After receiving a memorable 5th place with the single ‘Sunrise’ in the acclaimed best Finish Release category for last years Beyondjazz awards, Jimi T drops the full length and immediately raises the bar for all local competitors who want to take the 2007 award home to Finland this year. Armed with Kabu Kabu, a trio of West-African musicians including ex-Fela Kuti sidemen percussionist
Nicholas Addo Nettey, the result is pure Tenor treatment. Originally conceived in Tenor’s tiny garage South of Finland and eventually finished in Helsinki by Soul Investigator producer supreme
Didier Selin, “Joystone” digests as an unconventional Nigerian pastry served with an armful of Finish Sahti: a delightful and utterly funky cross-pollination of Finish jazz and Nigerian afro-beat rhythms. And then knowing most of the wind audible on these recordings comes courtesy of fellow countrymen
Jukka Eskola,
Timo Lassy and
Juha Kortehisto, why should we still wait and not send JT the 2007 award already?
The album starts harmlessly joyful with the sweet almost poppy ‘Anywhere, Anytime’, or at least you would think that, right up until Ilkka Matilla drops in the funky guitar licks, the brass section storms in, the tempo heats up, and you’re dancing in no time. From then on its polyrhythmic big band galore. ‘I Wanna Hook Up’ brings in the African lady scants and ‘Hot Baby’ is an even more infectious necking and petting of bass, brass and rhythm layered with lascivious sound affects. Standout tracks like ‘
Hermetic Man’ and ‘
Sunrise’ are beautiful melodic pieces offering top space for the free indulgent jazz blowings by Timmo and Jukka. The opening bars on ‘Love is the Only God’ would fit perfectly in a contemporary blaxploitation car chase and the vibe on closing track ‘Dede’ sounds even more cool and exceptionally out there. Add to this Jimi’s excellent work behind keys taking turn with a spontaneous dose of humorous narrative, a strong rhythmical backbone, percussive exotics straight from the motherland … and above all a healthy dose of cosmic electrics, making “Joystone” a highly enjoyable and unique musical experience.
This album brings JT back on Finlands legendary indie imprint
Sähkö, and the good folks at
Ubiquity picked up the album for coverage in North America, the UK, Australia and New Zealand. It looks like Differ-Ant will be taking care of distribution in the Benelux.
Don’t forget to catch Jimi Tenor and his Kabu Kabu disciples live @ the Kreun this Summer.
by
Yiannis for beyondjazz.net
