JUKKA GUSTAVSON

Jukka keep on going! 2020 was quiet year to him as I think it was many musicians, but this year came again new album! Organ-bass-drums -trio "Street Level" started already in 2017, but this is their first album. They put this band together just for making few gigs, but their co-operation worked so fine that they decided to continue. Jukka has played with this two guys in other bands, for example in British Standard and Strandberg Project. Drummer Thomas Tornroos played also in Jukkas last "Prognosis"-album. Have to say about bassplayer Jan-Olof Strandberg, that he has a long professional musician career and played with really famous Finnish musicians as Rauli "Badding" Somerjoki & Pepe Alhqvist.

"Downtown Jungle" starts album in a very funky way! This is just how funk should always be, really dirty! But in the middle piece goes also towards fusion in Jukkas synths and Jan-Olof bass playing. "First Love" is both musically & lyrically very beautiful & gentle song in its middle tempo. "Oaktree Park Four" has again very funky feeling, but also very proggish, great hammondwork from Jukka. Strandbergs composition "Attention" changes album mood into very jazzy. In the middle this piece changes into 7/8 rhythm, but in the end it changes into blues rhythm and goes back to jazz. Again really great playing from the whole band!

"Hectic Tact" is short, very traditional fifties sounding jazz piece where Jukka plays piano and I think there is also double bass. "Foolish Kids" is Stevie Wonder influenced, middle tempo song. Jukka plays great solo in Hammond and Strandberg in bass. "Lilac Time ? a Romantic Walk In the Old Town" is very mellow, small-tempo jazz piece. Glorius solos again from both Jukka & Jan-Olof! "In the Movement" continues album in a jazzy way including also very typical, magnificent organ chords & playing from Jukka. "Its Jimmy" is a little bit boring piece with its very standard jazz structure. I believe its tribute to Jimmy Smith, who is one of Jukkas idols. "Jig-Saw Puzzle Street" is again instrumental piece, that reminds a lot Stevie Wonder. Piece ends this very good feeling album very well!

When thinking compositions in this album, I dont think this is as strong album as former "Prognosis". In this album there is very little prog, mostly its jazz album with some funk and typical Jukka composition style. But this bands playing again is so strong, that I have to give this four stars. Its very sad when quality of Jukkas album keep on staying high, he just doesnt get much attention to his music even in Finland. Somebody said to me the reason is because he is Jehovahs Witness. If its so, I think its stupid reason, because Jukkas religion has show very little, if any in his music or even lyrics. Mostly Jukka just like to sing about social unequality of the world. And also about love. But anyway I hope again this review will reach somebody and he starts to listen this great musician!

Good news for all friends of prog/fusion music of Jukka Gustavson, the organist/keyboard player, vocalist and composer who, prior to his long and many-sided solo career, was for the most part responsible of WIGWAM's classic albums Fairyport (1971) and Being (1974). The sound of this new release may bring even those albums in mind here and there. By the way, in recent years he has been active playing live the music of Wigwam in various line-ups -- although the material on those gigs have emphasized on the Pembroke-Rechardt "deep pop" era of Wigwam (his modesty has gone perhaps too far, thinks the more prog-oriented part of the audience). To some degree, Prognosis is a return to Gustavson's progressive style after a couple of more roots/blues-oriented collaborative albums. This is not to say that his familiar bluesy touch wouldn't be present here too.

All music is written by Gustavson, all lyrics are in English (several of his albums have both English and Finnish lyrics), and the music is performed by a tight quartet: "Gutsi" plays Hammond A 100 organ, Kurzweil Forte keyboard and Wurlitzer electric piano, Jari Nieminen plays guitars, Janne Rajala is on bass and Thomas Törnroos on drums. The musicianship between these men is very organic, and the arrangements are elegant and pretty varied. There are nine tracks on this nearly 60-minute album.

The opening song 'We Must Change' hits the listener right away with the urgent message about the climate change, backed by groovy music with a blues flavour. 'All Flowers of the Spring' focuses on Gustavson's synths; I find this piece a bit uninteresting as it doesn't have that much variety within 6 minutes. The other instrumental follows the first one directly, but the lengthy 'Some Astronomers Have Seen Far' is among my favourites. It is spacey and rather meditative, full of sonic depth. The fascinating electric guitar reminds me of TERJE RYPDAL, e.g. his Odyssey album.

