More 1970’s Finnish fusion greatness from the Sähkö Records-associated Jazzpuu imprint. As the title suggests, the ninth Jazzpuu release to date is a spacey trip to the unknown with an impressive lineup of Finnish jazz all-time greats such as Olli Ahvenlahti, Heikki Sarmanto and Esa Pethman. Editing duties are carried out by Helsinki-based DJs Didier and Anonymous.
The A side holds Didier’s take on ‘Ufology’, a nicely rolling track featuring nearly camp-ish cosmic effects. Check the intro to catch my drift. After the initial abduction, things progress in a wonderful way here with drums coming in first, followed by the pounding bass, and finally the horns. The mood of the track is indeed somewhat mystic – sinister, even. During its seven minutes, ‘Ufology’ rolls with inevitable force and killer dynamics. Overall, the track is a solid group effort, yet Pentti Lahti in baritone sax makes an immediate impression with some furious riffing. Anonymous provides the ‘dub-side’ with his bonus beats on the flip.
‘No Comments’ is another fabulous groover, which features interesting tempo and mood changes midway through the track. As the press release fittingly suggests, the track operates in a spiritual jazz vibe reminiscent of the Strata-East label. The 2006 edit is done by TG – an acronym which may or may not be connected with Sähkö label manager with strikingly similar initials…
In sum, another strong effort by Jazzpuu. It’s remarkable to realise that this is the label’s first 12” release in four years, and the first release proper since late 2004. Let’s hope that there’s more on the way sooner rather than later.
For more info, samples, and orders go to:
http://www.sahkorecordings.com/jazzpuu.php
by matti for beyondjazz.net
