Direct from Finland, TUM Records focuses on freer sounds on the jazz spectrum. Artists like Wadada Leo Smith, Milford Graves and Bill Laswell get deserved recognition, filling a needed niche. Here are two recent releases from Scandinavia.
Drummer Barry Altschul teams up with bassist Joe Fonda and woodwind Meister Jon Irabagon for a mixture of creatively delivered covers along with “spontaneously composed tales.” The bookends of “As the Tale Begins” and “As the Tale Ends” are the two longest pieces, clocking in at 26+ and 10+ respectively. Irabagon’s flute on the latter is an impressionistic highlight, while the leader gets the spotlight on “A Drummer’s Tale” and Fonda delivers and aria on “The Tale Continues.” The looser originals are held together by the melodious and lyrical reads of “A Tale of Monk: Ask Me Now” and “Annette’s Tale of Miracles” both with a sublime sense of harmony and lithe pulse. Irabagon’s tenor is palpably thick while Altschul is conversant throughout. A tale of two cities!
The Olavi Trio consists of Jari Hongisto/tb-perc, Teppo Hauta-aho/b-perc and Niilo Louhivuori/dr-perc with the “Olavis” thrown in for a tongue in cheek good measure. There is a plethora of percussion scurrying about, with Hongisto’s trombone sliding, squawking and growling as to the dependence of the mood. Most songs are between 2-7 minutes, with very little melody or direction, with the emphasis on collective improvisation. You do get a drum solo here and there, and at times the conversations go from trio to duet, but while the fun is palpable, there is a question as to whether it is enduring.
Tum Records