If you were to search for Jukka on Google you will discover that he is he’s best known as a conductor of symphony orchestras, as well as working on crossover productions with many artists, including pop band Goldfrappe as well as guitar hero Steve Vai. However, this album has little to do with symphony orchestras, but a great deal to do with Vai. Here Iisakkila (pronounced: Eye-Sa-Keela) shows he is a fusion musician who has been spending a great deal of time listening not only to Steven Siro Vai but also to Allan Holdsworth, and the result is something which is fresh and interesting. Here he utilizes drummer Ilkka Saarikoski, but the rest of the instrumental album is provided by Iisakkila.
The mind is immediately reminded of Vai, but in a more laid back and thought-out manner, playing only a few notes where one can imagine the seven-string being ripped apart in a far more dramatic manner, thinking more of the overall sound and feel. There are times when it almost feels as if Jean Michel Jarre has had a hand in the sound as the backing can be quite soft and move slowly, with the result that this is a much slower and relaxing album than one might initially think. There are times when it borders on the boring but normally recovers. It does have the hallmarks of a self-recorded, self-released album though, and an outside viewpoint may have added something to an album, which is generally solid, but rarely more than that.
When it comes to music I have been fortunate to hear this year, then I will think of 2019 as the year of the ladies. Thanks to the wonderful Elfin Bow I have been introduced to some amazing singers from the UK scene I would never have found on my own from the other side of the world, and to the list, I now must add the name of Katie Ware, otherwise known as Little Sparrow. Amazingly this debut album is from 2014, which yet again shows how dire the music industry is when something as powerful and glorious isn’t well known. This is all about Katie, her voice and songs, mixing and changing the arrangements so while she may have a full band behind her, at others, it may just be acoustic guitar, violin and or cello, whatever is needed to make it work. Many of the songs don’t feature percussion, and it is all about that wonderful beautiful voice front and center.
This is a singer-songwriter as opposed to folk, acoustic music which is inspired by the likes of Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell. Even the heavy use of pedal steel on “Struck Gold” doesn’t pull it into the country as the gently plucked guitar keeps it rooted, while the wonderful harmony and backing vocals throw all the focus onto the main. Some songs are upbeat, driving forward with a demand to grab your attention, pushing forward whereas others are far more languid, expecting you to come and discover on your own. There is a brightness and freshness within this which reminds me of a young Judy Dyble, as Katie has incredible control and a superb high range.
That this album and the name of Little Sparrow isn’t more widely known is nothing short of criminal as it is an absolute delight from beginning to end. If you enjoy this style of music then this is essential. I note it is also available on Bandcamp so why not search it out and give it a listen, this is an artist you need to support. Awesome.
Loonypark has long been one of my favorite Polish progressive rock bands, and one with an incredibly stable line-up. This 2016 release was their fourth album, and apart from the replacement of drummer Jakub Grzeslo after 2008’s debut, ‘Egoist’, it was the same as it was since the beginning namely singer Sabina Godula-Zając, Piotr Grodecki (guitar, double bass, banjo), Krzysztof Lepiarczyk (keyboards, programming, composer & arranger), Piotr Lipka (bass) and Grzegorz Fieber (drums). What we have here is extremely strong neo-prog, but the band refuses to sit still so while opener “Something To Forget” is bombastic with great guitar lines, hooks and simple but effective keyboards leads, the follow-up “Face In The Mirror” is far more laid-back. This even features violin from guest Sylwia ‘Maya’ Majka until Piotr decides to ensure everyone is still awake as he crunches through.
Arrangements aren’t overly complex, and although this is progressive, at the heart is a rock band which is being controlled by the keyboard player who is happy to rely on the piano as he is on other keyboards. Sabina has a warm rock voice that works well within the music as she sings in clear unaccented English. The result is a very approachable release, that contains some very strong moments indeed, although they do seem to be treading water at times when they slow it down. The band is definitely most in their element when they up the tempo, introduce more rock elements into their music, and there are times when they come across as a modern Simple Minds with guitar making inroads here and there as opposed to all the time. The use of banjo is surprisingly effective, as long as the intent is for the listener to smile when they hear it. Another solid album.
Even before I started listening to this album, the omens were good. Firstly, the two improvisers recorded it in its entirety on my birthday, and then we have the title. For non-Brits, tor is a hill or rocky outcrop, while a vale is a valley, so they co-exist side by side and it is not possible to have one without the other. I grew up in South Devon, spent as much time as I could on Dartmoor where there is Hound Tor, Yes Tor, and so many others, and my parents named our house Haytor after one of the most well-known granite outcrops. Mark Wingfield has been making quite a name for himself in recent years with his stunning guitar albums, while Gary Husband will always be thought of for his long relationship with Allan Holdsworth, which started all the way back in 1979. Although Husband has always been primarily thought of as a drummer, he is also a very accomplished pianist and it is in that role he provides the counterpoint to Wingfield.
Some of the songs were written by Wingfield ahead of time, others were improvised on the spot, but this is all about two musicians playing call and response, listening to the other and instinctively reacting. Husband explained that the intuitive nature of this Tor & Vale session has been part of his modus operandi for years. “I actually have the infuriating habit of listening to initial instruction or some kind of plan, only to then completely disregard it and let instinct and intuition take over,” he said. “I love the conversational, instinctive process to make its own way and present itself through us.” The result is something quite magical, as two players intuit what the other is going to do before they even know it themselves, as they move and guide each other through a journey where not only is the destination not know, there is no map. This freedom can be paralyzing to some, but here there is no hesitation, no looking back, just always pushing onwards to a final result which is as yet unknown.
This is music without a net, no room to hide behind others, just two guys in a room with the red light on and concentrating intently on what each of them is doing and letting the music spirit guide them on the path. Intense, dramatic, powerful, this is a wonderful album in so many ways. Production is top-notch, as is everything that comes out of the Spanish La Casa Murada Studio, which has been a base for so much of Wingfield’s work. Yet another essential release from Moonjune.
Here we have a two-track digital single from one of the best new prog bands around, Kaprekar’s Constant, with all proceeds going to the charity Crisis. While the title cut is a new song, the second “Call It A Memory” was their debut single back in 2017. Their mix of folk and prog, with complex arrangements and layerings, have made Kaprekar’s Constant a great many friends, and their debut ‘Fate Outsmarts Desire’ is simply stunning (to my shame I still haven’t played the follow-up, ‘Depth of Field’, but it is on my list, honest!). These two songs remind me just why I love that album so much, as while the arrangements are huge and complicated there is also a simplicity contained with which make them such a delight. One can certainly see why David Jackson is so involved, and his use of various saxes, flutes, and whistles breaks through to provide an edge while the twin vocals of Bill Jefferson and Dorie Jackson are sublime and comforting. This single should become a new Christmas classic, and by buying it not only will you have an incredible musical experience but you will be helping those less fortunate as well.
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