Guy Berger Posted August 26, 2009 Report Share Posted August 26, 2009 After seeing the crown in Penguin for "Lumi", I was eyeing this album for a long time. Finally I picked up a copy from amazon marketplace and finally listened to it today. Fascinating music! Not sure if I like it or love it after 3 listens, but it's definitely not boring. Reminds me a little of Muhal Richard Abrams (later stuff), less in terms of style but more in terms of the iconoclastic, post-free approach to a large ensemble. I think the only other album I have with him is Garbarek's "Tryptikon". Anybody a fan? Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted August 26, 2009 Report Share Posted August 26, 2009 Yeah, Triptykon is a cool record. He also cut some heavy sides with Juhani Aaltonen for Blue Master and a solo LP that are all very scarce and deserving of reissue. Nan Madol on Japo is real nice, as is another weird one-off Norwegian psychedelic fusion date called "Ode to Marilyn." Excellent player and sorely overlooked, but the reissue market being what it is... probably not surprising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alppila Posted August 26, 2009 Report Share Posted August 26, 2009 A record shop 5 minutes from where I'm sitting still has copies of this disc. It has a CD-ROM component and some live tracks. If anyone's interested (and has Paypal), PM me and we can work something out. Edward Vesala – Sound And Fury: Live no label (Taiwan) [CD] 1. (menu) 0:27 2. (video) 16:21 3. Fulflandia 3:22 4. Awakening 5:57 5. Nan Madol 8:14 6. Infinite Express 9:35 (Note: This promotional CD was produced in 1997 to support a Vesala tour of the Far East, and was packaged with Vesala's regular CDs as a bonus item. Tracks 1 & 2 are video. Special thanks to Tom Smith for this information.) all music composed by Vesala track 3 recorded 1995, Turku, Finland; track 4 recorded 1984, Pori, Finland; tracks 5, 6 recorded 1993 Manchester, UK on track 3, Sound And Fury (personnel details not given, probably similar to tracks 5, 6) on track 4, Edward Vesala, drums solo on tracks 5, 6: Matti Riikonen, trumpet; Jorma Tapio, alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute; Pepa Päivinen, Jouni Kannisto, saxophones, flute; Jimi Sumen, guitar; Iro Haarla, keyboards, harp; Edward Vesala, drums Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Clugston Posted August 26, 2009 Report Share Posted August 26, 2009 Lumi is good, but I like Ode to the Death of Jazz even better. He also did an interesting album featuring his band backing a recitation of "Kullervo" from the Kalevala on his own label. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted February 20, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Just listened to Ode to the Death of Jazz for the first time last week. Great album. Another one I heard for the first time last year was Satu (from the 1970s). I now know what would have happened if Charles Mingus and Gil Evans had moved to Finland and raised a baby together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Clugston Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Also worth checking out is the earlier Nan Madol on ECM (or Japo) and Heavy Life, recorded in the U.S. of A with James Spaulding, Howard Johnson, Reggie Workman, Chico Freeman, J. D. Parran, Tomasz Stańko, Bob Stewart and Joe Daley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Lark Ascending Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 In my experience Vesala is one of those performers who really benefits from listening to several of his recordings; each new one you listen to illuminates the previous ones. True of all performers, I know, but I found my first Vesala - OTTDOJ - a hard nut to crack until I listened to some other things. Has wife, Iro Haarla, is worth exploring to - currently recording for ECM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 I'm surprised this reissue didn't receive more fanfare when it came out last year. Only just learnt of the CD's existence, though I've had the LP for some time and it's a great, fist-pumping jam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 (edited) I'm surprised this reissue didn't receive more fanfare when it came out last year. Only just learnt of the CD's existence, though I've had the LP for some time and it's a great, fist-pumping jam. absoutely. much fanfare in this household. Vesala can do little wrong in my book. A truly great drummer and bandleader. it should be noted that much of the later ECM material had a major input from Iro Haala that has only relatively recently been recognised. Sound and Fury - one of the best live bands I've heard, for sure. i can still hear them nearly twenty years on Edited February 20, 2012 by mjazzg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeway Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 I've got this one and it's pretty good: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clifford_thornton Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 Indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afric Pepperbird Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 (edited) I found Lumi to be good, but not great. The earlier Vesala, the better. I recommend "Nana"; "Satu"; "Twet" (under Stanko's name), "Hot Lotta" (with Brotzmann!!); etc. And those early Juhani Aaltonen albums with Vesala were real kickers!! Edited February 21, 2012 by Afric Pepperbird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
