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Verneri Pohjola: Pekka

By Karl Ackermann
May 20, 2017
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Finnish multi-instrumentalist

Pekka Pohjola

bass
1952 - 2008

" data-original-title="" title="">Pekka Pohjola was a classically trained pianist and violinist but known best as a bassist in his native country. The proponent of a unique fusion of jazz, progressive rock and classical music, his work had elements of

Frank Zappa

guitar, electric
1940 - 1993

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Zappa,

King Crimson

band / ensemble / orchestra
b.1969

" data-original-title="" title="">King Crimson and Anton��n Dvo?��k, sometimes all within a single composition. Pohjola died while only in his fifties, somewhat distanced from his family by a life on the road. His son, trumpeter Verneri Pohjola, has been building his own career as part of the Finnish bands Quintessence, the

UMO Jazz Orchestra

" data-original-title="" title="">UMO Jazz Orchestra and, most recently, recording with pianist

Yelena Eckemoff

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Yelena Eckemoff on Blooming Tall Phlox (L&H, 2017). On Pekka, Pohjola pays homage to his father's music.

Pohjola's quintet includes Tuomo Pr?tt?l? on Fender Rhodes, guitarist Teemu Viinikainen, drummer Mika Kallio and bassist Antti L?tj?nen. Pr?tt?l? has released four albums as a leader and is a Sony Jazz Prize winner—an honor that he shares in common with Viinikainen. The young guitarist has appeared on more than thirty recordings to date and is considered one of the most in-demand guitarists in Northern Europe. Kallio has the broadest experience in the group, having worked with Pekka Pohjola,

Iro Haarla

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Iro Haarla,

Juhani Aaltonen

saxophone
b.1935

" data-original-title="" title="">Juhani Aaltonen,

Tomasz Sta��ko

trumpet
1942 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Tomasz Sta��ko,

Wadada Leo Smith

trumpet
b.1941

" data-original-title="" title="">Wadada Leo Smith,

John Lindberg

bass
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">John Lindberg,

John Zorn

saxophone, alto
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">John Zorn and many others. Bassist L?tj?nen also plays piano, trumpet and guitar, and works primarily in other Finnish groups.

"The First Morning" and "The Madness Subsides" were originally recorded by the senior Pohjola on B the Magpie (Virgin Records, 1974), a difficult recording to track down but one that was highly regarded in Finland and has been reissued on CD in recent years. The first of the tunes flows in cinematic grandeur, the guitar and trumpet spiraling with controlled sentiment. On "Madness..." the sound of Viinikainen's electric guitar is extraordinarily pleasing as it washes over the piece. Pr?tt?l?'s keyboard bubbles up, leading up to Pohjola's haunting solo. The ballad-like "Inke and Me" is a showcase for Pohjola, who closes the tune with uplifting fanfare. "Benjamin," a beautifully pastoral piece, first appeared on Changing Waters (Self Published, 1992); Pohjola keeps close to the original's theme but stretches the time and ends with the keyboards taking a more animated approach.

The material on Pekka is culled from twenty years of Pekka Pohjola's music, and there is a good chance that many U.S. listeners will not be familiar with either father, son...or these tunes. That makes this album all the more satisfying a find. Pohjola is a talented and sophisticated musician, unafraid to play beyond convention. His previous three albums show him to be a creative composer in his own right. Pekka is well worth looking into.

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Track Listing

Dragon; First Morning; Inke and Me; Pinch; Madness Subsides; Benjamin; Innocent Questions.

Personnel

Verneri Pohjola

trumpet

Verneri Pohjola: trumpet; Tuomo Pr?tt?l?: Fender Rhodes; Teemu Viinikainen: guitar; Mika Kallio: drums; Antti L?tj?nen: bass.

Album information

Title: Pekka | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Edition Records

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