Record Reviews
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  | UNISONO QUARTET / TAIVAANTEMPPELI ~ JAZZ LIISA VOL. 01 & VOL. 02
SVART 021 (Barcode: 6430050665753) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1973 Released: 2016
The Unisono QuartetFind albums by this artist, formed in 1970 by legendary Godfather of Finnish Jazz, saxophonist / composer Paroni PaakkunainenFind albums by this artist, had many lineup changes during its history and often included more than four members, but kept the "Quartet" as part of its name. This live radio broadcasts captured the band in a quartet setting with pianist Olli AhvenlahtiFind albums by this artist, bassist Make LievonenFind albums by this artist and drummer Reino LaineFind albums by this artist, all representatives of the top young Finnish Jazz players at the time. The band recorded its sole eponymous album only in 1975.
They perform four original compositions, two by Ahvenlahti and one each by Paakkunainen and Lievonen, all lasting about ten minuets each, which of course offers plenty of opportunities for extended soloing. The compositions, although based on melodic themes, are very open and tend to include Free Form explorations and odd time signatures, as appropriate for the musical climate of the time.
TaivaantemppeliFind albums by this artist was a short-lived sextet, which played sophisticated Jazz-Rock Fusion. It included two members of the Unisono Quartet, Ahvenlahti and Lievonen, and also flautist Matti JakolaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Pekka RechardtFind albums by this artist, drummer Upi SorvaliFind albums by this artist and percussionist Tapani IkonenFind albums by this artist. They never managed to record an album and this live radio broadcast is the only document of their legacy.
They perform three original compositions, all by Lievonen, which are between ten and fifteen minutes long and offer extensive soloing. Based on wonderfully melodic themes and performed by highly talented musicians, this is some on the best European Fusion of the period, unique due to the sublime flute parts and challenging musical versatility and forward thinking.
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 and Fusion 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: 02/06/2020Posted: 02/06/2020 | CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | WIGWAM ~ DARK ALBUM (50TH ANNIVERSARY EXTENDED EDITION)
SVART 161 (Barcode: 6430065585213) ~ FINLAND ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1977 Released: 2018
This is a reissue of the eighth (and last by the original group) album by the iconic Finnish Prog band WigwamFind albums by this artist, which featured a new lineup of the group and marked a new period in the band´s career, often referred to as Wigwam Mk. II. Following the departure of keyboardist Jukka GustavsonFind albums by this artist and bassist Pekka PohjolaFind albums by this artist, the two remaining members: vocalist / pianist Jim PembrokeFind albums by this artist and drummer Ronnie OsterbergFind albums by this artist were joined by guitarist Pekka RechardtFind albums by this artist and bassist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist. Keyboardists Jukka Gustavson and Hessu HietanenFind albums by this artist added keyboard work on the tracks but the lineup reverted to a quartet again. The original album presented eight original songs, five composed by Rechardt and three by Pembroke, all featuring lyrics written by Pembroke (except for one, which was a poem), who was a British expatriate and could naturally handle the lyrics in English flawlessly. This remastered and expanded edition adds a second CD, which includes the demo version of the album including first mix of six tracks, which was rejected by VirginFind albums on this label Records (the British label that released the two previous albums in the UK).
The music, although undoubtedly somewhat less strictly Prog oriented, is by all means absolutely brilliant, wonderfully combining the excellent songwriting with perfect performances, full of great instrumental parts. Wigwam were, as it often happened with the capricious Prog fanatics, accused for taking a more commercial path, but the band, which suffered from a dichotomy in its ranks since its inception, was now completely united behind their musical output and quite honestly read well the changing Prog landscape, which pulled many of the classic Prog bands towards a more song oriented direction. Although this album is often described as outwardly commercial, is not really that different from its two predecessors, and the difference is mostly due to the different sound ambience rather than the music itself.
The collected talents of Wigwam´s members still made it one of the best Prog band in Europe and even worldwide, and if not for the fact that they originated from Finland, they would have probably reached to top of the Prog peak. This album was released in the UK and a few other countries, bringing the band some success, but Prog at the time was approaching its global collapse, when the initial creativity of the genre simply dried out. Wigwam decided to call it quits after this album was released and future efforts to resurrect the band proved to be as futile as those of other Prog band around the globe. The magic was simply gone.