Steady-beat and slightly jam-natured 'The Great Crowd' grooves instrumentally for nearly half of its 8+ min. before the vocals enter. This pleasant, relaxed piece would function well as driving music. On 'J & L' Jukka sings of love between him and his wife Leena. Rhythmically the music is slightly monotonous, but little solos for organ and other instruments make it a nice piece. Also 'Turquoise Yarn Inspiration' proceeds as an instrumental before the home-praising lyrics enter at the end. I like this one a lot, there's the open-minded sonic excitement comparable to e.g. Kadonnut häviämättömiin (1995) which I'd probably name as my dearest JG album.

The three last songs all have a mood of their own. 'Be Wise Realize' is an enjoyable, laid-back, jazzy song with a slight STEELY DAN reminiscence. 'You Can't Be a Racist' is the funkiest one, with angry lyrics clearly attacking against Donald Trump (for a good reason, of course!). But even at his most political, Gutsi doesn't forget to make good, groovy music. On the last track he deals with the poor people and the will to make the world a better place for everyone. This mostly mellow piece is a highlight for me, and the fast organ melodies are nearing the classic Wigwam era I mentioned above.

There are some slightly less inspiring tracks to prevent me from giving the full rating (and some may find the lyrics a bit too preachy), but Prognosis is definitely among the finest albums of Jukka Gustavson (b. 1951). The overall feeling is warm and positive. No slightest signs of this living legend losing his unique touch and musical inspiration.

— First review of this album —

After Jukka had played in many Finnish roots-style bands, he met saxplayer Panu Syrj'nen and they both realised they shared a love to sixties blues, jazz, soul & rhythm & blues. They decided to start own band and got Janne Rajala in bass and Leevi Lepp'nen to drums. All these musicians except Jukka have played in the back of many Finnish Schlager music singers, but have to say about Leevi he was in a great Finnish prog band Scapa Flow and also in the Pekka Pohjola Group. As in all Jukka's albums, these players are all very skilfull. So sad this band seems to be shortlived as many other Jukka`s bands for example Sahti & Moments. They have made only few gigs in past years, not any in this year.

Album starts with title song in a very groovy way. Jukka sings about mojomen that I believe are the great influences to this band. The name 'Marching Free Style' tells everything about this next instrumental track. It's boogie rhythm based, but includes typical Jukka`s experimental chords. 'Just Another Band From Hoochie Koo' is again very groovy, lots of New Orleans-style song where Jukka sings about the difficulties to start a band. 'Black Olives' goes more jazz direction and reminds a lot Santana. 'Beauty and the Blues' is funky, very much Steve Wonder influenced piece. 'Giants and Dragons' also has Stevie Wonder influences, but also is the most prog piece in this album and reminds earlier melodic Jukka solo album songs. 'Inspired and Dedicated To' is very ordinary swing jazz piece and is the only little bit boring track. 'Fulltime Blues' is quite ordinary blues song, but has also some jazz flavour. The ending tracks 'Giant Waterbug' and 'Closing Time' are made by Panu and both very jazzy, instrumantal tracks. The second reminds in a very great way the atmosphere of smokey jazz club in the closing time.

I think it's not easy to make good roots-style album these days just for the reason there has made so many great ones already. Have to say here is one of the best roots-albums in the 2000`s! These guys just know how to make roots music grooving and not too clean. If you're listening only prog, I believe this is not your album at all. But if you're liking artists like Dr. John & the first Colosseum, I believe you will love this album! Definitely this album deserves four stars just for the quality of the music, but because it's not essential to proglisteners, I'll give it three.

