Record Reviews

HEIKKI SARMANTO SERIOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE ~ THE HELSINKI TAPES VOL.1 SVART 398 (Barcode: 6430050667788) ~ FINLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1971 Released: 2016 This is the first volume of a fantastic archival release presenting the music of the great Finnish pianist / composer / bandleader Heikki SarmantoFind albums by this artist and his early quartet, called The Serious Music EnsembleFind albums by this artist, which also included Heikki´s younger brother Pekka SarmantoFind albums by this artist on bass and American guitarist Lance GundersonFind albums by this artist and drummer Craig HerndonFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded live at the Helsinki N-Club by the eighteen years old (at the time of course) recording enthusiast Wille SuurlaFind albums by this artist and the sound quality is absolutely gorgeous. Readers interested in the genesis of The Serious Music Ensemble and Sarmanto´s early recording chronology are invited to read my review of the "A Boston DateFind albums with this title" album, another archival release documenting this ensemble. The music on this album, which was recorded live on October 11, 1971, features all original material, with four of the pieces composed by Sarmanto, two by Herndon and one by Gunderson. The two Herndon pieces are previously unreleased and the rest of the tracks appear on the following albums by Sarmanto: "CounterbalanceFind albums with this title", "A Boston DateFind albums with this title" and "Magic SongFind albums with this title". The music is an early form of European Free Jazz, and although the ensemble features electric piano and guitar, has almost nothing to do with Jazz-Rock Fusion, which was extremely popular at the time. The music is mostly improvised and the live environment allows the musicians to expand their personal statements and venture into lengthy solos. But in spite of the Free Form atmosphere, the music remains at all times superbly coherent. It is absolutely stunning to see how concise and minimalistic music like this one can express so much and be so rich in expression, staying elegant and aesthetically superior. There is no doubt that this is some of the most interesting early European Free Form music. Readers interesting in more comprehensive analysis of this music and its relation to American Free Form music at the time are again invited to check out the a.m. review of the "A Boston DateFind albums with this title" album. It is a miracle that such an exquisite material, both as far as the music and the recording quality are concerned, is finally released, almost half a Century after it was recorded. Kudos to SvartFind albums on this label Records for releasing this and other archival Finnish Jazz albums and keeping the legacy of the Finnish Jazz alive!

Updated: 29/09/2017Posted: 29/09/2017

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

HEIKKI SARMANTO SERIOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE ~ THE HELSINKI TAPES VOL.2 SVART 399 (Barcode: 6430050667818) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1971 - 1972 Released: 2016 This is the second volume of a fantastic archival release presenting the music of the great Finnish pianist / composer / bandleader Heikki SarmantoFind albums by this artist and his early quartet, called The Serious Music EnsembleFind albums by this artist, which also included Heikki´s younger brother Pekka SarmantoFind albums by this artist on bass and American guitarist Lance GundersonFind albums by this artist and drummer Craig HerndonFind albums by this artist. Wonderful vocalist Maija HapuojaFind albums by this artist sings on nine tracks and saxophonist Eero KoivistoinenFind albums by this artist plays on one track. The music was recorded live at the Helsinki N-Club by the eighteen years old (at the time of course) recording enthusiast Wille SuurlaFind albums by this artist and the sound quality is absolutely gorgeous. Readers interested in the genesis of The Serious Music Ensemble and Sarmanto´s early recording chronology are invited to read my review of the "A Boston DateFind albums with this title" album, another archival release documenting this ensemble. The music on this album, which was recorded live on October 11, 1971 and December 4, 1972, features almost entirely original material composed by Sarmanto, except for one track which was composed by the little known American pianist Herbie NicholsFind albums by this artist. The Nichols piece is previously unreleased and the rest of the tracks appear on the following albums by Sarmanto: "CounterbalanceFind albums with this title", "Like A FragonardFind albums with this title", "A Boston DateFind albums with this title", "Flowers In The WaterFind albums with this title" and "Everything Is ItFind albums with this title" and the Koivistoinen album "3rd VersionFind albums with this title". The music is an early form of modern European Jazz, and although the ensemble features electric piano and guitar, it has only a limited proximity to Jazz-Rock Fusion, which was extremely popular at the time. The music is mostly song related, in contrast to the music presented on the first volume, but is still extensively improvised and quite complex. Hapuoja´s vocals and vocalese parts take the music into a different dimension and her performances are simply hair-raising. There is a strong sense of melody but the lengthy tunes develop significantly from the initial statement of the melodic theme to powerful instrumental climaxes, serving as vehicles for the musicians to fully explore their ideas. There is no doubt that this is some of the most interesting early modern European Jazz, which by the time this music was recorded had already established its own identity. It is also a superb document of the burgeoning Finnish Jazz scene, which was simply exploding with talent at the time. The songs are also a marvelous example of the Poetry & Jazz idiom, which enjoyed a wonderful and fruitful bloom during the early days of Finnish Jazz. It is a miracle that such an exquisite material, both as far as the music and the recording quality are concerned, is finally released, almost half a Century after it was recorded. Kudos to SvartFind albums on this label Records for releasing this and other archival Finnish Jazz albums and keeping the legacy of the Finnish Jazz alive!

