The origin of Gourmet can be traced back to 1996 when a group named Salad
was formed by saxophonist Mikko Innanen and guitarist Esa Onttonen. Salad's
journey to stardom ended somewhat prematurely as the group disbanded right after
the first gig. The time wasn't yet ripe for a group featuring an accordion
(already played by Veli Kujala) and an eclectic repertoire that included two Ennio
Morricone compositions.
This failed attempt didn't discourage Innanen and Onttonen from
giving the idea a second try, this time with the addition of slide trombone and some
personnel changes. The first formation of Gourmet hit the stage in April 1998
and eventually went to record the critically acclaimed debut album
"Glamour & Decadence" that was
released by Fiasko Records in April 2001. Both the album and the group
placed runners-up in the Critics Poll held by the Jazzrytmit magazine.
After the few gigs following the release of the album Gourmet went into
a nearly two-year hiatus to come back in April 2004 with a completely new
repertoire and more brassy sound as the double bass was replaced by tuba.
Whereas the old material was "eccentric and intoxicating brew of blues, jazz,
tango, rock, surf, noise and even Greek bouzouki music" (All About Jazz),
the new material benefits from a more focused approach on the stylistical
variety. Fourteen tracks representing the "new Gourmet sound" were released as
"Six Acres of Broken Hearts" in November 2004.
A culinary parallel to the exciting and delightful new sound of Gourmet could
be a meal consisting of at least the following dishes:
some spoonfuls of bortsch, a dose of mamma's meatballs, a bowl of gumbo,
chili beans wrapped up in tortillas and shaslik, served with all kinds of
potatoes.
It is highly recommended to flush it all down with a hefty cup of good old
Tennessee bourbon. A cake as sweet as your true love's lips and of the
size of the Lone Star State goes well as the dessert. The coffee should be
thick, black and mean.
After the release of Six Acres of Broken Hearts Gourmet has toured in Finland (Feb '05) and played at festivals in Nantes, France (Aug '06), Münster, Germany (Jan '07), Tilburg, the Netherlands (Dec '06) and Le Mans, France (May '08).
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