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JUPU GROUP

Jazz Rock/Fusion • Finland


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Jupu Group biography
JUPU GROUP was a somewhat typical finnish prog band, as most bands in Finland (in the 70's) played some form of jazz-rock/fusion. The band was based around the violinist Juhani "Jupu" Poutanen (hence the name Jupu Group). The music in their only album "Ahmoo" is much in the vein of WEATHER REPORT and RETURN TO FOREVER, but no plagiarism here, and the group managed to have a sound of their own for the most part.

By the time "Ahmoo" was released, the band had already disbanded as Juhani had moved to Rovaniemi to continue his studies. It's worth a spin, if you like the bands mentioned earlier, but finding "Ahmoo" might be a difficult task, as I believe it was never released on CD.

: : : Toni (Jimbo), FINLAND : : :

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JUPU GROUP discography


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JUPU GROUP top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.36 | 20 ratings
Ahmoo
1975
4.35 | 17 ratings
Umpeen kasvoivat polut
2022

JUPU GROUP Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.00 | 3 ratings
Jazz-Liisa 5
2016

JUPU GROUP Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

JUPU GROUP Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

JUPU GROUP Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

JUPU GROUP Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Umpeen kasvoivat polut by JUPU GROUP album cover Studio Album, 2022
4.35 | 17 ratings

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Umpeen kasvoivat polut
Jupu Group Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by BrufordFreak
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars A Finnish jazz-folk-rock band that first burst upon the music scene back in the mid-1970s has re-appeared, with founder and composer Jupu Poutanen (formerly the band's violinist) re-invigorated by a group of young enthusiasts. With this album receiving some acclaim I took it upon myself to review it--and I'm very glad I did.

1. "Kapriisi" (3:44) an instrumental that opens with a definite jazz-rock fusion sound and construct with lots of harmonic tension and interesting Frank Zappa/Mahavishnu Orchestra/Jean-Luc Ponty-like jazz noodling woven together into a rock format. The rock orientation becomes increasingly evident with the electric guitar-solo-led rock motif played out in the second half of the second minute into the third minute and again with the wild wah-violin solo in the second half of the third minute (which is the song's highlight for me). My third top three song for the album. (8.875/10)

2. "Istut yksin" (5:16) opens with a spacious, atmospheric blues soundscape that reminds me of the British electro-pop band Mono from the 1990s (Formica Blues). Meerika Ahlquist's lilting vocal does little to dissuade me of the dramatic blues mood orientation. But then at 2:35 the band ramps up into a full-on 1960s blues rock vamp. More vocals, a little more dynamic, and some solos--first from Hammond organ, then electric guitar, It all sounds so 1969: Blind Faith, Band of Gypsys, Spirit, etc. (8.6667/10)

3. "Umpeen kasvoivat polut" (4:54) opens like a 1960s specialty blues-rock song with drums and bass establishing the solid flow as first "distant" electric guitar flies around his fretboard, then Fender Rhodes chords and multiple tracks of Meerika's voice gently sing in soft tones. Guitar, violin, and keys give the instrumental section a thick, mutually- supportive weave before backing down for individual soli: mostly pitch-wavering electric keyboard and electric violin. Then we return to the main motif within which Meerika finishes her singing. (8.875/10)

4. "Enkeli" (3:44) a jazz-rock instrumental propelled by a driving rhythm section and both Hammond and piano and guitar moving through the opening with some fire, it is no surprise that a bridge takes us into an extended passage in which the individual instrumentalists unleash some fiery Mahavishnu-like soli. Nice performances if nothing very ground-breaking. (8.75/10)

5. "Giba" (6:41) piano, jazz guitar, and violin open this in a semi-classical, semi-jazz style reminding me a lot of Django- Stephane Grappelli before the piano is given room to solo for a bit. Full jazz band joins in from time to time, bringing on a much more rock and then jazz-rock/prog sound and style until 2:30 when the rhythm section takes a left turn into a more Latin dance-like pattern. The bass and guitar are really moving beneath the very avant-jazz piano solo. At 3:37 the doubled-up/delay/echoed electric violin takes over the lead. Full-band jazz Mahavishnu coda in the fifth minute before descending briefly into screaming Mahavishnu burst before music drops off leaving only chunky bass and raunchy lead guitar to blues-rock it out. Rest of band joins in and eventually brings it back to the angular lines of Mahavishnu land for the finale. Interesting song of complex structure thus demanding a lot of the instrumentalists-- which, I must say, they pulled off admirably. (8.75/10)

6. "K''nt'isik' h'n selk'ns'" (3:18) a bit corny, a bit classical, a bit 1960s psychedelia, recorded so purely, like a Folk Rock album, with a very pleasant vocal from Meerika and a little Django Reinhardt-like guitar play from Otto Porkkala. Nice. (8.875/10)