Updated: 29/09/2017Posted: 29/09/2017

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

HEIKKI SARMANTO SERIOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE ~ THE HELSINKI TAPES VOL.3 SVART 400 (Barcode: 6430050667849) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1971 - 1972 Released: 2016 This is the third volume of a fantastic archival release presenting the music of the great Finnish pianist / composer / bandleader Heikki SarmantoFind albums by this artist and his early quartet, called The Serious Music EnsembleFind albums by this artist, which also included Heikki´s younger brother Pekka SarmantoFind albums by this artist on bass and American guitarist Lance GundersonFind albums by this artist and drummer Craig HerndonFind albums by this artist. Legendary Finnish saxophonist Eero KoivistoinenFind albums by this artist plays on four tracks. The music was recorded live at the Helsinki N-Club by the eighteen years old (at the time of course) recording enthusiast Wille SuurlaFind albums by this artist and the sound quality is absolutely gorgeous. Readers interested in the genesis of The Serious Music Ensemble and Sarmanto´s early recording chronology are invited to read my review of the "A Boston DateFind albums with this title" album, another archival release documenting this ensemble. The music on this album, which was recorded live on October 11, 1971 and December 4, 1972, features entirely original material, with two compositions each by Sarmanto, Herndon and Koivistoinen. The two Herndon pieces are previously unreleased and the rest of the tracks appear on the following albums by Sarmanto: "CounterbalanceFind albums with this title", "A Boston DateFind albums with this title" and "MoonflowerFind albums with this title". and the Koivistoinen album "3rd VersionFind albums by this artist". The music is an early form of modern European Jazz, and although the ensemble features electric piano and guitar, it has only a limited proximity to Jazz-Rock Fusion, which was extremely popular at the time. On the four tracks on which Koivistoinen is featured as the main soloist, the music is mostly swinging, with clearly stated melodic themes, which are then expanded into lengthy improvisations. Both Sarmanto and Koivistoinen display superb instrumental abilities, and even this "informal" live recording clearly emphasizes their respective talents. The two quartet tracks without the saxophonist are more Free Form oriented, similar to the material included on the first volume of this release. All the performances are a showcase of great interplay and cooperation between the participants. There is no doubt that this is some of the most interesting early modern European Jazz, which by the time this music was recorded had already established its own identity. It is also a superb document of the burgeoning Finnish Jazz scene, which was simply exploding with talent at the time. Readers interested in the circumstances surrounding the recording of the "3rd VersionFind albums with this title" album are welcome to read my liner notes of the album. It is a miracle that such an exquisite material, both as far as the music and the recording quality are concerned, is finally released, almost half a Century after it was recorded. Kudos to SvartFind albums on this label Records for releasing this and other archival Finnish Jazz albums and keeping the legacy of the Finnish Jazz alive!

Updated: 29/09/2017Posted: 29/09/2017

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend