Record Reviews

TUOHI KLANG ~ PENNSELMANN HITS VOL. 2765 SVART 599 (Barcode: 6430080231164) ~ FINLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1972 Released: 2024 This is a reissue of the legendary and almost completely obscure only album by the short-lived Finnish Jazz sextet Tuohi KlangFind albums by this artist, which consisted of trumpeter Mike KoskinenFind albums by this artist, Romanian born trombonist Mircea StanFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Pekka PoyryFind albums by this artist, baritone saxophonist Paroni PaakkunainenFind albums by this artist, bassist Teppo Hauta-AhoFind albums by this artist and drummer Edward VesalaFind albums by this artist. The album presents five tracks, all original compositions by the sextet members: two by Paakkunainen and one each by Koskinen, Hauta-Aho and Vesala. The music is a brilliant example of Finnish / European Avant-Garde Jazz, Free Jazz and Improvised Music, and one of the earliest examples of Finnish recordings of these genres. The lineup includes the core of the Finnish Free Jazz movement, which also cooperated with other European Avant-Garde musicians, like the famous Vesala / Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist ensembles / recordings, for example. The group improvisation approach is at the center of this album’s creative ideas, and although all the ensemble’s members were already accomplished musicians at the time, the power of this music is most vividly expressed by the group improvisation, rather than by the individual contributions. Stating that this music was ahead of its time is merely an understatement, considering that over five decades after it was recorded, it still sounds completely fresh and full of forward-thinking. I have owned a copy of this album since it was released originally, but for most music lovers this should be quite a shocking revelation, since Finnish Jazz never boasted its Free Jazz / Improvised Music facet, which of course is a great historical inaccuracy / injustice. Well, now that this music is available again, it is ready to be rediscovered! Overall, this is a great time capsule, presenting the Finnish Jazz scene at its best, and offers some timeless music, which sounds amazingly contemporary today. It is a great tribute to these great musicians and I am very happy to see it reissued by Svart Records, which is doing a great job to preserve the Finnish Jazz legacy.

Updated: 27/11/2025Posted: 27/11/2025

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