into one show, which allowed each of them just about twenty minutes to perform, as is the case on these two sessions. Saxophonist / composer Pentti LahtiFind albums by this artist was one of the modern Finnish Jazz pioneers and a prominent figure on the local scene. The band captured on this live radio broadcast finds him playing alongside trombonist Mircea StanFind albums by this artist, pianist Olli AhvenlahtiFind albums by this artist, bassist Ilkka WillmanFind albums by this artist and drummer Tapani IkonenFind albums by this artist. They perform two standards and an original composition by Stan, all kept pretty much close to mainstream Jazz with a bit of World Music tinge on the piece by Stan, who immigrated to Finland from Romania and incorporated some Romanian folklore influence in this tune. The piano duo comprising of Olli Ahvenlahti and Eero OjanenFind albums by this artist is a classic example of the "Art of the Duo" and their mutual affinity and wonderful interplay are captured perfectly on this live radio broadcast. They perform two compositions, one an original by Ojanen and the other a Keith JarrettFind albums by this artist piece, which is then partly repeated again as an encore. The quintet led by trombonist Mircea Stan is basically identical to the one led by Lahti on the first radio broadcast included here, except for the bassist Pekka SarmantoFind albums by this artist. This time they perform three original compositions by Stan, with some Romanian music influences but also including Latin and Hard Bop stylistics, typical of his work. This music is less mainstream oriented than the Lahti session and includes many open, Free Jazz oriented parts. The synthesizer player Jukka RuohomakiFind albums by this artist combines electronic music and Jazzy improvisation sharing forces with trombonist Mircea Stan, moog player Olli Ahvenlahti and synthesizer player Erkki KurenniemiFind albums by this artist. Together they perform just one extended piece, co-composed by all four players and basically collectively improvised. 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: 10/06/2020Posted: 10/06/2020

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OILING BOILING ~ TWO FACES SVART 142 (Barcode: 6430065581222) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1977 Released: 2017 This is a reissue of the second album by Finnish Jazz drummer / composer / bandleader Matti OilingFind albums by this artist and his band Oiling BoilingFind albums by this artist, which on this album was a sextet and included also trumpeter Markku JohanssonFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Erik DannholmFind albums by this artist, guitarist Juha BjorninenFind albums by this artist, bassist Ilkka WillmanFind albums by this artist and keyboardist Tuomo TanskaFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, six of which are original compositions (three by Tanska, two by Johansson and one co-composed by Oiling and the recording engineer Harold BurgonFind albums by this artist) and two are Jazz standards. The music, as the title suggests, presents a mixture of Jazz and Fusion tunes, each genre given one side of the original LP, with the band being completely capable of handling both on equal footing. Great playing and soloing and excellent original composition make it a highly enjoyable listening experience, which lost nothing of its strength over time. Oiling was one of the pioneers of modern Finnish Jazz and Fusion and a role model for many Finnish drummers, in both Rock and Jazz circles. He wrote the first tutorial book about drumming in the Finnish language in 1969 (expanded in 1975). He was also a pioneer of mixing Jazz with Funk and Rhythm And Blues and his many albums with the Oiling Boiling band reflected these influences, never compromising on musical quality. He was also a sweet person and I was lucky to meet him several times and kept in touch with him until his untimely passing in 2009. Overall this is a wonderful piece of Finnish Jazz / Fusion history, well worth being remembered and still a great piece of quality enjoyable music. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 17/07/2020

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