Jukka Gustavson got artistic pension from Finland state in 2014, but he really isn't retaired! He has been very active with the Wigwam Experince, naturally he also was in those Wigwam's 50ties celebration concerts. He has also had some gigs with other groups. But the greatest thing is he still composes new songs! In 2017 came very much into roots music style 'Mojomen'-album with Saxman Syrj'nen, but this year he released totally his own album. Musicians in this new album has again changed, only really talented bassplayer Janne Rajala is same as in his previous album. The guitarist Jari 'Hein' Nieminen has done his musical career mostly with crooners. The drummer Thomas T'rnroos has been Jukka's bandmate in British Standard. Anyway all these musicians are very skillfull as always in Jukka's albums.

'We Must Change' starts album quite straightforward. But after some verses the song changes more complex direction with great organ playing. The song has lots of Traffic feeling. In the next 'All Flowers Of the Spring' direction changes totally. It's really a masterpiece to all symphonic prog lovers! Starting very much renaissance classical music style this instrumental piece changes in the middle much more abstract Jukka style. Jukka plays in this his kurzwell keyboard with string sounds. 'Some Astronomers Have Seen Far' is also instrumental and first reminds a little bit Pekka Airaksises serene works. But it changes more melodic and starts to remind Jukka's 'Kadonnut H'vi'm'tt'miin' -album. 'The Great Crowd' is again more straightforward, but has complex melodies. I am not sure what crowd Jukka is singing, but I hope he's not meaning just he's own religious crowd. 'J&L' is a beautiful lovesong to Jukka's wife Leena reminding Stevie Wonder a lot.

'Turquoise Yarn Inspiration' is another masterpiece in this album! It's little bit darker than the other songs in album, but not gloomy. It has really great melodic complexity and Jari's acoustic guitar fits in it very great way. Also Janne's great melodic basssolo reminds Pekka Pohjola's great ones. When Jukka starts to sing, song changes, but this part fits just great into it. Although the song is totally different, its structure and greatness reminds me 'Losing Hold'. I wonder, could Jukka have made this longer, epic piece? 'Be Wise Realize' is another great piece with complex melodies and another great basssolo. This reminds me a little bit Wigwam's Prophet in Being album in it's structure. 'You Can't Be a Racist' is a funky song and also one of the many songs against Trump. I believe many thinks Jukka's lyrics naive, but I have always respect his honesty. He also lives like he preaches. I have heard some to say it's not very intellectual to be against Trump, but as Jukka I think bad leaders are bad leaders, no matter are they in USA or Africa. The ending 'Ode To the Poor And the Unemployed' starts sad but change very inspired with it's rising chords.

I have listened this only twice, but it has already become the greatest album of this year to me! This really rises to the group of Jukka's four stars solo albums. It's not masterpiece as his first two solos, but there are songs that are as great. It's little bit sad Jukka seems to be a little bit in the shadow of his bandmate Pekka Pohjola also in Finland and this new album hasn't got lots of attention even here. To me Jukka, Pekka Pohjola and Jean Sibelius are the greatest Finnish composers. I believe Jukka's attitude towards his great Wigwam's compositions doesn't help him to get more respect. In those Wigwam's celebration gigs only 'Losing Hold' was played from Jukka's Wigwam compositions. In Finnish magazine Jukka praised Jim Pembroke's and Pekka Rechardt compositions. It's true those two made also great music in Wigwam's seventies period, but after that it has been Jukka and Pekka Pohjola who have made the greatest music. Genius men should not be too humble! Jukka really is one of the last great ones that started in the fifties or sixties. Anyway this album is highly recommeded to those who love Wigwam's 1969-74 period!

— First review of this album —

When hearing Jukka made a solo album with roots-oriented Hoedown, I had doubts. I was glad when I was wrong. Even this is the most easylistening Gustavson solo album, it´s really enjoyable and includes many highlights.

