Hit it!
Things ain’t what they used to be (Ellington)
5 AM
Kiiti J
Intro
VP
Directions (Zawinul)
Prology
Teemu Viinikainen (guitars), Ville Herrala (double bass), Mika Kallio (drums). All tracks by Teemu Viinikainen unless otherwise stated.
Rec. In October and November 2013 at Varistoteles Studios, Helsinki, Finland.
PROPHONE PCD 146
[36:53]
‘Nordic noir’ is currently extremely popular with fans of TV dramas while Nordic jazz has been popular with jazz fans for a lot longer and discs like this
show why. This trio certainly punches above its weight with a really thrilling start with the album’s title track setting the disc off in fine style
showing what a tightly knit unit it is. Ellington’s classic Things ain’t what they used to be has never had a treatment like it does here giving
it a new dimension. 5 AM is a nicely understated piece while Kiiti J is an excursion in Rock territory which amply demonstrates Teemu’s prowess on
guitar while the other two show some inspired musicianship too. Intro takes the temperature back down showing Teemu’s reflective side and VP is in a nicely laid back groove. Zawinul’s Directions takes us back to the days of Weather Report reminding me why I never
really took to them; too much experimentation and not enough soul for me. Finishing off with Prology we’re back to laid back mode with a
vengeance; I personally think it’s better to finish a disc with a track that goes on playing itself in your mind rather than one that is as soporific as
this one.
So a little bit of a curate’s egg of disc and at well under 40 minutes disappointingly short when you often get discs that deliver up to 80 minutes and as
a result not designed to win as many friends and to influence as many people as it could have been. Looking back to last year I note that I had a generally
similar opinion about the last disc of theirs, Nyt! that I reviewed. Maybe the next will be different as the talent is in no doubt.
Steve Arloff
CD Reviews
B00I7V60BC
