Edward Vesala

[rollhead]

I put my Penguin Guide on the desk and it fell open to Edward Vesala.

I am interested in giving this guy a try. Where is the best place to purchase his CDs? All my usual sources don't stock his ECM records.

The Penguin Guide says "Lumi" is his best, and they give it their top rating.

Any other opinions?

[Gerardo A]

I'd really recommend:



Edward Vesala - Nan Madol: especially track 5, "Areous Vlor Ta"
(1974) Japo
1. Nam Madol 6.02 - 2. Love For Living 3.48 - 3. Call From The Sea 1.58 - 4. The Way Of... 12.08 - 5. Areous Vlor Ta 12.38 - 6. The Wind 9.23
Musicians: Edward Vesala, Juhani Aattonen, Sakari Kukko, Juhani Poutanen, Teppo Hauta, Elisabeth Leistola, Kay Backlund, Mircea Stan, Seppo Paakkunainen, Pentli Lahti, Charlie Mariano

And with the Sound and Fury band:



Edward Vesala - Ode to the Death of Jazz
(1990) ECM
1. Sylvan Swizzle 8.34 - 2. Infinite Express 7.54 - 3. Time To Think 7.34 - 4. Winds Of Sahara 4.19 - 5. Watching For The Signal 8.13 - 6. A Glimmer Of Sepal 5.26 - 7. Mop Mop 5.37 - 8. What? Where? Hum Hum 8.19
Musicians: Edward Vesala, Matti Rikonen, Jorma Tapio, Jouni Kannisto, Pepa Paivinen, Tim Ferchen, Aito Vainio, Iro Haarla, Jim Sumen, Uffe Krokfors

[rollhead]

Thanks, Gerardo.


Edward Vesala

According to my Penguin guide, Vesala "bore an uncanny physical resemblance to Richard Brautigan."



What that has to do with his music, I am not sure.

[craigz]

Not to mention the young Mark Twain:

[rollhead]

[Rob C]

Does anyone actually have Lumi? I have never seen a copy.

[Gerardo A]

I only have it on mp3, got it from soulseek. It's a killer record, very atmospheric. The version of The Wind is fantastic. I've seen the CD for sale on Ebay a couple of times, though, but I prefer to wait until I see a vinyl copy.

Rollhead, didn't the Penguin Guide guys write a longer comparison between Vesala and Brautigan? (Or was that in Evan Parker's 50th concert? I'll check my Guide when I get home...)

Oh and Rollhead and Rob, I don't know if you're familiar with the great Vesala discography put together by Dan Kurdilla (he also compiled an amazing John Surman discography). It's a lot, lot of information; the only downside is that the only way to hear most of those early Finnish releases is through file-sharing like slsk...

[Dennis Gonzalez]

Lumi is a good album, but Nan Madol and Satu are killer. Vesala was a wonderful composer and bandleader...he is already sorely missed.

His playing on Stanko's Balladyna is awe inspiring. So in the groove and so out at the same time.

[Gerardo A]

Originally Posted by Dennis Gonzalez

Lumi is a good album, but Nan Madol and Satu are killer. Vesala was a wonderful composer and bandleader...he is already sorely missed.

His playing on Stanko's Balladyna is awe inspiring. So in the groove and so out at the same time.

Hi Dennis! Agree on everything, except that I find Lumi as good as Nan Madol or Satu (which is also a killer album). Here's another great one from the quartet with Stanko and great tenorist Tomasz Szukalski:



This is from Marc Edwards All About Jazz interview:

"16 July 1976 Finland, Pori Jazz Festival--I met drummer Edward Vesala here. He didn't speak much English but he made it very clear that he was deeply moved by this version of the Cecil Taylor Unit. Edward Vesala was playing with a rock band at this festival. I took photos of them while they were playing".

[Dennis Gonzalez]

Gerardo, I'll have to listen to Lumi again with Satu and Nan Madol orejas!

Where did you get Live at Remont? I played that club in 1994 and met Zbigniew Namyslowski there. Didn't realize Szukalski and Stanko had a recording from that place!

I also met Vesala at Pori, but in 1981...his English was pretty good by then. Possibly his travels made it necessary to improve...

[Gerardo A]

Hi Dennis! I got the Live at Remont album through soulseek; I've found around 10-12 of Vesala's hard-to-find (at least for me) projects in slsk, albums like: Kullervo (with a spellbinding poetry reading), Rodina, Afrikan Tahdet (with a beautiful children's choir formed by the children of his extended-family), the trio Nana, Heavy Life, Bad Luck Good Luck... I can totally make copies for you if you want (and copies for you too, Rollhead). Or if anyone uses slsk I can give you the username of the guy who shares them (Francesc from Spain).