7. "Pihapuu" (4:32) nice, gentle pastoral jazz folk with prominent walking bass and, soft drum play, and violin in the lead up front. I do like the clean, unadulterated recording of the tracks: it makes it feel so present, so in your own living room. At the two-minute mark everything stops so piano and Meerika can have nice little duet for a minute or so. Violin and electric guitar duet leads to carry the pastoral melody when the rest of the band returns (after Meerika's finished singing). Nice tune. My favorite on the album. (9.25/10)

8. "T'yttymys" (4:56) the psychedelic sound of the opening--with electric (dobro?) guitar and Hammond--is reminiscent of Swedish atmospheric masters, LANDBERK from the 1990s--as well as Graham Sutton's first BARK PSYCHOSIS album. At the 0:59 mark the full band enters with a nice little 1960s psych-folk soundscape. As Meerika enters with her voice I am reminded of Greek band CICCADA as well as Finnish countrymates KOSMOS. The composition is fairly simple but the performances are all beautifully nuanced and pristinely clear. Interesting final 45 seconds when the music turns kind of circus-like! Another top three song for me. (9/10)

Total Time 37:05

A refreshingly clean and clear recording and presentation of some impressively intricate compositions performed dexterously and confidently by some fine musicians. I look forward to hearing more from this young band in the near future.

A-/4.5 stars; a near masterpiece of progressive rock music informed by the traditions of Euro-jazz, Mahavishnu-style fusion, Finnish folk music, and 1960s blues rock.

 Ahmoo by JUPU GROUP album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.36 | 20 ratings

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Ahmoo
Jupu Group Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by AJ Junior

3 stars Jupu Group was a Jazz Fusion band from Finland. They were centered around violinist and percussionist Juhani "Jupu" Poutanen (Hence the name) and released their first and last album (for around 50 years) "Ahmoo," in 1975. This album gives off very heavy Jean Luc-Ponty vibes, with the violin style very similar to his. The technique is pretty advanced and typical for Jazz Fusion of this style with lots of fast soloing coupled with occasional melodicism.

The album opens with "The Seeker," which is a quintessential Jazz Fusion number. Very funky chords, and synth from Jukka Linkola. The guitarist (Janne Louhivuor) has some really good solos on this track. I actually quite like the soul interludes during the song where the horns come in and they show off their melody more. Overall one of the better songs on the album and a good extended jam for an opener. From the beginning you can tell "Ennystymätön" is gonna be an interesting one. The song starts with some high-intensity clav and bass backbeat over assorted violin and electric piano solos. Janne Louhivuor has another pretty nice solo here in an odd signature as the beat picks up. Towards the end, the song has a buildup back into the bass and clav undertones as the song comes to an end. Definitely not my favorite but not horrible. Side 1 closes on the 10-minute "epic" "Ahmoo," which is hella disappointing. The song opens very ambiently before eventually going into a really nice piano part around the 2:00 mark. This section actually sounds beautiful, but the band does absolutely nothing with it and the song goes into a 5-minute drum solo before ending mediocrely. This track had the most potential on the album but alas, it underperformed.

The second side opens with my personal favorite track, "Moment." This is easily Jupu's best violin work on the album and gives off total Mahavishnu Vibes. The song opens on an upbeat note with screeching guitars and high octave phased Wurlitzer. The song is another one of those jams that this band does often, except this one actually has character, musicianship, and variation opposed to some of the less bright songs on here. After the highlight we get, "Two for Eeva." The song opens with heavy upright bass, and ambient violin. Around the 4:30 mark the song takes a much needed turn for a more upbeat sound after 4-minutes of nothingness. This song is by far the jazziest on the album and during the second half it seamlessly switches from awesome Fusion, to melancholy piano interludes. The last track on the album, "Drops of Rain," opens with classical violin that set the mood. After about a minute, the drums begin to build up along with phased keys and bass. Unfortunately, the band doesn't actually drop the beat for minutes, so the song is stuck in a perpetual buildup with mediocre ambience. Finally at the 6:00 minute mark of the 7:00 minute song, the band introduces the beat which makes for by far the best sequence on the entire album that only lasts for 45 seconds, before the album ends.

To be honest, this album had so much potential to be a 4-star if the band had cut on some things. For example, the title track is by far the weakest due to it pretty much being a drum solo for 10 minutes. If the band had just developed the song instead of getting lazy I believe that track alone could've at least pushed the album from a 3 stars to a 3.5. Jupu Group actually released their first work in decades in 2016 (which was a little live album), but in 2022 they came back with their first full length studio effort in half a century (Which is quite good). Over all, I would recommend tracks such as "The Seeker," "Movement," and possibly "Two for Eeva," to fans of jazz fusion but not too much else.