king ubu Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 "Nan Madol" is the earliest I have, and also "Twet" - both mighty fine! Also got one of his Leos, "Heavy Life", and a few later ECMs, "Lumi", "Ode to the Death of Jazz" and "Invisible Storm". Though I feel like I barely scratched the surface... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted March 5, 2015 Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 bumping this thread to see if anyone's familiar with Vesala's Kullervo (I see B. Clugston has/had it 6 years ago)? I've always been put off by the mention of recitation. Wondering what proportion instrumental to vocal are we talking here? How recognisable as a Sound & Fury album is it? (all prompted by seeing Jone Takamaki play last night - wonderful player) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homefromtheforest Posted March 5, 2015 Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 I used to own it and got rid of it as I found the (quite prominent) Finnish recitation quite off putting. I made a nice CD if it I can refer to whenever I may but did not see myself playing this much if at all. If you are talking obscure 80s Vesala albums I would check out "Mau Mau" or "neitsymaka" first. Who did Takamaki play with last night? Does he have any recent or forthcoming releases? I'm envious! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B. Clugston Posted March 5, 2015 Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 bumping this thread to see if anyone's familiar with Vesala's Kullervo (I see B. Clugston has/had it 6 years ago)? I've always been put off by the mention of recitation. Wondering what proportion instrumental to vocal are we talking here? How recognisable as a Sound & Fury album is it? (all prompted by seeing Jone Takamaki play last night - wonderful player) It is heavy on recitation, but with a recognizable Sound & Fury sound. There are some very short instrumental breaks, but mostly you are getting a reading from the Kalevala in Finnish with some musical accompaniment. I really like it, but I must admit I don't spin it that often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted March 5, 2015 Report Share Posted March 5, 2015 I used to own it and got rid of it as I found the (quite prominent) Finnish recitation quite off putting. I made a nice CD if it I can refer to whenever I may but did not see myself playing this much if at all. If you are talking obscure 80s Vesala albums I would check out "Mau Mau" or "neitsymaka" first. Who did Takamaki play with last night? Does he have any recent or forthcoming releases? I'm envious! Thanks for the thoughts on the Vesala He played a solo set followed by a duo with improvising guitarist Lauri Hyvarinen. Pretty astonishing evening of music that seemed little rooted in jazz but more in some long past folk music. Takamaki played a bewildering array of instruments - wooden flutes, Shakuhachi, alto, tenor, soprano and what looked like homemade options (memories of his Krakatau instrumentation). Some fairly astonishing wordless singing and vocalising in the mix too. I came away thinking his playing was all about the sound of breath on different materials - his solo set started with wood progressing through the sax family to the tenor before returning to wood and other little instruments, ending with voice and the sound of percussion instrument scraped across the mic guard. No mention, nor sign of any new recordings. All very self-effacing. bumping this thread to see if anyone's familiar with Vesala's Kullervo (I see B. Clugston has/had it 6 years ago)? I've always been put off by the mention of recitation. Wondering what proportion instrumental to vocal are we talking here? How recognisable as a Sound & Fury album is it? (all prompted by seeing Jone Takamaki play last night - wonderful player) It is heavy on recitation, but with a recognizable Sound & Fury sound. There are some very short instrumental breaks, but mostly you are getting a reading from the Kalevala in Finnish with some musical accompaniment. I really like it, but I must admit I don't spin it that often. Thank you. I think that balance may have swung me away from it . My interest in Finnish poetry being sadly and unjustifiably small Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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