PIHKASILMÄ KAARNAKORVA

First of all this is a great album. Pekka Pohjola, even if extremely skilled was not self-indulgent as many "monsters" are, so the tracks don't contain so much bass as one could expect, except for the closer "Valittaja" that's quite a masterpiece and contains also a long organ solo with a quasi-classical arrangement

It's a debut album, but from an artist who were already having a career with the Finnish band Wigwam, so everything but a newbie.

There's a lot of jazz but the progressive element is always present and evident. For those who already know his most famous "Mathematical Air Display", this is not much different. The sounds used are similar, but this album is more jazz-oriented.

A mention goes to Pekka's skill as violinist, too. Violin can be heard at the and of Valittaja and on "Virtoen Kharat", a track this with an incredible piano performance.

This is an extremely pleasant album even for who is not familiar with jazz and fusion. Also in the most eclectic moments the music is not too challenging for the listener and personally I can say that it transmits me a sense of joy.

The only defect of this album is its length. A little more than 30 minutes, but each of them is good. There are no weak moments at all.

Is it a masterpiece? In its genre it is!