Namyslowski is an awesome alto player. His solos on Krszysztof Komeda's Astigmatic are breath-taking (as Stanko's).

Dennis, what else can you tell us about your meeting Vesala?

[Brian Olewnick]

I was never too taken with Vesala's later work under his own name (I'm in a minority here, obviously), but this one is a gem:

[Surfer]

I'm a big fan of Ode To The Death Of Jazz.

I also have this bizarre collaboration between Jimi Tenor and Vesala called City of Women, which was Vesala's last work I think.



It doesnt really work on any level, and is really really unlistenable.

[Nate Dorward]

Yeah I've never set eyes on Lumi here in Canada--is it easy to find? Only one I have is Ode to the Death of Jazz, which I've never gotten much out of (do people really like it?).

[Gerardo A]

Originally Posted by Nate Dorward

Only one I have is Ode to the Death of Jazz, which I've never gotten much out of (do people really like it?).

Hi Nate. I should say that I do like OTTDOJ, especially tracks 1 and 2, but I must concede that my favorite Vesala releases are those from the 70's and 80's like the ones that Dennis González and I have mentioned. About OTTDOJ, it's interesting for me to think that the Sound and Fury band is quite the predecessor of several of the most impressive contemporary Nordic bands like the Crimetime Orchestra, Shining or even Jaga Jazzist (with their blend of electronics and post-rock). Although I'm not a drummer myself, it could also be said that Vesala's drumming has in some way influenced Paal Nilssen-Love's.

[Surfer]

Originally Posted by Gerardo Alejos

Hi Nate. I should say that I do like OTTDOJ, especially tracks 1 and 2, but I must concede that my favorite Vesala releases are those from the 70's and 80's like the ones that Dennis González and I have mentioned. About OTTDOJ, it's interesting for me to think that the Sound and Fury band is quite the predecessor of several of the most impressive contemporary Nordic bands like the Crimetime Orchestra, Shining or even Jaga Jazzist (with their blend of electronics and post-rock). Although I'm not a drummer myself, it could also be said that Vesala's drumming has in some way influenced Paal Nilssen-Love's.

I love Winds Of Sahara. I really sounds like the Mongols and Visigoths are coming over the hill to ransack, loot, and pillage the sacred temples of Jazz.

It's really a great album all the way through.

[Dennis Gonzalez]

Originally Posted by Gerardo Alejos

Dennis, what else can you tell us about your meeting Vesala?

Vesala's big ensemble had a concert at one of the Pori art galleries during Pori Jazz Fest, and it included Tomasz Stanko, all his regular Finns, Juhani Aaltonen, and his wife Iro Haarla on piano and harp. Since I had a musician's pass, I went to the gallery before the concert to try and have a few words with Vesala. I was let in, and as the musicians had just finished rehearsing, I walked up to Vesala and meekly introduced myself. Lucky for me, he knew my name and was as fascinated with my music as I was of his. His voice was old and sibilant, warm and sweet, and he had a twinkle in his eye, and this huge moustach to filter his sibilant voice through. I asked him about how he organized his music, and we chatted a bit about techniques for large ensembles, as well as some of the titles of his pieces, especially Areous Vlor Ta and Nan Madol. Information was not as readily available as it is now, so I didn't realize that Nan Madol is a series of man-made islands in the Pacific which was the home to a culturally rich people, but was then abandoned mysteriously...very intrigued I was! And Areous Vlor Ta? He stated that he sometimes titled his compositions with what he called automatic writing...I'd heard of that before...the technique is to put your pen down on the paper and let the pen just write. He liked the title and kept it.

He also showed me some of his unique percussion instruments from around the world, and told me that since my career was just starting, I should explore and bring back strange and exotic instruments and things from wherever I visit, and I've kept to Vesala's challenge all these years. Among some of his instruments? Sleigh bells the size of basketballs with a wicked jingle. Gongs that, when struck, go up or down in pitch like a rocket, sometimes 2 or 3 octaves! And the most intriguing? A small whistle-like mouth-blown thingy that sounds like a huge train letting the air out of its brakes as it leaves the station...I still hear Vesala playing it in my head.

It was beautiful to spend time with him. I was saddened at his untimely death.

[Gerardo A]

Wow. That is fascinating, Dennis. Thanks for sharing it! I also imagine that the concert afterwards rocked...

Originally Posted by Dennis Gonzalez

And Areous Vlor Ta? He stated that he sometimes titled his compositions with what he called automatic writing...I'd heard of that before...the technique is to put your pen down on the paper and let the pen just write. He liked the title and kept it.

