JUKKA TOLONEN

A year after The Hook, on which band leader and composer Jukka Tolonen takes a step further away from his folk and world music-tinged preferences toward harder, heavier rock.

1. "Jimi" (9:30) quite an obvious homage and imitation to rock guitar's greatest trailblazer and innovator, the rhythm section is surprisingly sparse (much less chaos than that which Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell routinely generated) and Jukka's performance is far less dynamic or technically impressive than Jimi's easy-going temporal mastery. This, unfortunately, the first half of this song feels like a teenage garage band's early attempts at exploring Jimi territory. Since Jukka was 23-years old at the time of these recording sessions, I must admit to being a little disappointed. And, no: even with warmup and synchronizing, the trio never really achieve those magical, masterful levels of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. (17.125/20)

2. "Django" (2:34) blues-rock musical motif that is set up to make room to show off Jukka's fast, clean-picking electric guitar prowess--with, of course, a bit of the folk-jazz perspective that Django Reinhardt was known for. There is quite a little in Jukka's style and sound that would compare him to Steely Dan stalwarts Denny Dias and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter as well. There just needs to be something a little more to elevate this song into a finished or fully-developed state. (8.875/10)

3. "Hysterica" (6:33) entering the fray of full-on rock-oriented jazz-rock. Nice horn section arrangements, nice drumming from Esko Rosnell, and impressive guitar play from Jukka--at times sounding a bit like Steve Howe, at others like a caffeinated B.B. King. Overall, the song has a bit of a cheesy television soundtrack/advertisement sound and feel, but the skill levels are pretty high with the band hitting all the changes and speed demands with admirable synchronization. Esa Kotilainen's MiniMoog solo in the last 90 seconds makes the song sound a lot like something from American band Starcastle. (8.875/10)

4. "Tiger" (7:02) opens with a fast-moving blues rock bass line (courtesy of Pekka Pohjola) repeating itself over and over in an unusual time signature as other instruments slowly, carefully join him. By the time the second minute rolls around there are percussion (agogo!), Hammond organ, saxes, and guitar playing a jazz-rock "Peter Gunn"-like motif. Airy flutes take over at the top of the motif in the third minute for a bit before a bridge takes us into a more R&B-like motif over which Pekka performs a brief but impressive bass solo before the horns take their turns. I love the awesome abrasive rhythm guitar strum-striking Jukka is doing here! Then Jukka finally takes a solo: it's okay. (I don't really like the Stephen Stills-like muted jazz guitar sound he's chosen here.) Great drumming from Esko Rosnell throughout. What an awesome rhythm section! This song makes me wish Pekka Pohjola were around for the whole album (which is not always my reaction to Pekka's presence). Easily the best song on the album: just great from start to finish. Even the cat-like cacophony at the end with Jukka rock-soloing over it is entertaining. (14.25/15)

5. "Silva The Cat" (4:50) a song that was even released as a 45-rpm single back in the day, it's cute and melodic, quite simple, tow-chord song--which makes it understandable that is would/could be popular as a teeny-bopper radio dance tune. The fuzz guitar soloing over the top from the second half of the second minute to the is, to my ears, a bit annoying. I'm also not really happy with this simplistic tune on a Jazz-Rock Fusion album: it feels as if Jukka is pandering, debasing himself by selling out to the pressures for mass popularity, lowering his standards to an embarrassing level. (But, then, so many artists were doing the same--succumbing to the pressures from their record companies to try to make money.) (8.5/10)

6. "Windermere Avenue" (7:15) slowed down and straightened out, the sound and feel of this one almost lands this in Yacht Rock territory. The folky reeds and synth weave and Surfer Rock bass melody seem to substantiate this. Jukka's guitar solo doesn't start until the fourth minute and it's a bit smooth and easy--like a 461 Ocean Boulevard-era Eric Clapton solo. The main piano-based melody keeps bringing me into easy listening crossover country-rock tunes and artists like "Rhinestone Cowboy," Kenny Rogers, and even Charlie Rich. (13.25/15)

Total Time: 37:44

One great song (that would become a concert staple and much-covered song by other up-coming artists over the decades), three solid if-odd ones, and two "throw away" songs does not, in my opinion, make for a great album. After his previous two solo efforts, I find myself greatly disappointed with this one (the growth was not as significant as I'd hoped for and, perhaps, expected).

B/four stars; a sorely inconsistent album of eclectic styles and sounds that proves to be quite a disappointment after the promise shown by Jukka's previous two albums. Recommended for "Tiger" and the three other solid, if-less-jazzy jams.

Recorded in Stockholm 5-11 August of 1974 at Marcus Music AB and produced there by MÃ¥ns Groundstroem but not released by Love Records until December.

1. "Aurora Borealis" (12:56) a very unusual sound and stylistic palette for a song dedicated to an atmospheric phenomenon. (I just would have never conjured up a borderline-funk-jazz-rock tune to do the deed.) Jukka is climbing further into the jazz-rock lexicon for his musical expression with even greater commitment to jazzy horns and the latest funky-jazz technologies in electronic keyboards. The second movement of the suite is quite cool, starting out in the second minute of the tune, it tests out the infusion of new synth sounds and low-end horn arrangements within his piano-and-bass jazz-rock mainline. Then there is a brief return to the first movement followed by another go round the second motif that lasts until the end of the fourth minute before the music seems to devolve and fall apart, but, no! This is just a clever "bridge" into the third movement, which starts at about the 4:50 mark: it is two-chord vamp in which even more new funky techniques and new synth sounds (one that is a bit familiar to all lovers of Kool And The Gang's "Summer Madness"). This movement is even a step higher in terms of listener enjoyment, thanks to the great synth play of Esa Kotilainen and amazing space-sax play of Jan Kling on tenor sax and the perfect support from Jukka's piano, Heikki Virtanen's awesome bass play, and Esko Rosnell's very cool drumming and percussion work. Even when this motif switches into a funkier variation with Heikki's ramped up bass play and Jukka's excellent rock guitar with Esa Kotilianen's clavinet joining Jukka's piano it remains at such a high level of musicianship and engageability. I love songs like this in which it just keeps getting better and better the further you go. Though I don't like the title (it doesn't feel fitting to me) I love this song--especially those last two movements! (23.5/25)

2. "Starfish" (6:17) a very full rendering of this audience-pleasing composition with a full-scale horn section arrangement, jazz rhythm guitar, and multiple variations on a very catchy melody establishing a very sophisticated multi-layered orchestra-like composition that reminds me quite often of the perspective that composers like Bill Conti (Rocky OST) and Burt Bacharach. (10/10)

3. "The Sea" (8:22) another amazingly rich, mature, multi-layered orchestra-sounding song that sound like an all-time favorite Adult Contemporary hit from a French romantic film soundtrack. That two-chord piano riff! (As if stolen from Teddy Randazzo, Bobby Hart, and Bobby Weinstein's song "Hurt's So Bad" which became such a big hit for Little Anthony And The Imperials in 1965 and Linda Ronstadt in 1980.) If I didn't know better, I'd say that young Jukka is destined for greatness as a composer for orchestral music--or even as a orchestra conductor. Absolute beauty and awesomeness! (19.5/20) 4. "The Hook" (8:36) now we get a big-band sounding R&B motif--with accordion and all the horns (including the low end pulsing bass ones)--and some great guitar work, acoustically, rhythmically (both acoustically and electrically--with wah-wah), and in the lead tracks. Is Jukka trying to go for the Billy Cobham/Herbie Hancock kind of iconic bass- anchored stuff of Spectrum and Head Hunters with a little Also Sprach Zarathustra thrown in there for good measure? This is definitely a pretty radical shift from the previous three songs, though Jukka continues the masterful display of thinking of songs as lush tapestries of multiple threads of sophisticated and melodic particles and waves all woven together into an awesome work of art. (18.25/20)

5. "Together" (3:15) a return to simple, gentility, though with the time and key shifts to denote masterful songwriting skill: a duet with hissself between his piano and his Roy Buchanan-sensitive skillful guitar play. Nice finish to a great album. (8.75/10)

Total Time: 39:26

As stated above: I think this might be the breakout album that proves Jukka's extraordinary talent for sophisticated orchestral-level arrangements.

