Juhani Aaltonen, Pepa Päivinen, Ilmari Pohjola, Aki Rissanen, Pekka Pohjola, Ville Herrala, Antti Lötjönen, Joonas Riippa, Mika Kallio, Olavi Louhivuori, Antti Tikkanen, Minna Pensola, Atte Kilpeläinen, Tomas Djupsjöbacka
Influences
Per Jorgensen, Miles Davis, Tom Harrel, Tom Waits, Radiohead, Anders Jormin, Björk, Tys Tys...
Aurora (Texicalli Records 2009, TEXCD094)
Photo: Jori Grönroos
AURORA
Listening to Verneri Pohjola’s trumpet is like sailing in cloudy weather with occasional patches of mist. At times rays of sun burst through the clouds. Playing the trumpet is an arduous endeavor. He braves it; he soars like an eagle, flutters like a butterfly or stings like a bee.
His expression is thoroughly musical; music comes first, always with an exceptional melodic inventiveness.
All the compositions are by Verneri; I find them at times rhapsodic, ranging from somber moods to exuberant bursts of joy. Free improvisation contrasted with strictly written passages. Each piece has a story of its own, with ideas for great things to come.
Otto Donner
Track 1: Akvavit
Mika Kallio and Olavi Louhivuori - drums and percussion,
Ville Herrala - string bass
Meta4 string quartet:
Antti Tikkanen - violin
Minna Pensola - violin
Atte Kilpeläinen - viola
Tomas Djupsjöbacka - cello
Track 2: ForThree
Pepa Päivinen - alto flute and bass clarinet
Aki Rissanen - piano
Joonas Riippa - drums and percussion
Olavi Louhivuori - drums and percussion
Antti Lötjönen - bass
Meta4 string quartet
Track 3: Askisto
Meta4 string quartet
Joonas Riippa - drums, percussion and celesta
Aki Rissanen - piano
Antti Lötjönen - bass
Verneri Pohjola - cassette recorder
Track 4: Boxer Diesel
Ilmari Pohjola - trombone
Aki Rissanen - rhodes and other keys
Verneri Pohjola - additional keys
Mika Kallio - drums
Olavi Louhivuori - percussion
Pekka Pohjola - electric bass
Track 5: Spirit of S
Juhani Aaltonen - flute
Aki Rissanen - piano
Joonas Riippa - drums
Antti Lötjönen - bass
Meta4 string quartet
Track 6: Colossus
Juhani Aaltonen - flute
Aki Rissanen - piano
Joonas Riippa - drums
Antti Lötjönen - bass
Track 7: Concierto de Aranjuez Amour
Ville Herrala - bass
Aki Rissanen - piano
Everybody - Background noises
Track 8: In The End of This Album
Ilmari Pohjola - trombone
Verneri Pohjola - cassette recorder, drums, Rhodes, other keys and vocals
Emilia Sainisalo - additional vocals
Aki Rissanen - Rhodes and other keys
Antti Lötjönen - double bass
Pekka Pohjola - Electric bass
Meta4 string quartet
Despite the fact that he is just about to star in his first solo effort, trumpet player Verneri Pohjola is not a newcomer to the vivid Finnish jazz scene. Released by Texicalli Records in February 2009, “Aurora” is evidence enough that artists who get the necessary time to grow, deliver the best of debut albums.
The past couple of years have seen Pohjola’s name pop up often just where it should have done. The project’s featuring the skills of the young trumpetist include Ilmiliekki Quartet, one of the internationally most successful Finnish jazz ensembles, the ECM recording Iro Haarla Quintet, “Agatha”, a best-selling album collaboration between Pohjola, Finland’s premier big band UMO, and composer Kerkko Koskinen, to name but a few. Pohjola has also recently toured with his critically acclaimed Miles Davis tribute project featuring the cream of the crop of the young Finnish jazz players, featured in top ranking soul vocalist Tuomo’s live ensemble, and recorded an experimental album with drummer Joonas Riippa for Aeon/Ilma Records.
Thus, we introduce Verneri Pohjola, the solo artist, with both great pleasure and high expectations. His debut album, “Aurora”, is not put together with an entirely common recipe. That is, the album presents the leader of the session neither with a set combo, nor a solo studio setting so common these days. Instead, the album is a collection of eight pieces, each of which carry with them their own musical narrative. The collective of artists on this albums are each on top of their game, and each composition is met with a different instrumentation conducted by Pohjola to best fit the mood he is after.
No matter how you look at it, the array of instrumentalists making “Aurora” happen are first rate. The representatives of the strong young voice in Finnish jazz, Aki Rissanen, Antti Lötjönen, Joonas Riippa, Olavi Louhivuori, Ilmari Pohjola, Ville Herrala, and Mika Kallio, are all perhaps not yet household names on the international jazz circuit, but are nevertheless already making big waves nationally in various highly rated ensembles. Juhani Aaltonen, Pepa Päivinen, and the late, also internationally noted jazz great, bassist Pekka Pohjola, represent the history of jazz music in Finland and each bring their strong visions to meet with that of Verneri Pohjola’s. The string section on the album is Meta4, an ensemble noted on their own as one of Europe’s finest.
The pieces on the album penned by Verneri Pohjola breathe with remarkable ease. The opener, ‘Akvavit’, is an ample example of what is about to follow. Pohjola’s tone is breezy and meditative. He fills the sonic canvas without excessive force, travels with just enough musical hand-luggage at all times, and employs the larger orchestra where necessary. The themes build up slowly and there is space within the diverse compositions.
The underlying and unifying texture comes courtesy of Pohjola’s uncanny vision to make the most of the compositions and the exquisite wealth of instrumental skill available.
All in all, “Aurora” is a very ambitious effort for a debut. No wonder, then, that this music is created by a musician who can already boast a CV many a contemporary jazzman would be proud of as such.
Hi,Verneri. Thank you for your kindness comment! I apologize for having made a mistake in the spelling of the name. I intend to listen to the music that had you teach me from you. I expect your visit to Japan.
Mä käyn aina kävelylenkillä kuuntelemassa uudet levyt, koska sillon pystyy keskittymään parnhaiten. Sun kauniin levyn kanssa oli nautonnillisin kävelylenkki pitkään aikaan. Tiedätkö muuten OI va voi -nimisen bändin?