 Umpeen kasvoivat polut by JUPU GROUP album cover Studio Album, 2022
4.35 | 17 ratings

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Umpeen kasvoivat polut
Jupu Group Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by Matti
Prog Reviewer

5 stars A high time to give the first review for this excellent album released nearly a year ago. JUPU GROUP was a Finnish instrumental fusion band in the mid-70's, led by violinist and composer Juhani "Jupu" Poutanen. They released their sole album Ahmoo in 1975 and practically disappeared from the business, the album later gradually becoming a minor fusion classic of the era. Surprisingly enough, Poutanen has composed new pieces and gathered a new six-piece line-up of young musicians: here is the result. Poutanen himself doesn't play on it, but the electric violin of Lotta Ahlbeck is central in the sound.

Shortish, 37-minute album has eight tracks. This time there are also songs with lyrics in Finnish. Some of them are originally poems of respected poets such as Helena Anhava and Helvi Juvonen, and the vocalist Meerika Ahlqvist has written a few lyrics herself. The occurring melancholic themes such as loneliness, suffering of animals and death gives the whole a beautiful coherence on the lyrical level, but in this review I'm going to concentrate on music. First, Meerika's bright vocals are very enjoyable, especially on the more delicate, introspective moments.

The opening piece 'Kapriisi' is a powerful and dynamic prog-fusion instrumental full of vibrant joy of playing. The violin easily brings acts like Kansas or Mahavishnu Orchestra in mind. 'Istut yksin' (= You sit alone) starts delicately in a slow tempo but adds tight prog fuel in midway, highlighting Otto Porkkala's intensive electric guitar work.

The album's title track (= "The paths were covered with growth", to give a very rough translation) is truly lovely in its jazzy sensualism. 'Enkeli' (= Angel) is another energetic instrumental. If Kansas were a bit jazzier they might have done something similar -- and this is definitely not to say Jupu Group doesn't have a sound of their own. The third instrumental track 'Giba' has interesting counterpoints and an eclectic rhythmic complexity. Mikko Patama on piano gets into spotlight on the jazziest moments, while elsewhere the entire band has a marvelous prog groove reminiscent of both Frank Zappa and early 70's Wigwam. The album's excellently produced soundscape is best described as timeless, with its retro nuances. Piano is the primary keyboard but there are some Hammond also.

'Kääntäisikö hän selkänsä' (= Would he turn his back?) has a beautifully delicate intro starring just vocals and piano, and grows into tight 70's-like prog. 'Pihapuu' (= Yard tree) flows instrumentally for its first half and would be a great piece as an all-instrumental, but the sparse sensual vocals lift it to a higher level. The final track 'Täyttymys' (= Fulfillment) is yet another winner combining prog complexity, flexible jazziness and lyrically expressive vocals.

The elegant little dose of cultivated RIO/Avant-ish edginess in the compositions makes sure that this album is rewarding to a demanding prog listener, not only to those with fondness on sensual and lyrical side (btw, hopefully you non-Finnish listeners are not bothered by the language barrier). I am happily charmed, and give my warmest recommendation with a full rating.

 Jazz-Liisa 5 by JUPU GROUP album cover Live, 2016
4.00 | 3 ratings

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Jazz-Liisa 5
Jupu Group Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer

4 stars What a pleasant surprise this one was, I mean this one is a keeper. This was just released back in 2016 but it's an archival release of music played live in studio on October 2nd 1974 and broadcast live on channel 2 in Finland. Their only release up to this was a studio album in 1975 also played live in studio but with five members. This is the year before with six members and that sixth guy plays soprano sax and flute and composed "Cybele" the rest of the songs on here were composed by the violinist the leader of the band. I should mention there is another edition of this release with a different album cover and it includes live music from 1977 and every opinion I've heard about that one says it's inferior to the 1974 music so I'm glad I have the edition I do.

Part of the appeal for me is that I'm just not big on violin led music. There are always exceptions of course and this is one of them. These guys by the way sound like no one else. I thought briefly of MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA on the closer at one point but hey not a bad band to be compared to right? The opener had me dancing around the house the first time I heard it. That violin is addictive and it's catchy. A lively sound. "Ahmoo" is slow moving to start with bass, violin and flute. Piano only after 2 minutes as we get a calm and it's beautiful. Violin and flute are back after 3 minutes and some picked guitar in this Avant section. Really cool. Drums roll in before 5 minutes then another calm and it's dark with sparse sounds. Blows me away that this was all played live. Organ takes the spotlight before 9 minutes.