The Title song starts the album with the strong atmosphere. The next "Easy Task" is funk song about love. Both songs reminds little bit the Band, but specially the latter is a little bit mediocre. To me album really starts with next "Love Peace Field Reel". It reminds Fairport Convention with it´s folkprog. Poijärvi plays violin in a very great way, also Jukka´s organ playing are skillful. "A Small Brook Has Grown..." coming next is the best song in this album. In it´s instrument prog it reminds Jukka´s greatest works, Poijärvi´s violin and Jukka´s keyboards make again a huge work. In this song are also very classic music sound piano parts. Other highlights of the album are "I Need You Need Love Supreme" & "Our Fathers Land". The first is beautiful, simple lovesong where Jukka and Ninni sing absolutely charming duet. The latter bring together Jukkasounding chords and Winwood influenced verses. "Our Fathers Land" is more a song against the nature´s destroying than patriotic song. "Howlin Wolf & Blind Tigers" is the only piece that not sounds Jukka at all (he´s not even singing in it). Album ends well into Traffic-influenced "The Law That Belongs to Freedom" and beatiful lovesong "My Sweet Nature Girl"

If there had leaved songs out and made this album shorter, this album would have been as excellent as Jukka´s previous album. Now it´s only very good. Anyway this could be excellent starter to someone who hasn´t heard any of Jukka`s music. Specially if the one´s not like jazz music at all.

Unlike the album name, this is not a comparison with Jukka´s jazz albums "Moments" or "Between Fire & Ice" at least fully. There are many jazz songs, but also songs from the variety of style, also in jazz-songs there are same kind of fusion elements as in Jukka´s other solo albums. The nearest of earlier albums to this is "Toden Toistoa" although Jukka is playing hammond much more than that album and also two earlier albums. The production of this album is very great, I really like those very organic sounds. There are two orchestras playing with Jukka: Organ Fusion Band and Björkheim-Gustavson Quarted, but you don´t really notice at all when the orchestra changes. Jukka is singing only in English this album

One of the highlights in this album is starter "Cohesion Promotion". It´s one of those Jukka´s bright, cheerful and very flowing instrumentals he´s made also before. "Human Rights" reminds "Walkin`& Talkin`" from "Between Fire & Ice" but it works much better with much more organic sounds. Also it has very beautiful guitar solo from Björkenheim. Jukka is singing about human rights but also the rights of the animals. "Every Child Needs Love" is a Stevie Wonder-piece with a lovely text about children sung by very soulful vocals. "Highlights Of an Ordinary Day" goes towards blues, but works much better than Jukka´s songs on Finnish blues band called S F Blues. "Man Of Honour" is a slow reggae and includes the most personal text from Jukka. "Cohesion Swing Report" and "Blue Grace" are jazz instrumentals, but include very great fusion parts with great saxophone solos. The ending "In a Godless Hurry All the Time" is avantgardejazz piece and the least interesting for the progfans.

This albums is not as great as Jukka´s two first solos, but among his bests anyway. For the Jukka´s fans that don´t like his visits to the rootsmusic this of course can be disappointment.

This is Jukka´s most jazzy solo album. There wasn´t a long time he bought himself original hammond organ, so this is a true celebration album to the Jukka´s hammond playing friends. The album includes many styles of jazz, including free-jazz, swing, shuffle even avantgarde-jazz in "Time must". The greatest parts of progfans are in the end of the album. Yksi Suru, Yksi Riemu reminds in it´s freeform Wigwam from the beginning of the seventies, also straight continuing version of Yesterday is great in it´s soulful vocals and jazzy mood.

Moments was also Jukka´s band at that time. It performed few years, but Jukka started his Organ Fusion Band same time and Moments soon disbanded. This album is a great album to the organjazz friends, but not really recommended to someone who wants to get familiar to Jukka´s music.

A true, but really underrated masterpiece from Jukka! This second solo has a lot in common to first one, it´s also whole entity divided into smaller parts, there are no vocals, but it´s even more gone from the rock music towards classic music. There are no guitars and basses, drums are only in a one small part. The album is created mainly from Jukka in playing many different keyboards, other instruments as woodwinds, strings & percussions joining him occasionally. Still sound of the album is very organic, very far for example the synthetic world of Tomita. In album Jukka describes the changing of the seasons and nature in Finland very great way. In the insert of the album there are citations from the Bibble, but as in the first album, there are no strict connection in the music and those citations. The titles of the albums parts comes from the seasons and there are also subseasons like winter-spring and autumn- winter. In the beginning and in the end of album are titles outside the seasons, the first one is in english "Fulfilment of the sky" and the second last piece is "Eternity Continuity".

