Jazz

Solid Scandi-Bossa from the awarded Finnish trumpetist Jukka Eskola!

Release date: 2013 september 16th

Jukka Eskola - Orquesta Bossa - Album Preview

The Guardian once commented that "Empirical have become fascinating and fearless" and their fourth album Tabula Rasa is evidence that this is still very much the case.  Never a band to shy away from taking risks, Tabula Rasa is a double album and marks yet another new direction from the band once dubbed by the Daily Telegraph as "the coolest of Britain's young jazz bands". 

Empirical - Empiricism (FREE DOWNLOAD)

From the album "Jukka Eskola Orquesta Bossa" released by Schema Records worldwide in September 2013 and by Zounds Inc in Japan in May 2013. Please visit http://www.jukkaeskola.com for more.

Martha's Moment

The new album by Alessandro Scala connects itself to the fertile and alluring scene of contemporary Hard-Bop that is constantly proving its quality with solid results, especially in Italy.

This work is a perfect balance of traditional  influences and contemporary inspirations, an intense and fruitful study that leads to a new, rich and articulate way of expression.

Through his original compositions and the intense dialogue with trumpeter Fabrizio Bosso and trombonist Roberto Rossi, Alessandro consciously builds a sparse and sometimes lyrical language, enhanced by the rhythm section provided by Nico Menci, Paolo Ghetti and Stefano Paolini.

The result is vivid and bright.

Another valuable piece has been added our considerable Jazz history.

(From the sleeve notes by Paolo Fresu)

Grab your copy here!

Alessandro Scala Quartet - Easy Song

If you ask me how to distinguish a great band from all the quite good ones, my answer would be to just listen to any given group live for three nights in a row. See if you still think they sound fresh for your ears during the encore of the third show. Timo Lassy Band does. One music journalist called the “In With Lassy” release club nights a “mini festival”. That works, sure. There were some great opening acts, proving that there's a future for jazz in Finland, some topical guests at our talk show, and a lot of people who make all this worthwhile. All of the gigs sold out in advance. Damn, somebody even bought the entire Lassy back catalogue on vinyl all at once from the record stand. That's dedication.

Matti Nives

Timo Lassy - Where's the Man?

Timo Lassy - It Could Be Better

Timo Lassy - Just One of Those Things

Timo Lassy - The Good Life

Timo Lassy - Shootin' Dice

Timo Lassy - Uncle Harry Came to Town

Mighty Mighty comes blazing forward from the flourishing Finnish jazz scene. The creation of pianist-composer Kari Setälä, this collective of Helsinki jazz A-listers navigates effortlessly between various flavours of jazz, leaping from energetic straight-ahead into swinging hard-bop and vintage jazz-funk – and everything in between.

As an artist, while I regard composing as a great way of self-expression, I do strongly believe that a collection of “good tunes” – in addition to immaculate solo performances and communicative band interplay - is the guiding light and backbone of a successful jazz album set. That is, compositions with memorable and strong, melodic themes, that - while being approachable – never compromise their artistic integrity nor forego the jazz tradition they stem from. Compositions that are almost always more than just vehicles for extended improvisation: songs.

Putting together this group in early 2009, I had a quite clear artistic vision of trying to balance the musical output between two loves: thereʼs that 1970ʼs electric-piano- fueled jazz-funk as pioneered by H. Hancock, and on the other hand, the acoustic two- horn hard-bop sound of the 1960ʼs.

Iʼve been lucky to be surrounded by a group of excellent and highly in-demand musicians, who are able to swim in these waters like its their second nature!

Kari Setälä

Mighty Mighty - Simba

Extra Mile

Download

Joomanji - Spread Too Thin (feat. Lindsay Olsen & Nick Bianchini)

Written by Jonne Bentlöv.

From the album Chapter One by The Quiet Nights Orchestra. 
Released 2009 by Lights Out Music Group (CD).

Reissued on Vinyl 2010 by Reach Up.

Helsinki

Metropolitan Jazz Affair - MJA - 03 YUNOWHATHISLIFEEZ (Motorcity Mix)

Kovacs - BBS (Original)

available on Leftovers:
 http://birocratic.bandcamp.com/album/leftovers

download Leftovers

swing low

 A relaxed effort in the vein of the classic ”cooking session” tradition of modern jazz.

That is, the band came in, took hold of the new tunes penned by Lassy and his trusty drummer/producer Teppo ”Teddy Rok” Mäkynen, and fired on all cylinders.

The result? Some of the most swinging no-nonsense in your face and under your feet jazz you’ll likely to hear this year or during most of the others.

No gimmicks needed here, this jazz is cooking.

Timo Lassy - Teddy The Sweeper

The track "Bolly Beat" from the album "Jukka Eskola Orquesta Bossa".

For more info, please visit: www.facebook.com/jukkaeskolajazz

Jazz

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