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Verneri Pohjola: Aurora
ByThe album's tour de force is the intriguing and dramatic "For Three," a hauntingly lovely tune. At its center is a sweepingly majestic and melancholy theme, played in unison by horns and strings; an immediately affecting theme that lingers in the memory. The percussion is astounding; hard-hitting, almost aggressive at times, it stands in stark contrast to the soft beauty of the other instruments, and yet it serves to accent rather than overwhelm the tune's melancholy.
Pohjola's five other compositions are characterized by the same spacious and measured arrangements, and create similar soundscapes that meld moments of intense joy with periods of delicate sadness; each one a small masterpiece. Sadly, there's no indication as to which of the three bassists and three drummers play on each trackthe rhythm sections are all magnificent, but it would be good to know exactly who was responsible for each tune.
"Colossus" is the closest the album comes to an upbeat groove, thanks to some exceptionally funky double-bass and percussion. Most delicate of all is "Spirit of S," which finds flautist Juhani Aaltonen at the fore, alongside Pohjola. The album closes with the quirky "At The End Of This Album," whose warm analogue sound and simple keyboard-led melody could serve as the finale to a '50s Western movie.
The album's only non-original is Joaquin Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez Amour." Pohjola is an avowed Miles Davis disciple, so the tune is not a surprising choice, but Pohjola's arrangement invests the tune with a sparse delicacy that is missing from Davis' own version on Sketches Of Spain (Columbia, 1960). Accompanied only by gently sparkling percussion and a simple but supportive double-bass, Pahjola's trumpet soarsuntil, just a minute or so from the end, he bows out abruptly, replaced by pianist Aki Rissanen.
Originally released by Finland's Texicalli Records in 2009, Aurora has now been taken up by Germany's ACT Music. The album is graced by another lovely ACT Music cover image, and by exceptional sound quality. In every sense, from the cover art to the production, the writing to the performances, it's a strikingly beautiful debut that emphatically establishes Pohjola as a potential international jazz star.
Track Listing
Akvavit; For Three; Askisto; Boxer Diesel; Spirit of S; Colossus; Concierto de Aranjuez Amour; At The End Of This Album.
Personnel
Verneri Pohjola: trumpet; Juhani Aaltonen: flute; Pepa Päivinen: alto flute, bass clarinet; Ilmari Pohjola: trombone; Aki Rissanen: piano; Pekka Pohjola: bass; Antii Lötjönen: bass; Ville Herrala: bass; Joonas Riippa: drums; Mika Kallio: drums; Olavi Louhivuori: drums; Meta4 String Quartet: Antii Tikkanen: violin; Minna Pensola: violin; Atte Kilpeläinen: viola; Thomas Djupsjöbacka: cello.
Album information
Title: Aurora | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: ACT Music