Record Reviews

VERNERI POHJOLA ~ BULLHORN EDITION 1056 (Barcode: 5065001530609) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the fifth album as a leader by Finnish Jazz trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Aki RissanenFind albums by this artist, bassist Antti LotjonenFind albums by this artist and drummer Teppo MakynenFind albums by this artist. Three additional musicians guest on selected tracks. The album presents ten original compositions, all by Pohjola. Pohjola (born 1977) was for many years considered as one of the most promising young Finnish Jazz musicians and started his recording career quite early. As he states in the liner notes of this album, he considers it to be a “rite of passage” into the musical adulthood as he approaches the age of forty. The music is all strictly melody based, full of typical Nordic atmosphere, melancholy and reflection. The tunes are all carefully crafted and arranged and perfectly performed by the quartet with an occasional help from additional players. The performances are very clear, transparent and somewhat minimalist, with most of the soloing done by Pohjola, as expected. But the piano accompaniment is also quite intensive, with occasional soli, and the rhythm section adds an important support layer, which fits the desired atmosphere impeccably. Overall this is a beautiful album in all respects, which offers enchanting listening experience, emphasized by the excellent sound quality of the recording and superb compositions. For lovers of the Nordic Jazz atmosphere this album is an absolute charm, with Pohjola impersonating the pied piper with his sensuous trumpet, being completely irresistible. People who know Pohjola’s Improvised Music facet, will be surprised by his deep melodic aesthetics, which he displays herein, proving his diversity as a musician. Absolutely not to be missed!

Updated: 13/02/2021Posted: 13/02/2021

CD 1 Digisleeve Recommend To A Friend

VERNERI POHJOLA ~ PEKKA EDITION 1092 (Barcode: 5060509790074) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the sixth album by Finnish Jazz trumpeter / composer Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist recorded in a quintet setting with keyboardist Tuomo PrattalaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Teemu ViinikainenFind albums by this artist, bassist Antti LotjonenFind albums by this artist and drummer Mika KallioFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven compositions by legendary Finnish bassist / composer Pekka PohjolaFind albums by this artist, who was Verneri´s father. In the liner notes of the album Verneri explains the background of his decision to record his father´s music, despite the complex personal relationship with him as a result of his parents divorce when Verneri was just two years old, which resulted in him being raised by his mother with almost no contact with his father. Additional complexity arose from the "son of…" syndrome, from which many children of famous people suffer from, being constantly measured up to their parents, mostly completely out of context. As Verneri states, he decided to make this album only when he felt he could "make the music sound his own"; not surprisingly Verneri dedicates this album to his mother Inkeri. I feel particularly lucky to know personally both Pekka and his son Verneri. I met Pekka in London, when Finnish Progressive Rock fist managed to conquer the international scene and when his albums were released on VirginFind albums on this label Records. Later on I met him several times in Finland during my visits there. We kept in touch for years and he sent me his albums regularly. His death in 2008 at a ridiculous young age was a blow for me since I always loved both him and his music dearly. I met Verneri in Poland when he joined the Polish Jazz trio RGGFind albums by this artist and I was present at the concert hall where their live album "City Of Gardens" was recorded. The following year I invited RGG and Verneri to perform at my Singer Jazz Festival in Warsaw. Of course we are now in touch – life and music continue… The music Verneri chose to perform on this album was originally released on the following four brilliant albums by Pekka (his 1st, 2nd, 5th and 10th releases): "Pihkasilma Kaarnakorva (Resineye Barkear)Find albums with this title", "B The MagpieFind albums with this title", "Katkavaaran LohikaarmeFind albums with this title" and "Changing WatersFind albums with this title" released between 1972 and 1992 and presenting a wide spectrum of Pekka´s diverse compositions. Listeners familiar with the original recordings will be surprised by Verneri´s adaptations, which bring the music up to date and transform them stylistically into modern Jazz, but carefully preserve the original melody lines and the intrinsic melancholy that always characterized Pekka´s music. Verneri´s trumpet symbolically represents the second generation, whereas the guitar reflects the Rocky roots of the first generation. Whichever way one wants to look at it, the music is absolutely brilliant from start to finish and completely relevant on its own even to listeners oblivious of its origins. I am happy to see that Verneri managed to overcome his fears and psychological barriers, to create an exceptional example of cross-generation continuance. Overall this is a brilliant piece of music, bridging musical styles and concepts, which takes no prisoners and is completely overwhelming in every way. Verneri plays some sublime trumpet lines on this album and the rest of the quintet all contribute amicably and ably to create a timeless musical experience. As such I can only recommend this album to all true music lovers, young and old, everywhere in the world where great music is appreciated.