That is quite revealing. I always assumed the title came from a Nordic war chant or something like that, given the propulsory nature of the piece. I should also say that it is probably my favorite Vesala composition...

[rollhead]

Originally Posted by Nate Dorward

Yeah I've never set eyes on Lumi here in Canada--is it easy to find?

Good question. I would like to know where others have found it.

[Dennis Gonzalez]

Originally Posted by Gerardo Alejos

Wow. That is fascinating, Dennis. Thanks for sharing it! I also imagine that the concert afterwards rocked...

The band walked in playing some kind of a processional, a cross between New orleans funeral music and some Nordic religious chant. Haarla played her accordian and Vesala played marching snare drum. The concert was beautiful and strong.

That is quite revealing. I always assumed th[at "Areous Vlor Ta"] came from a Nordic war chant or something like that, given the propulsory nature of the piece. I should also say that it is probably my favorite Vesala composition...

I love the piece myself. My band played it early on because I loved it so much. I had assumed that, since the title wasn't Finnish, Norwegian, or Swedish, it must be some obscure language like Lapp, or Lithuanian...

[Jason Bivins]

Great stuff, Dennis! I first started listening to Vesala in the early 90s, I think. I vividly recall reading something in liners somewhere, which I found greatly influential at the time: Vesala was rehearsing Sound and Fury and, after one performance, approached guitarist Raoul Bjorkenheim, saying "Raoul, that was some beautiful guitar you just played; but I want shooting stars." Awesome!

I found Lumi in London in the mid-1990s. I imagine you can still order direct from ECM or from Amazon UK or something.

[Gerardo A]

Originally Posted by Dennis Gonzalez

I love the piece myself. My band played it early on because I loved it so much.

Awesome. Are there any recordings of that? It would be great to hear them.

[stonemonkts]

Originally Posted by Dennis Gonzalez

His playing on Stanko's Balladyna is awe inspiring. So in the groove and so out at the same time.

You can say that again. For me, this is the best example of Vesala's playing I've heard so far.

[bostontricky]

Originally Posted by Dennis Gonzalez

Where did you get Live at Remont? I played that club in 1994 and met Zbigniew Namyslowski there. Didn't realize Szukalski and Stanko had a recording from that place!

This is one of the reasons I love Dennis so much, I think he's secretly Polish. Perhaps Schau and I will have to start refering to him as Pan Gonzalez...

I can't remember where I finally landed a copy of Lumi (it was probably three years ago) I suspect it might have been one of the Euro Amazons - there appear to be copies at the German site.

[Felix]

Originally Posted by Nate Dorward

Yeah I've never set eyes on Lumi here in Canada--is it easy to find? Only one I have is Ode to the Death of Jazz, which I've never gotten much out of (do people really like it?).

Technically, it should be part of Universal's import catalogue (since they're the American distributor for ECM), and available to order. We used to have it at HMV here (that's a few years back, when I took care of the jazz orders, though...).

It's available on Archambault.ca for $25.98 CAN.

[Swinger]

I have Lumi and I can recommend it very much! Superb music!

One cd that has not been mentioned here is Juhani Aaltonen's first solo album "Etiquette". Edward really shines on that one!

[Dennis Gonzalez]

Originally Posted by Jason Bivins

Vesala was rehearsing Sound and Fury and, after one performance, approached guitarist Raoul Bjorkenheim, saying "Raoul, that was some beautiful guitar you just played; but I want shooting stars." Awesome!

And I know Bjorkenheim bent over backwards to give Vesala shooting stars! Great story.

Originally Posted by Gerardo Alejos

Are there any recordings of [your band playing "Areous Vlor Ta"]? It would be great to hear them.

I may have a tape of my group playing something by Vesala. I'll look it up.

Originally Posted by stonemonkts

You can say that again. For me, [Balladyna] is the best example of Vesala's playing I've heard so far.

It's pretty fucking brilliant.

Originally Posted by bostontricky

This is one of the reasons I love Dennis so much, I think he's secretly Polish. Perhaps Schau and I will have to start refering to him as Pan Gonzalez...

Thanks, BT! You are too kind. Poland, and all these wonderful musicians there blew me away. I'm ready to go back. In fact, after 12 years of not being in contact, drummer Kazimierz Jonkisz, my drummer on tour in Poland, and at that particular Remont gig, e-mailed me 2 days ago to say hi. What a treat!

[Dennis Gonzalez]

Originally Posted by Dennis Gonzalez

Nan Madol. Information was not as readily available as it is now, so I didn't realize that Nan Madol is a series of man-made islands in the Pacific which was the home to a culturally rich people, but was then abandoned mysteriously...very intrigued I was!

