Tenor saxophonist Timo Lassy, one of Finland's leading jazz artists, is back with a new album release "Trio" on We Jazz Records. The album, to be released on 27 August, introduces Lassy's new combo with bassist Ville Herrala and drummer Jaska Lukkarinen – both We Jazz Records roster artists on their own right.

The new Lassy sound is tight, swinging and funky, led by the strong and riff-ready sax of the tenorman. That being said, the album's sound is not limited to that of the swinging trio. As we hear already on the first single "Orlo", Lassy's new vision also brings in some subtle electronics (played on "Orlo" by Lassy and Dalindèo frontman Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen) and lush strings performed by Budapest Art Orchestra as arranged by Finnish artist Marzi Nyman. It's a new sound for Lassy, but one which keeps true to his no-nonsense cookin' on the tenor.

Timo Lassy, tenor saxophone
Ville Herrala, double bass
Jaska Lukkarinen, drums

All tracks written by Timo Lassy
Produced by Timo Lassy & Abdissa Assefa
Strings arranged by Marzi Nyman, performed by Budapest Art Orchestra cond. Peter Pejtsik (1., 2., 4., 7.)
Synthesizer, keys: Tuomo Prättälä (3.), Valtteri Pöyhönen (7.), Timo Lassy (2., 5.)
Percussion: Abdissa Assefa (5.)
Recorded & Mixed by Abdissa Assefa at Ambience studios, Helsinki
Strings recorded at East Connection Music Recording, Budapest
Mastered by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers
Original artwork by Ilari Hautamäki: "Subtropic" (2019)
Original artwork photographed by Jussi Tiainen
Design by Matti Nives

Orlo

LOOMY

UNKNOW / SLICK

midi day job, pt. 4

Father and Son

TRACES of Brown Rice

A Few We Remember is the new album by Jonah Parzen-Johnson and Lau Nau. The recording debut for the new duo of Finnish composer Lau Nau, aka Laura Naukkarinen, and American baritone saxophonist Jonah Parzen-Johnson, it cycles between moments of knotty ambience, whispered melody, and innocent tinkering, as the duo improvises over 8 narrative scores composed by Parzen-Johnson. Jonah Parzen-Johnson says:

“For me, telling a story is about more than sharing a set of facts. A well told story is the protective coating around our most intimate and universal feelings. Things too delicate to name. When I want to understand how someone makes me feel, I tell myself our story. There are familiar stories of family and friends, but the story of a quick moment with a stranger can sometimes be the most illuminating. A brief interaction whose fractional reflection helps us understand ourselves in a new way.” 

“A lot of my musical practice is about trying to find that same storytelling sensation in the experience of performing. That’s how I got going on these narrative scores. Each one is a story you can read, but it's more than that, it's a trigger for a sensation. If all goes well, that’s what makes it into our improvisation. It might be tempting to ask to read the scores, but try to resist. This music isn’t about the stories, it's about how it feels to tell them.”

Jonah Parzen-Johnson & Lau Nau are each prolific and celebrated creators on their own, with 22 albums released between the two of them, but in this fresh conversation, something completely new comes to life. In Laura’s words: “I enjoy recording live takes without overdubs, and this album is exactly that - pure first takes, bubbling creative energy happening in the moment. Jonah’s written stories gave a powerful spark and direction for our improvisations, but the album reminds me of a chemical reaction: a result that is impossible without both of our inputs, and a surprise to each of us.”

On the debut single, First Time Viewer, it is almost impossible to tell where Jonah’s fragile baritone saxophone melody begins and where Lau’s live-sampled, processed, and re-synthesized accompaniment ends. As the improvisation develops, a cloud of ethereal fragments forms into a lattice of melody and texture strong enough to support the entire track. We don’t know how this music can sound both delicate and resilient at the same time, but we love it.

Longtime Resident

Co-op Association

Flight Attendant

Calming Influencer

First Time Viewer

Bus Driver

Suspicious Commutter

Apologetic Inquirer

Royalties

Miss America

Soft As a Rock

Mom’s Night Out

Death Bed

Black Night

Where Are We Now?

Wich Tai To

Milk and Honey

Who Knows

It's Raining Today

Mystery of Love

Me and My Shadow

Drummer/composer Booker Stardrum (SML) delivers a new powerful solo album, his first for We Jazz Records. Stardrum doubles down on the earthy tactility of human sound and communication while also exploring rich, electroacoustic landscapes. The album involves Stardrum’s close collaborators Anna Butterss, Jeremiah Chiu, Chris Williams, Lester St. Louis, Logan Hone and Michael Coleman.

Third Nature

Drummer-producer Teppo Mäkynen's celebrated alias The Stance Brothers returns with a properly groovy 7"/digi single "Resolution Blue / Where Is Resolution Blue?" on We Jazz Records, 19 June. The source of inspiration here is an original track by Timo Lassy & Teppo Mäkynen found on their self-titled 2019 We Jazz LP. The Stance Brothers mangles the track up into two different versions with crisp drums, catchy vibraphone riffs, distorted guitars and 100% signature Stance Bros groove, like only Teddy Rok can deliver it. The digi version adds a "bonus beats" type of treatment in "Teddy Rok Mass Appeal Edit".

True to We Jazz style, the 7" comes with an old school heat-pressed labels and a generic brown paper sleeve.

Resolution Blue

Label from Helsinki. http://wejazzrecords.bandcamp.com

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