"Ennystmaton" is one of my favourites. It hits the ground running with violin over top leading the way. I love when it slows down just before a minute. Intense! The electric piano starts to solo as the violin steps aside and that electric piano sounds great! Violin is back and man this is good. A calm with bass, shuffling drums and violin. Then the violin starts to go "off" after 5 minutes, sax too. Suspense! The violin is more playful late. "Cybele" is the longest track at over 11 minutes and we get sax and atmosphere to start as birds chirp. Just drifting away here with that inventive and melancholic sax for 3 1/2 minutes then the double bass replaces it. Cymbals join in then electric piano and flute. It's picking up. Picked guitar and violin as the flute steps aside. Violin leaves before 8 minutes as the electric piano leads the way with bass and drums. Flute and violin are back before 10 minutes.

The closer might be my favourite. "Lokki"is about the electric piano and sax mostly but it's that fuzzed out bass that had me exclaiming "What!" when I first heard it. Love these guys! Violin after 1 1/2 minutes and yes this sounds amazing. This is the MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA moment. Soprano sax leads before 5 minutes until the violin replaces it after 6 1/2 minutes. Well you can probably gather that I highly recommend this 1974 release. A must for adventerous Jazz fans.

 Ahmoo by JUPU GROUP album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.36 | 20 ratings

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Ahmoo
Jupu Group Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by Matti
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Ahmoo (the word means nothing, I think) is the sole album by a Finnish fusion sextet, recorded in August/September 1975. It hasn't yet appeared on CD, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Rocket Records to do the job anyday.

The first two tracks are much funkier than I expected, giving the lead role to Janne Louhivuori's electric guitar. 'The Seeker' is written by drummer Upi Sorvali and 'Ennystymätön' - another nonsense word! - , with its groove reminiscent of Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition', by violinist Juhani Poutanen. The 10- minute title track is quite different: a serene and a bit aimlessly wandering arty-farty focusing on piano and percussion. The A side is a disappointment for me as I expected airy & melodic fusion in the style of Jean Luc Ponty (foir the presence of violin). Technically this group is excellent, however.

'Moment' (by Poutanen) finally features the awesome violin virtuosity. Especially this 8-minute highlight track is on the level of the American fusion of the time (Weather Report, Return To Forever...).The bassist Ilkka Hanski has composed 'Two for Eeva', which starts rather boringly with the bass taking the solistic role. Usually bass solos in jazz always bore me, by the way. Little by little the track grows to be more interesting, including various phases. I like the lively piano in it. The closing track 'Drops of Rain' (by keyboard player Jukka Linkola) begins quietly in a meditative manner, and it also remains very delicate and impressionistic, evoking images of soft summer rain.

Even though I was mildly disappointed at first, due to my own expectations, I believe this unique album is a grower, definitely it's full of original and fine musicianship.

 Ahmoo by JUPU GROUP album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.36 | 20 ratings

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Ahmoo
Jupu Group Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by snobb
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

3 stars Rare the only album from Finnish band "Jupu Group" . Recorded very in atmosphere of it's time (mid 70-s) , it demonstrates better than average jazz-rock fusion in the key of Return To Forever. Main difference is all music on this album is strongly based around electric violin sound. But if you can imagine Return To Forever combination with Jean Luc Ponty, or early Michal Urbaniak, you will understand , what this music is about.

Very competent in playing technique, the only album's problem is luck of compositional originality. You will hardly recognize the band's sound, but quite easy could mix it with one of great jazz fusion names of that time. What in fact is very big complement - unknown musicians' debut album is musically and technically strong enough to sound as music, played and recorded by greatest genre's musicians of the moment.

It's nice to note, that not only violin, but guitar and bass lines are very competent, and drumming is on the good level too. It's quite difficult to recommend this album, mostly because it is almost collectors rarity. If you find it by chance, and you like jazz-fusion from mid-70-s , than take it. Nothing too much outstanding, but really very good evidence of genre's golden age. But I don't think it worth to search it as special target .

My rating for this album is 3,5.

 Ahmoo by JUPU GROUP album cover Studio Album, 1975
3.36 | 20 ratings

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Ahmoo
Jupu Group Jazz Rock/Fusion

Review by Progbear
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Finnish fusion group, based around the violin playing of Juhani Poutanen. In spite of the heavy use of violin, the style reminds me less of Mahavishnu or Jean-Luc Ponty than it does Return to Forever or Weather Report. Very American sounding.

High point of the album is probably "Two for Eeva", which contains a mesmerizing, sawing violin hook throughout. Low point is definitely the title track, the bulk of which is made up of a simply interminable drum solo.

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