KIVENPYORITTAJA

- First review for this artist - Before launching his solo career, Finnish composer and keyboard player Juha Kujanpää (b. 1974) had already been for a long time involved in numerous recording projects dealing with several genres from folk and vocal music to jazz and even children's music. As a solo artist, now with three well-received instrumental albums, he wants to explore especially the area between folk and jazz/fusion. And he's done it with such sovereignty that his addition in the ProgArchives was truly deserved.

This is his debut composed during 2011-2012 and recorded in March 2012. Already by looking at the list of musicians and their instruments one knows to expect something special. The rock-based quartet (that uses also harmonium and mandolin) is accompanied by three violins and a viola, plus guest appearances of e.g. cello, flute, saxophone, clarinet and other wind instruments.

The first two tracks start in a very folkish way with violins, but pretty soon the 'rock' instruments join. There are two pretty good references in the Finnish prog history: PEKKA POHJOLA, especially the early output, and the orchestral popular music of ANSSI TIKANMÄKI (he's not in PA). To some lesser extent also PIIRPAUKE could be mentioned, but Kujanpää is not as Ethnically oriented. As a composer Kujanpää operates more or less in these directions without sounding too much of either of them. All musicians here are great, but it's the excellent electric guitar work of Timo Kämäräinen (generally seen as one of the best Finnish guitarist today) that often gets the attention in solistic moments. Overall the arrangements are very verstile and the music floats with joyful ease. For example 'Suomenmaa' is gorgeous. Peaceful 'Hääpolska' ('Wedding Polska') and the humorous 'Arkipäivän ylistys' ('Ode to Everyday') are among the folkiest ones. The latter features the accordion of Teija Niku.

This highly original music will surely win lots of friends among the international prog community. If the listener enjoys both fusion and the Ethnic folk elements, Juha Kujanpää is a name worth checking out!

Unusually for a "solo" album, this 2013 debut by a veteran of the Helsinki arts scene is very much an ensemble instrumental project. Juha's keys are often dominated by the 3 violins and electric guitar, and even occasionally by winds, suggesting that his powers as arranger/composer really represent the fulcrum of "Kivenpyorittaja", which translates to "Tales and Travels". And these powers are indeed impressive, at least through most of the first 2/3 of the audition.

My closest comparison would be a modernized take on the master Swedes of instrumental folk rock in the 1970s, KEBNEKAJSE, with more intermingled jazz. It's all very listenable and mildly challenging, the best being the opening title cut, evoking photogenic pastoral low angled solar landscapes, and vibrant ones at that. I also enjoy the allusions to cultures just over the sea to the south, specifically Poland, on two tracks, and the more geographically proximal "Suomenmaa", translating as Finnish samba", where the intriguing jazzy aspects attain their peaks. It's only in the last 4 numbers that Juha seems to accept the ordinary; these pieces are baseline intriguing but they substitute ambience for verve and don't play to the strengths of this "big band".

At its best, this is superb genre-busting ethnic music, and, at its worst, it's still accomplished if unexciting. I'm going to lift it by its tales, up to 4 star status.