Updated: 13/02/2021Posted: 15/01/2021

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

JEFF BALLARD ~ FAIRGROUNDS EDITION 1121 (Barcode: 5060509790524) ~ USA ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2019 This is a live album by American drummer / composer Jeff BallardFind albums by this artist, recorded with his quintet during a European tour. The quintet also includes guitarist Lionel LouekeFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Kevin HaysFind albums by this artist and Peter RendeFind albums by this artist and Reid AndersonFind albums by this artist on electronics (rather than on bass as expected). Saxophonists Chris CheekFind albums by this artist and Mark TurnerFind albums by this artist guest on selected tracks. The album presents eleven original composition composed or co-composed by the participating musicians. The music offers an interesting mixture of atmospheric pieces, somewhere between Ambient, Jazz and World music, which creates a suspenseful listening experience. The unusual lineup with two keyboards and guitar offers often multi-layered structures, which demand intensive listening in order to be followed. The occasional vocals feel rather out of place, but thankfully those are rather marginal. Overall, this is quite an interesting album, which moves a bit chaotically between Avant-Garde and schmaltz, but for a team of American musicians this is way more ambitious than one might expect. Listeners familiar with the recordings by these musicians might find this album very surprising, as it hardly follows any patterns these musicians are usually associated with. With the vocals removed, this album might even border on excellent.

Updated: 12/10/2022Posted: 12/10/2022

CD 1 Digisleeve Recommend To A Friend

HOLLAND / HUSSAIN / POTTER ~ GOOD HOPE EDITION 1136 (Barcode: 5060509790777) ~ UK ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is an album by the Jazz Trio comprising of British bassist / composer Dave HollandFind albums by this artist, Indian percussionist / composer Zakir HussainFind albums by this artist and American saxophonist / composer Chris PotterFind albums by this artist, collectively known as Crosscurrents TrioFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, three each composed by Holland and Potter and two composed by Hussein. The music is a mixture of modern Jazz and World Music elements, emphasized by the brilliant performances by Hussain using tabla and other percussion instruments. The acoustic intimate trio setting allows the listener to hear clearly every nuance of the trialogue exchanges, all of which are as brilliant, as one might expect from these three virtuosi. It is also a splendid opportunity to hear clearly and distinctly the astounding bass performances, which are often lost in case of recordings of larger ensembles. Overall, this is an excellent opportunity to hear intense and intimate performances by these musicians, on this relatively little known album, released by the excellent British EditionFind albums on this label label. Since Hussain is no longer with us, this is a great tribute of his Art, heard within a strict Jazz milieu, rather than obvious Jazz-World setting. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 03/02/2026Posted: 03/02/2026

CD 1 Digisleeve Recommend To A Friend

TOMASZ STANKO ~ TOO PEE NEW EDITION 87025 (Barcode: 614511738224) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1993 Released: 2005 This is a reissue of the album originally released under the title "Suite TalkFind albums with this title" on the ITMFind albums on this label label, which captures the wonderful meeting between the Polish Jazz trumpet virtuoso / composer Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist and two German Jazz players: reedman Michael RiesslerFind albums by this artist and bassist Manfred BründlFind albums by this artist. The trio performs a set of eight original compositions in a wonderful atmosphere of mutual respect, conversation and above all listening to each other. Stanko´s "sharp" trumpet and Riessler´s "soft" bass clarinet harmonize beautifully, with Bründl´s bass providing the pulsating rhythmic support. These players are all completely open to every musical possibility, that the music they make is a magnificent expression of freedom, without being chaotic or messy. After all this is Free Jazz and Improvised Music, but with an openness towards melody and self-imposed restriction toward form. Stanko is in top form, with renewed energies, which characterize his early 1990s output, revitalized and as always exceptionally creative. It´s excellent to have this superb album back in circulation and anybody who missed it the first time around should definitely avoid the same mistake again. Brilliant stuff!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend