How good are the jazzier releases?
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How good are the jazzier releases?
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I think they are really fantastic. I bought them all along with the pop (rock) liisa ones. Tons of great rhodes and electric guitar present.Originally Posted by lucetjosee69
My thoughts exactly regarding both of these.
Yes. Greg Walker just brought in a batch of them. He had them all but the Tolonen / Kom Quartet. I was taking a break from buying when Ken and Steve offered them earlier. And they sold out quick.
And as noted above, a whole new set of them on the way!
I started featuring these on my blog. My favorite so far is Taivaanvuohi, and I'll be featuring it tomorrow. Of the jazz ones I've heard, I really liked Taivaantenppeli as noted above. Here's the post if interested in reading further: http://unencumberedmusicreviews.blog...-liisa-02.html
Damnit! Just bought the 2 frm Greg - sounds like i need the other ones too!
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Got the second set of releases. Pretty amazing stuff all around. Been flogging the crap out of these releases on the radio. I'm playing them on the jazz fill-in show as I type. the list is:
Jukka Haura / Nono Soderberg - Pop-Liisa 5
Finnforest/Elonkorjuu - Pop-Liisa 6
Kalevala - Pop-Liisa 7
Nimbus - Pop-Liisa 8
Jupo Group - Jazz-Liisa: Live in Studio 5
Jukka Linkola Octet - Jazz-Liisa: Live in Studio 6
Oton Kvartetti / Wasama-Tuominen Trio - Jazz-Liisa- Live in Studio 07
Pentti Hietanen & Teppo Hauta-Aho Duo /Wasama Quartet - Jazz-Liisa: Live in Studio 8
spam alert
For those wanting a listen there are 4 of my show and now 2 "jazz" shows. They are on-demand here:
The most recent "pop"
http://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/112/28654.html
The first round stuff
http://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/112/28164.html
http://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/112/28062.html
http://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/112/27673.html
Jazz shows from both rounds of releases
http://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/94/28730.html
http://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/95/28731.html
Last edited by markinottawa; 08-31-2016 at 10:22 PM.
I got them too on Friday but I only managed to start playing them today. First off, the Kalevala / Nimbus CD. It is exquisite!!!
Cool! I'm looking forward to hearing that one too. I bought them all except the last CD: Oton Kvartetti / Wasama-Tuominen Trio - Jazz-Liisa- Live in Studio 07
Pentti Hietanen & Teppo Hauta-Aho Duo /Wasama Quartet - Jazz-Liisa: Live in Studio 8
I chickened out fearing it might be straight(er) jazz, which isn't a bad thing at all mind you, just not what I'm focused on for the collection. Anyone heard these 2 yet and care to comment?
The 8 CDs worth pack has just arrived today, ordered directly from Svart's online store, so I am about to start with the first disc off the jazz series. No previous sampling, no preconceptions, no expectations - let the live music speak!
I'll be reporting here on the development of my feelings and thoughts.
I have just finished Unisono Quartet / Taivaantemppeli CD, and unlike Walt I am equally impressed by either band's performance.
Unisono Quartet operates in my beloved area between post-Coltrane/Davis modalism and emerging jazz-rock, so even without bringing anything new to the table I just cannot have enough of such a loosely flowing playing. Taivaantemppeli generally remains in the same territory, although moving a bit towards either propulsive rock aesthetics, Afro-Cuban jamming or open-form excursions, making their session a more disjointed but at the same time more compelling experience.
Neither band pushes into more avant or free direction, but for me they do not need to, because I love each stylistic twist and turn on this disc. My adventure with the series could not have started better. An ideal set for an afternoon chair swinging!
From the first batch of 4 I skipped Uni Sono / Taivaantemppeli - Jazz Liisa 01/02 and then I panicked because all of them sold out and I couldn't find it. Eventually Greg Walker stocked them and I managed to get my hands on it. Now, with the second batch, I didn't debate whether to get them all or not. I just ordered them and will do the same with the third and last batch. I think Jazz Liisa 9 to 12 will be more straight jazz because I saw that Jazz Liisa 12 features Mircea Stan, a trombonist of Romanian descent that was active in Finland at the time and who is playing plain jazz.
As for Jazz Liisa 07/08, it has 4 parts, as follows:
1. Oton Kvartetti (one track of 19:09) - The quartet is made of Otto-Tapio Nevanlinna - violin, Jukka Linkola - Fender Rhodes electric piano, Jorma Koivulehto - double bass and Heikki Timonen - drums. The music starts of as a very subdued, yet pleasant jazz rock, with references to RtF and Mahavishnu Orchestra but then evolves towards a more free jazz approach that is decorated with enough far-east motifs executed on the violin to keep things interesting. Towards the end, the tempo picks up a bit and we return in the realm of free jazz. Not a bad song, by any means.
2. Wasama - Tuominen Trio (two tracks totaling more than 22 minutes) - The trio include Olli-Pekka Wasama - double bass and Jukka Wasama - drums and percussion (the Wasama brothers were part of the Finish band Piirpauke) along Tapio Tuominen - tenor saxophone, hence the name of the group. With these instruments and given the year of the recordings (1973), you know to expect some plain straight jazz with a lot of avant-garde and free jazz elements. If I stretch my imagination and if I want to sell it to you, I would tell you that I can also discover some psychedelic Krautrock undertones. There you go, ;-)
3. Pentti Hietanen & Teppo Hauta-Aho Duo (three songs tracking around 21 minutes) - this is a duo of Pentti Hietanen (piano) and Teppo Hauta-Aho (double bass). Straight jazz, but Hietanen's piano is quite nice actually. Grab a bottle of your favorite red wine and spend a great evening with your wife listening to this segment of Jazz Liisa 08. On the third song, Hauta-Aho uses the bow to play the double-bass and this gives the music a softer, more mellow tone.
4. Wasama Quartet (three songs totaling close to 17 minutes) - the quartet includes the Wasama brothers plus Mikko-Ville Luolajan-Mikkola - violin and piano and Ilkka Niemenäinen - 12 string acoustic guitar. This is perhaps my favorite part of the CD. All acoustic instruments, but both Luolajan-Mikkola and Niemenäinen are great virtuosos. We are treated to an interlaced duel of solos where the guitar and the violin take turns in mesmerizing the audience. While I was doing some research, I saw that Wasama Quartet has release in 1980 in exactly this line-up.
That's about it.
The plot thickens. The next instalment of the jazz series, Jukka Tolonen Ramblin' Jazz Band / KOM Quartet CD (vol. 3&4), departs drastically from the mellow modal jazz-rock vibe, kicking off with Tolonen's classical acoustic intro leading to what one might call a jazzy prog in the vein of Zappa's 1973-74 live bands, where the band moves through a kaleidoscope of moods, riffs and solos, with recurring themes spinning the 17-minute long composition. The second 22-minute long number shifts towards a brass-rock mode, à la Blood, Sweat & Tears, If or Petit Wazoo, with more funk jamming, mean riffing, and, quite surprisingly, some folkish soloing.
This joyous jamfest ends Jukka band's performance and frankly speaking nothing has prepared me for the second act this evening. From the opening number KOM Quartet (actually sextet) sets their goal clear - bring music genre barriers down with a serious third-stream programme worthy of an ECM contract. Funk, opera, jazz, folk, prog and chamber music are mixed up and juxtaposed in an idiosyncratic manner that makes listener scratch his/her head in search of stylistic anchor and links. A highly pleasurable head scratching that is.
Summing up, another killer disc which has made me really pumped up to spin the next volume!
Last edited by Jay.Dee; 09-14-2016 at 02:55 PM.
Ya I totally dig that KOM Quartet set. Never thought it would be as impressive as it is.
Last edited by yesstiles; 09-16-2016 at 05:11 AM.
Thank you Eddie for the rundown on these! I probably will hold off buying them, but they do sound intriguing all the same.
I really enjoyed the KOM Quartet as well. In reading about the band, they have a number of political rock albums which I haven't heard. But this one masked that element quite effectively, and was more instrumental than usual for the genre. Somewhat like the German politrock band Oktober, but less angry.
The plot thickens. The next instalment of the jazz series, Jukka Tolonen Ramblin' Jazz Band / KOM Quartet CD (vol. 3&4), departs drastically from the mellow modal jazz-rock vibe, kicking off with Tolonen's classical acoustic intro leading to what one might call a jazzy prog in the vein of Zappa's 1973-74 live bands, where the band moves through a kaleidoscope of moods, riffs and solos, with recurring themes spinning the 17-minute long composition. The second 22-minute long number shifts towards a brass-rock mode, à la Blood, Sweat & Tears, If or Petit Wazoo, with more funk jamming, mean riffing, and, quite surprisingly, some folkish soloing.
This joyous jamfest ends Jukka band's performance and frankly speaking nothing has prepared me for the second act this evening. From the opening number KOM Quartet (actually sextet) sets their goal clear - bring music genre barriers down with a serious third-stream programme worthy of an ECM contract. Funk, opera, jazz, folk, prog and chamber music are mixed up and juxtaposed in an idiosyncratic manner that makes listener scratch his/her head in search of stylistic anchor and links. A highly pleasurable head scratching that is.
Summing up, another killer disc which has made me really pumped up to spin the next volume!
It must have happened. After first two excellent discs (four bands) in the jazz series, Jupu Group / Jukka Linkola Octet CD (vol. 5&6) let me down. The opening Jupu Group' session is actually not that bad, balancing mid-70s fusion grooves with more outward bound explorations. Violin attack hesitates between Ponty's sweetness and Sugarcane's edge, while electic piano evoke early 70s Chick Corea's soundscapes. The diversity and musicianship are probably the biggest assets here, because the themes too easily dissolve into directionless jamming or improvisations.
Unfortunately the second half of the disc is totally marred for me by the dark suit professionalism of Jukka Linkola Octet that serve a cocktail of big-bandish cool jazz, hummable soul-bop or groovy fuzak. Even though I can appreciate the ambition of well-crafted compositions and arrangements, the playing for the most of time is so inoffensive, so clichéd, that after a few minutes it just makes me want to press eject. The first truly disappointing pick in the jazz collection.
Last edited by Jay.Dee; 09-15-2016 at 06:42 PM.
KOM Quartet was an offshoot of KOM-teatteri, which is a theatre group that used to perform as a political vocal group in the 70s. As far as I know, KOM Quartet itself released only two albums (Älä tuhlaa aikaa and Väinämöisen soitto), whereas the actual KOM-teatteri albums (which are quite plentiful) are not particularly interesting to anyone looking for prog or jazz, just a bunch of militant-sounding schlager songs performed by people who are better actors than singers.
KOM Quartet was big positive surprise also for me. Really nice stuff. Left-wing lyrics are also quite amusing
My progressive music site: https://pienemmatpurot.com/ Reviews in English: https://pienemmatpurot.com/in-english/
The jazz series hits back with a vengeance, with a CD (vol. 7&8) grouping four distinct (and wildly diverse) bands: Oton Kvartetti / Wasama Tuominen Trio / Pentti Hietanen & Teppo Hauta-Aho Duo / Wasama Quartet, each in an approx. 20 minute session. This release has been extensively covered by Zalmoxe's post above, so I will limit myself to a brief recapitulation of its content.
The opening Oton Kvartetti resumes the style and arrangements of Jupu Group from the 5th volume, although this time we are treated with one long improv/jam filled with open/out explorations, with plucking violin and clinking electric piano set the tone in turns over sudden shifts of tempo and mood. A solid effort.
Then comes Wasama Tuominen Trio and we shift into a free-jazz trio mode. First mournful track nodes to Sonny on an "out" date, while the second longer one chases late Trane with a stop for a nicely interwoven free-improv section. Nothing new or revelatory, but for the fans of the genre (like me) it is a hugely enjoyable segment.
On the next station we jump out of Trane straight onto the real McCoy of a lush piano&bass duo situation. Pentti Hietanen & Teppo Hauta-Aho transport us back to the beautiful impressionism of modal piano jazz of the early 60s. Is it Sunday at the Village Vanguard again? Shamelessly retro but freaking beautiful nonetheless. Except for the uniquely idiosyncratic KOM Quartet on the 4th volume it has been all about following influences and inspirations, but this gig is IMO the most masterful adaptation I have heard so far.
Following such a seductive act is not easy, but Wasama Quartet does not turn up to give any ground and bursts onto the stage with an incendiary mixture of eastern scales and jazz-rock. The spirit of Mahavishnu is surely smiling above, but these guys mean business and this live set could have been the best MO live album I'd wish they had recorded and released before the amps got turned up to 11. A great slice of uniquely sounding acoustic jazz-rock with proggy sensibilities, which makes me look forward to upcoming new jazz volumes.
Bring them on!
Last edited by Jay.Dee; 01-28-2017 at 04:03 AM.
I enjoyed your description as I just bought this myself few days ago. Thanks!
The jazz series hits back with a vengeance, with a CD (vol. 7&8) grouping four distinct (and wildly diverse) bands: Oton Kvartetti / Wasama Tuominen Trio / Pentti Hietanen & Teppo Hauta-Aho Duo / Wasama Quartet, each in an approx. 20 minute session. This release has been extensively covered by Zalmoxe's post above, so I will limit myself to a brief recapitulation of its content.
The opening Oton Kvartetti resumes the style and arrangements of Jupu Group from the 5th volume, although this time we are treated with one long improv/jam filled with open/out explorations, with plucking violin and clinking electric piano set the tone in turns over sudden shifts of tempo and mood. A solid effort.
Then comes Wasama Tuominen Trio and we shift into a free-jazz trio mode. First mournful track nodes to Sonny on an "out" date, while the second longer one chases late Trane with a stop for a nicely interwoven free-improv section. Nothing new or revelatory, but for the fans of the genre (like me) it is a hugely enjoyable segment.
On the next station we jump out of Trane straight onto the real McCoy of a lush piano&bass duo situation. Pentti Hietanen & Teppo Hauta-Aho transport us back to the beautiful impressionism of modal piano jazz of the early 60s. Is it Sunday at the Village Vanguard again? Shamelessly retro but freaking beautiful nonetheless. Apart from the uniquely idiosyncratic KOM Quartet on the 4th volume it has been all about following influences and inspirations, but this one is IMO the most masterful adaptation I have heard so far.
Following such a seductive act is not easy, but Wasama Quartet does not turn up to give any ground and bursts onto the stage with an incendiary mixture of eastern scales and jazz-rock. The spirit of Mahavishnu is surely smiling above, but these guys mean business and this live set could have been the best MO live album I'd wish they had recorded and released before the amps got turned up to 11. A great slice of uniquely sounding acoustic jazz-rock with proggy sensibilities, which makes me look forward to upcoming new jazz volumes.
Bring them on!
I have only listened this twice so far and liked most the Wasama Quartet section.
My progressive music site: https://pienemmatpurot.com/ Reviews in English: https://pienemmatpurot.com/in-english/
These are really amazing archival finds and while I encourage all to support our resident prog dealers like Laser's Edge and Wayside Music for physical goods (the vinyl sounds splendid...pressings are dead quiet and the sound quality is really good, and all come with download cards), those who've moved into the digital realm should be pleased to know that these are now available digitally via Bandcamp:
https://popliisa.bandcamp.com
https://jazzliisa.bandcamp.com
Daily jazz vinyl reviews on Instagram @jazzandcoffee
This is easily the best release of the year.
Like the notes say, imagine John Peel trove of never-released wonders being uncovered. That is what we have here from the YLE vaults. And very small studio audience (30 in places), so there is no distraction.
The guitarists of the 70's Finn fusion scene (and the late 70s/80s Spanish scene) were astounding.
Listen to Pekka Tegelman guitar solo on the "Rolling Down the Highway" track. Has anyone even HEARD of this guitarist? No. It's Elonkorjuu.
The only bad thing about the Finn scene was that there was little organ *(not much keys other than the fusion-mainstay, Rhodes) - its the guitar & woodwinds that shine. One is made to wonder: these Jukka & Pekka GODS - how did they get this way? Was it that they had nothing else to do in those short Nordic day-hours than practice...practice?
Oh, and let us not forget, Europe's oldest jazz music magazine and longest-running festival came not out of Paris or whatever, but Pori, Finland.
*There ARE however two jaw-dropping organ runs by Jukka Gustafsson on the Wigwam disc.
.....................
Someone put down a link for Swedish Sessions box. But it does not work.
Any info you can give?
The 2nd batch of pop-liisa and jazz-liisa cd's/lp's were recently released and they are top notch!
I'm really digging Jukka Hauru's "GÜNTHER ANGST" epic track.
Except for the early Wigwam releases. Jukka Gustavson's organ is front and center! One of the best players ever to lay hands on the instrument.
Winter sale at Svart - all Jazz&Pop Liisa CDs are 9€ only!
http://svartrecords.com/shoppe/searc...c&orderway=asc
Fantastic! I only had one of these, had been planning on getting more. Now the other seven are on their way to me
Thanks for the tip off, Jay.Dee.
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