Nan Madol:

[Gerardo A]

Up with another fantastic contribution from Bill Shoemaker's Point of Departure, an interview with Iro Haarla, Vesala's widow and pianist/arranger.



"Shoemaker: How did you work with [Vesala] to arrange the music?

Haarla: He would play the parts on whatever instrument he had and made a tape recording. I would then transcribe the parts and talk to him about what instruments he wanted. Sometimes, I would edit them, because they were very long sometimes and I made them shorter, using the best parts. Then I would write the parts. We would always talk about what kind of feeling he wanted a composition to have, but very early I could tell what he wanted just from the parts he recorded. So, we would talk about what instrument would express it in different parts of the composition.

Shoemaker: How would you describe the emotional tone of Vesala's music?

Haarla: Very strong but at the same time very beautiful. His melodies were very simple at the beginning, so the emotions were very direct. It was like that later on, when his compositions became very complicated.

Shoemaker: Did his music become more complicated because he developed confidence that your arrangements would convey more complex emotions?

Haarla: Yes, because he knew I could do it. Also, he knew he could use strange ideas to create music. He once made a piece he wanted arranged for string quartet. He played with golf balls on the strings of a grand piano and recorded it. The transcription was very difficult. They were funny and crazy ideas.

Shoemaker: I think Vesala's legacy rests more on the powerful and beautiful qualities you mentioned, but this playful quality was always present, too.

Haarla: Yes, they are in the same compositions, sometimes. There is a piece on one of the Sound and Fury records like that, “Bird in the High Room.” Another one is “The Invisible Storm.”

Shoemaker: You can indicate much of what we are talking about in a score, but at a certain point, the musicians have to get it, understand the concept. Vesala was lucky to have a stable ensemble in Sound and Fury, one that had few changes, and to also have an outer circle of musicians who could contribute to a couple of tracks on a CD.

Haarla: He looked hard for them and he was teaching them all the time, even in the last Sound and Fury ensemble, which was together for many years. In the beginning, it was a kind of school. He loved these guys. They were like his sons. He had a kind of family with this group. Of course, they had to be good instrumentalists, because the pieces are not easy - they are very difficult to read sometimes. They also had to be good soloists. He worked with them many hours daily to make their solos better and better, to really fit with the composition. It was really hard work.

Shoemaker: How did he work with the musicians to refine their solos?

Haarla: He would play with them and talk to them as they played and after. He did not talk to them about things like harmony, but how to use their own power. It was not easy for them in the beginning because they were young and did not have experience in this way of playing. It was quite heavy for them to play all of these Sound and Fury pieces from memory, which is what he had them do.

Shoemaker: So there was more to playing the compositions than just reading the notes.

Haarla: Yes, because every note had to have the right power. This was Sound and Fury."

[likewise]

Thanks, guys, for sharing your stories about Eetu Vesala, arguably Finland's finest ever in jazz. - Haven't heard "Satu", but I certainly concur with the praise for "Nan Madol" (too bad ECM didn't keep the original LP cover, though) and "Lumi". Also, I'd recommend Vesala's last Sound & Fury disc "Nordic Gallery". Starkly beautiful music. Another all-time Vesala fave of mine is his 1979 LP "Neitsytmatka" (probably Finnish release only), an all ballads album featuring all the right Polish (Stanko, Szukalski...) and Finnish names (Aaltonen, Haarla) - and vocals to boot (career highpoints for Pepe Willberg and Irina Milan.



Attending the annual Tampere Jazz Happening last weekend, I missed Vesala more than ever. Old Vesala stalwarts' Juhani Aaltonen, Iro Haarla, Uffe Krokfors movingly spiritual music provided one of the festival's absolute highlights - and Jon Christensen's minimalist drumming suited it quite well - but, overall, Vesala's oblique and unique vision is sorely missed in Finnish jazz - which, imo, too often falls into a kind of nature romanticism, rich on melody but pretty weak on rhythm. Luckily, the last few years have seen an upsurge of young, suitably disrespectful bands (Mohel, Hetero Skeleton...), looking to guys like Mats Gustafsson for inspiration. I like to think Edward Vesala would have approved.

Otherwise, the festival was once again a huge success audience-wise, with something like 9 000 attending in less than four days. And musically too, I'd say, despite the unnnecessary world music slant. At least we were spared the big name crowd pleasers.

http://www.tampere.fi/musicfestivals/jazz.htm

(At the press conference, the American musicians on the panel were asked: "Who runs jazz in USA?" Their answer, delivered with a frown and a giggle: "Burger King and McDonald's.")