This excellently sounding and expanded edition is a must have for Finnish Prog / Wigwam fans all over the globe and SvartFind albums on this label Records, as usual, made a perfect job preparing this reissue. Brilliant stuff!
| | Updated: 11/08/2020Posted: 11/08/2020 | CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | WIGWAM ~ LIVE MUSIC FROM THE TWILIGHT ZONE
ESOTERIC 2185 (Barcode: 5013929728523) ~ FINLAND ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1974 Released: 2010
5th album by the Finnish Prog Masters WigwamFind albums by this artist (originally released as a double LP), marking the end of the original lineup of the band and recorded during their farewell concert tour. The band´s core: vocalist Jim PembrokeFind albums by this artist (a British expatriate living in Finland), keyboardist Jukka GustavsonFind albums by this artist, who was the band´s principal composer, bassist Pekka PohjolaFind albums by this artist and drummer Ronnie OsterbergFind albums by this artist is expanded to a quintet with guitarist Pekka RechardtFind albums by this artist joining the group. Soon after these recordings were made Gustavson and Pohjola left the band and it reformed a year later with new musicians replacing them. This album is a superb showcase of Wigwam´s live performances, being the band´s first live recording, as well as showing their musical influences, as the band performs several covers of material written by such diverse musicians as the BeatlesFind albums by this artist and the BandFind albums by this artist, in addition to their own compositions. Several of the tracks are expanded into long instrumental jams, emphasizing the improvisational skills by the band members. With strong Jazzy feel, this album gracefully moves between Prog and Fusion, to the obvious delight of the band´s many fans. In retrospect this album is a great document of the time, capturing the spirit as well as the sound of the most productive period in music history. Essential for all Wigwam fans, but most Prog and Fusion connoisseurs should have a field day with this beauty!
| | | CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | WIGWAM ~ LUCKY GOLDEN STRIPES AND STARPOISE (50TH ANNIVERSARY EXTENDED EDITION)
SVART 160 (Barcode: 6430065585206) ~ FINLAND ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1976 Released: 2018
This is a reissue of the seventh album by the iconic Finnish Prog band WigwamFind albums by this artist, which featured a new lineup of the group and marked a new period in the band´s career, often referred to as Wigwam Mk. II. Following the departure of keyboardist Jukka GustavsonFind albums by this artist and bassist Pekka PohjolaFind albums by this artist, the two remaining members: vocalist / pianist Jim PembrokeFind albums by this artist and drummer Ronnie OsterbergFind albums by this artist were joined by guitarist Pekka RechardtFind albums by this artist and bassist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist. On this album the lineup was extended to a quintet with the addition of keyboardist Hessu HietanenFind albums by this artist. The original album, which was recorded in London, presented nine original songs, five composed by Rechardt and three by Pembroke, all featuring lyrics written by Pembroke, who was a British expatriate and could naturally handle the lyrics in English flawlessly, and finally one tune was an instrumental co-composed by all five members of the group. This remastered and expanded edition adds a second CD, which includes five alternate mixes and four live studio rehearsals of the tunes from the album, all previously unissued.
The music, although undoubtedly somewhat less strictly Prog oriented, is by all means absolutely brilliant, wonderfully combining the excellent songwriting with perfect performances, full of great instrumental parts. Wigwam were, as it often happened with the capricious Prog fanatics, accused for taking a more commercial path, but the band, which suffered from a dichotomy in its ranks since its inception, was now completely united behind their musical output and quite honestly read well the changing Prog landscape, which pulled many of the classic Prog bands towards a more song oriented direction. Hietanen was a fully integrated member of the band by the time this music was recorded and this changed the entire sound of the group. Although this album is often described as the most commercial of all the Wigwam albums, is not really that different from its predecessor or its successor, and the difference is mostly due to the different sound ambience rather than the music itself.
The collected talents of Wigwam´s members still made it one of the best Prog band in Europe and even worldwide, and if not for the fact that they originated from Finland, they would have probably reached to top of the Prog peak. This album was released in the UK and a few other countries, bringing the band some success, but Prog at the time was approaching its global collapse, when the initial creativity of the genre simply dried out. Wigwam released one more excellent album before calling it quits and future efforts to resurrect the band proved to be as futile as those of other Prog band around the globe. The magic was simply gone.
