Edward Vesala was one of the most important musicians to emerge on the European jazz scene, and played a major role in the creation of a distinctively European jazz identity. He made his mark as an improvising drummer as well as an original composer and arranger, and forged his spirited Sound and Fury ensemble into one of the key creative groups of the era.
Many musicians from the northern European fringes came to prominence in the post-60s development of European jazz and new music, led by the Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek. Vesala played on Garbarek's fiery Triptykonalbum in 1972 for ECM Records, than as now a focus for new developments in Europe, a project which proved to carry more pointers to the drummer's uncompromising future direction than the saxophonist's.
Vesala's example was a galvanising force in Finnish music, and he became the focus for most of the developments within that country, but his impact was by no means restricted to it. He evolved a unique and highly distinctive sound-world with his group, exploring unusual extremes of instrumental timbre and texture in his arrangements, with his own varied and expressive percussion at the heart of the music.
He recorded a number of albums for ECM Records from the early 1970s onwards, beginning with Nan Madol in 1974, which featured the expatriate American saxophonist Charlie Mariano amid the Finnish line-up, and on which Vesala played harp and flute as well as percussion. Satu (1977) assembled a pan-European cast, including Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, Norwegian guitarist Terje Rypdal, and Danish trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg.
He recorded with Stanko and an otherwise all-American band in New York in 1980, released on the Finnish Leo Records label as Heavy Life , but reverted to ECM and his Sound and Fury unit for the album which will be seen as his masterpiece. Lumi(1986) incorporated characteristically diverse musical influences, including tango, rock, folk and minimalism, within a compelling and highly atmospheric framework.
Many musicians from the northern European fringes came to prominence in the post-60s development of European jazz and new music, led by the Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek. Vesala played on Garbarek's fiery Triptykonalbum in 1972 for ECM Records, than as now a focus for new developments in Europe, a project which proved to carry more pointers to the drummer's uncompromising future direction than the saxophonist's.
Vesala's example was a galvanising force in Finnish music, and he became the focus for most of the developments within that country, but his impact was by no means restricted to it. He evolved a unique and highly distinctive sound-world with his group, exploring unusual extremes of instrumental timbre and texture in his arrangements, with his own varied and expressive percussion at the heart of the music.
He recorded a number of albums for ECM Records from the early 1970s onwards, beginning with Nan Madol in 1974, which featured the expatriate American saxophonist Charlie Mariano amid the Finnish line-up, and on which Vesala played harp and flute as well as percussion. Satu (1977) assembled a pan-European cast, including Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, Norwegian guitarist Terje Rypdal, and Danish trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg.
He recorded with Stanko and an otherwise all-American band in New York in 1980, released on the Finnish Leo Records label as Heavy Life , but reverted to ECM and his Sound and Fury unit for the album which will be seen as his masterpiece. Lumi(1986) incorporated characteristically diverse musical influences, including tango, rock, folk and minimalism, within a compelling and highly atmospheric framework.
Tracks
01. The Wind
02. Frozen Melody
03. Calypso Bulbosa
04. Third Moon
05. Lumi
06. Camel Walk
07. Fingo
08. Early Messenger
09. Together
ESKO HEIKKINEN trumpet, piccolo trumpet
PENTTI LAHTI alto and baritone saxophone, flutes
JORMA TAPIO alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, flute
TAPANI RINNE tenor and soprano saxophones, clarinets
KARI HEINILA tenor and soprano saxophones, flute
TOM BILDO trombone, tuba
IRO HAARLA piano, harp
RAOUL BJORKENHEIM guitar
TAITO VAINIO accordeon
HÄKÄ bass
EDWARD VESALA drums, percussion
Music composed by Edward Vesala except (09) composed by Edward Vesala and Tomasz Stanko.
Recorded June 1986 at Finnvox Studio, Helsinki
ECM 1339 / 831 517-2