Jukka Eskola (2005)

When you pick up a copy of Finnish trumpeter Jukka Eskola’s debut album, the first thing that catches the eye is the stylish artwork. Ricky-Tick has brought back the classic minimalist Blue Note–flavoured artwork, which used to be the visual style of the “golden era” of jazz in the 1950’s and 60’s. This release follows the chosen path remarkably well, even though it is actually released by Free Agent Records rather than Ricky-Tick, which in turn released Eskola’s first 12” earlier this year. It is a delight to discover that the actual music lives up to the standards set by the great artwork.

Many listeners probably know Eskola from his work with Nuspirit Helsinki, The Five Corners Quintet, and Teddy Rok Seven. Thus, great expectations had already been built up before his debut release. It is interesting to note that the line-up on Eskola’s debut is almost identical to that of The Five Corner Quintet’s “official” live setting. Here, Jukkis Uotila takes Mikael Jakobsson’s place on piano – otherwise the cast remains the same. That doesn’t imply an identical sound, of course, particularly when considering that Tuomas Kallio is the musical mastermind behind the FCQ studio sound, whereas Eskola’s album is produced by Teppo “Teddy Rok” Mäkynen. Eskola and Mäkynen also share the composing credits and, needless to say, Teddy Rok occupies the drummer’s seat as well.

It is clear that Eskola’s playing is influenced by Freddie Hubbard. This is also self-proclaimed by Eskola himself. He states Hubbard’s ‘Little Sunflower’ as an influence to one of the album’s highlights, ‘Buttercup’. Educated listeners will also pick up the reference to Roy Ayers’ ‘Everybody Loves the Sunshine’ on ‘Timber Up’. Another highlight right there, by the way. When talking about standout tracks on the album, the Teddy Rok-composed ‘1974’ was the tune that first caught my ear early on, and the appeal hasn’t worn out. That’s good news for all the vinyl junkies out there: it can be found on the flipside of the highly recommended ‘Buttercup’ 12”. Eskola’s full-length, on the other hand, has only been released on CD thus far.

To sum up, Eskola’s debut is definitely promising. It includes a handful of excellent tracks and displays a bunch of young top-class musicians on the rise. The only problem is that the album somewhat fails to maintain the intensity of the best tracks all the way through. However, this is still a release worth getting into. That goes especially for all those interested in the new wave of Finnish jazz and the vital Helsinki scene in particular. (Review courtesy of beyondjazz.net)

Lonnie Smith: Mama Wailer (1971)

Dr. Lonnie Smith's Mama Wailer is one of the quintessential sides issued by Creed Taylor's CTI/Kudu imprint. Out of print for decades on LP, in 2003 it became available again in Japan as a beautifully remastered CD -- as part of King's ambitious reissue project of all things Kudu.

Uncharacteristically, Smith played clavinet as well as organ on this set, and arranged all but one track. The rest of the band was comprised of Billy Cobham, Ron Carter, Chuck Rainey, Grover Washington, Jr., Airto, Jimmy Ponder, George Davis, and others. There are only four cuts on Mama Wailer, the title and "Hola Muneca" were written by Smith, the others are covers of pop tunes from the era: Carole King's "I Feel the Earth Move," and Sly Stone's "Stand" -- the latter takes up all of Side Two. Smith's keyboard playing -- particularly on the clavinet, is dirty, greasy, and way-gone funky. He rides Latin grooves on "Hola Muneca," and his B3 collides with the basses and Cobham's dancing, inverted backbeat groove. This is what Latin soul is all about when it meets jazz. The improvisations are in the pocket, but, at the same time, off the page. Here is where boogaloo and hard bop meet headlong. On the King tune, soul-jazz reigns supreme as the B3 administers groove therapy to the rhythm challenge. Elsewhere, as on "Stand," (arranged by Washington), Smith's overdubbed B3s create a wondrously complex harmonic melody as the band moves in behind the beat. A few minutes in (it's almost 20 minutes in length), the ensemble picks up the tempo, and falls into the groove pocket from which all things are possible improvisationally. Two-and-a-half minutes into the tune, the jam unfolds, a soul-jazz deep funky grit that streams and sweats call-and-response lines from one player to the next. For anyone who's ever had reservations about Washington's ability to cut loose as an improviser, they need only to give this track a listen and then apologize to his ghost. As guitars weave in and around the slinky, deep-groove basslines, Smith and Washington trade fours, and then Ponder turns his guitar into an overdrive machine to match Smith line for line, interweaving and intercutting before the whole mutha lifts off at eight-minutes-thirty-seconds and into a James Brown and His Famous Flames riot of soulful funky badness that nonetheless allows for Washington to solo outside on the edges of an over-amped rhythm section. Whew! (Review courtesy of AMG)

The Jack Wilson Quartet featuring Roy Ayers: Ramblin' (1966)

Jack Wilson was a talented, if understated, mainstream jazz pianist. Wilson's music had elements of hard bop, swing, cool jazz and soul-jazz, and it was all tied together by his tasteful playing. After recording for Vault, he moved to Blue Note in 1966.

This album is an exceptional and fresh album by two exceptional musicians. Jack Wilson and Roy Ayers have an instinctive and uncomplicated sense of showmanship that goes hand with awareness appreciation for their audience, and an enthusiasm for their music. Fine, swinging (and bold) versions of "Ramblin' ", "Stolen Moments", and "Impressions". And I really like the tender three-part "The Sandpiper".