This excellently sounding and expanded edition is a must have for Finnish Prog / Wigwam fans all over the globe and SvartFind albums on this label Records, as usual, made a perfect job preparing this reissue. Brilliant stuff!
| | Updated: 11/08/2020Posted: 11/08/2020 | CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | WIGWAM ~ NUCLEAR NIGHTCLUB (50TH ANNIVERSARY EXTENDED EDITION)
SVART 159 (Barcode: 6430065585190) ~ FINLAND ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1974 - 1975 Released: 2018
This is a reissue of the sixth album by the iconic Finnish Prog band WigwamFind albums by this artist, which featured a new lineup of the group and marked a new period in the band´s career, often referred to as Wigwam Mk. II. Following the departure of keyboardist Jukka GustavsonFind albums by this artist and bassist Pekka PohjolaFind albums by this artist, the two remaining members: vocalist / pianist Jim PembrokeFind albums by this artist and drummer Ronnie OsterbergFind albums by this artist were joined by guitarist Pekka RechardtFind albums by this artist and bassist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist. Keyboardist Esa KotilainenFind albums by this artist, also not a formal member of the group, added his invaluable input during the recording of the album. The original album presented eight original songs, five composed by Rechardt and three by Pembroke, and all featuring lyrics written by Pembroke, who was a British expatriate and could naturally handle the lyrics in English flawlessly. This remastered and expanded edition adds a second CD, which includes an entire concert recorded for Swedish radio in November of 1974, before the band entered the studio to record the "Nuclear NightclubFind albums with this title" album. It presents seven songs, five of which will be recorded later for the album, and two which originated from Pembroke´s second solo album "PigwormFind albums with this title" recorded earlier in 1974. Kotilainen did not participate on this recording.
The music, although undoubtedly somewhat less strictly Prog oriented, is by all means absolutely brilliant, wonderfully combining the excellent songwriting with perfect performances, full of great instrumental parts. Wigwam were, as it often happened with the capricious Prog fanatics, accused for taking a more commercial path, but the band, which suffered from a dichotomy in its ranks since its inception, was now completely united behind their musical output and quite honestly read well the changing Prog landscape, which pulled many of the classic Prog bands towards a more song oriented direction.
The collected talents of Wigwam´s members still made it one of the best Prog band in Europe and even worldwide, and if not for the fact that they originated from Finland, they would have probably reached to top of the Prog peak. This album was released in the UK and a few other countries, bringing the band some success, but Prog at the time was approaching its global collapse, when the initial creativity of the genre simply dried out. Wigwam released two more excellent albums before calling it quits and future efforts to resurrect the band proved to be as futile as those of other Prog band around the globe. The magic was simply gone.
This excellently sounding and expanded edition is a must have for Finnish Prog / Wigwam fans all over the globe and SvartFind albums on this label Records, as usual, made a perfect job preparing this reissue. Brilliant stuff!
| | Updated: 11/08/2020Posted: 07/08/2020 | CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | WIGWAM ~ THE LUCKY GOLDEN STRIPES AND STARPOSE
ESOTERIC 2175 (Barcode: 5013929727526) ~ FINLAND ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1976 Released: 2010
7th album by Finnish Prog band WigwamFind albums by this artist, the most famous Prog act from that country, which is the second recording by Wigwam Mk II. Following the departure of two founding members bassist Pekka PohjolaFind albums by this artist and organist Jukka GustavsonFind albums by this artist, who gave Wigwam its distinctive sound and musical direction, the band had to reorganize and recruit new members, which of course also influenced their musical direction. The remaining founding members: vocalist Jim PembrokeFind albums by this artist and drummer Ronnie OsterbergFind albums by this artist recruited guitarist Pekka RechardtFind albums by this artist and bassist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist to join the band for the previous album, and added a fifth member, keyboardist Hessu HietanenFind albums by this artist by the time this album was recorded. The revamped Wigwam, more Pop / Rock oriented than the original incarnation of the band, was still a formidable ensemble able of producing excellent music, and the album includes plenty of superb melodies and excellent musicianship, which are effective and memorable. Although initially the album was criticized for being overly commercial, in retrospect it is every bit as good as the other albums the band recorded, being simply different. This album was one of the very few Finnish albums to be released also in UK (on the VirginFind albums on this label label), shortly after it was released in his home country on the legendary LoveFind albums on this label label. A must for Prog fans!
| | Updated: 07/08/2020Posted: | CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
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