Album starts like a year starts, so it´s winter. Jukka decribes the brightness of winter in his keyboards, soon also the indian jewel and african bonetriangle creates sounds that reminds snow & ice. When the spring comes, comes into music also softer and warmer woodwinds. "To the honour of Summer" is the only piece with drums and it´s very excited, reminds the middle summer feasts in Finland. The Grand piano and Viola play the main theme of autumn and you can easily imagine grey sky and slight rain. In the end of the album the brightness of the winter come back with Jukka´s keyboards, woodwinds and strings so the circle is full. The cover is also as amazing as music, the changing of the seasons is described into circle. Cover is planned by Jukka and painted by Alpo Vanninen.

So sad this album has never released as CD. Main reason may be that it was released originally by Discophon, not Love Kustannus or Rockadillo as the most of the Jukka´s albums. Discophon is now part of the Warner Music Finland. When album has no commercial potential, big company seems not to have any interest to rerelease it. Svart records, will you read this review?

Just a quick one for this legandary Finnish (ex-WIGWAM) musician, who has sadly gained only a small amount of reviews at the year's time. Between Fire and Ice is a groovy, blues-flavoured jazz album, and pretty free of more eclectically progressive and personal elements.

The key instrument is announced already in the low quality cover. Iloisesti Hammondilla! (Sorry, non-Finnish readers; that was a clichéd phrase which means "joyfully with Hammond"). Organ jazz as a subgenre of its own isn't among my favourites. I think Hammond as the lead instrument gets a bit boring on the long run. This 64-minute album includes three songs with English lyrics and five instrumentals. Those with vocals ('Walkin' & Talkin'', 'Between Fire and Ice' and 'I'm a Bluesman') are oriented to American blues/funk/soul. The latter two are slow-tempo blues songs, more enjoyable than the sociocritical first song, but they could be by any artist of that genre.

I find it hard to get excited by the album as it sounds quite similar all the time. The mood stays carefree and there's a jam-like spirit in the compositions. The quartet (Gutsi is accompanied by a rhythm section and woondwinds player Pentti Lahti) is competent, no doubt of that. The closing track is a bit closer to the colourful Fusion you hear in his best albums, but prog listeners are adviced to choose other albums. Most of all this is a good and safe offering of merry organ jazz, recommended to anyone who happens to like that. Three stars would be an accurate objective rating, but for a clearer contrast I give only two here.

The botanical title is a little clumsy, but luckily this music is not something one might associate with the term "root music"! The latest album by the old fox JUKKA GUSTAVSON doesn't offer anything radically new, but it's always interesting to see how the various familiar ingredients are emphasized. For starters, all lyrics are in English this time, and - also unlike in the album I wrote about last week - the vocals are oriented to singing instead of speaking. These are surely good news especially for non- Finnish listeners.

The mood is mostly happy and relaxed. A good example is the long instrumental 'Message from the Coral Reef', or a shorter one 'In Rainy Weather'. This would be perfect music for a summer evening's outdoor concert. The track with the only Finnish title is a passionate, slow instrumental with delicious parts for flute and organ, and a very vibrating electric piano. Some of the vocal songs reveal a strong influence of Afro-American music (soul, funk, etc), but equally important is the European music tradition rooted in art music. Perhaps the album's greatest delight is 'Classical Stairs and Garden', 17 and ½ minutes of wonderful, effortlessly flowing instrumental Fusion, up there with the best of PEKKA POHJOLA or JUKKA TOLONEN.

In the very tender 'In the Long Wait of the Wedding' Jukka sings the brief lyrics in French! Beautiful arrangement featuring e.g. flute and strings. The groovy but rather peaceful song 'This Elegy Will Always Be' is a decication to a pet cat. It has nice electric piano, and presumably an ud solo by guitarist Pekka Nylund. I notice that I enjoy this album much more than in the first listening. The bluesiest things may not be so much up to my taste, but for once there's not a single irritating track around. This is an extremely solid album with 66 minutes of pure, breathing music that is never left in the shadow of more litarary approach.