A/five stars; a full masterpiece of amazingly layered compositions rendered beautifully by MÃ¥ns Groundstroem for the world to cherish and uphold for all time! One of my favorite Jazz-Rock Fusion albums I've heard from the Scandinavian worlds--maybe even one of my favorite Jazz-Rock Fusion albums of all-time! Certainly one of the most unique and creative!

Finnish guitarist Jukka Tolonen takes another turn as band leader, rendering here more of his folk-tinged ideas into beautiful prog-pop songs.

1. "Wedding Song" (4:50) more beautiful anachronistic folk-tinged music from Jukka (like "Mountains" and "Wanderland" from his 1971 debut solo album). (9.5/10)

2. "A Warm Trip With Taija" (8:45) borrowing a bit from The ZOMBIES "She's Not There" in the way of guitar chord progression and poppy hippie feel, Jukka sets free his buddies Pekka Poyry and Erik Danholm on flutes as well as bassist extraordinaire Heikki Virtanen and bongo-percussionist Reino Laine. It's as if Blood, Sweat & Tears were merged with German prog folk band EDEN! (18.875/20)

3. "Impressions of India" (5:27) funny how Jukka's impressions of India start out with some Andalusian-sounding classical Spanish guitar! Having the tabla-sounding Moroccan clay hand drum enter in the second minute helps give it a little more Indian, but the Flamenco guitar and Western flute melodies don't help. He's trying to reach Indian melodies but just keeps missing. Still, the performances are all excellent. And one simply can't fault a young idealist for trying! (8.875/10)

4. "Thinking Of You In The Moonshine" (6:28) this dude is such a romantic! How can one not love him?! Though this song drags a bit like a New Orleans funeral march, the prominent presence of the trombone almost gives this a chamber-classical feel. In the fourth minute everybody seems to drop out, leaving only guitar and then a Damon Albarn-like hand drum pattern which is quickly joined by a variety of jazz-rock instruments, including the wah-wah guitar, electric bass, trombone and flutes, and full drum kit. Jukka delivers a Mark Knopfler-caliber guitar solo over this ensemble to fill out and finish the song. (8.875/10)

5. "Summer Games" (5:25) bass, drums, piano, and percussion are joined by flute and alto sax and, later, trombone, giving this bossa nova-like song a Burt Bacharach sound and feel. In the second half of the second minute, Paroni Paakkunainen gets the first true solo, on his flute, which is then followed by Jukka on the piano, Pekka Poyry's alto sax, more piano (or is it a Moog?), before trombone and horn section return us to that Burt Bacharach world--all the while Jukka's acoustic and electric guitars contribute to the rhythm tracks below. Very upbeat and cheery song. Me like! (But then, I'm a sucker for anything Burt Bacharach-like.) (9.3333/10)

6. "See You (Missing My Crazy Baby)" (3:36) another beautiful Prog Folk tune that could accompany many a wedding party. (9/10)

Total Time: 34:31

I have to admit to being quite surprised at how little flash and flare Jukka exposes us to on this album that comes from his guitar. I think he is content to let his compositions speak for his talent and skill rather than his virtuosic guitar skills. I like this dude! At the same time, this is not an album that I could ever deign a Jazz-Rock Fusion album; it's more Prog Folk, World music, or Crossover prog to my ears and mind.

Is there something about Finnish technology or economy that prohibits their music artists from pressing anything on vinyl that is longer than 17-minutes per side? Just wondering (as so many early rock, jazz, and prog albums I review that come from Finnish record companies seem to have that brevity in common).

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Crossover or Pop-Folk-oriented Prog; definitely an album of finely crafted and beautiful and soothing music (though by no means what I'd consider "Smooth Jazz").

Recorded in Helsinki in October of 1971, 18-year old Jukka Tolonen leads his Wigwam friends through an awesome folk- and jazz-informed representative of his unique and definitively progressive ideas.

1. "Elements - Earth/Fire/Water/Air" (8:06) a song that sounds as if The Grateful Dead were being joined by a classically-trained Bluegrass/Folk band. Very interesting--and very invigorating. Great play from everybody involved: especially Jukka himself (on acoustic guitars, wah-wah guitar and piano and spinet!) and Pekka Pohjola on bass (melodic, as usual). The uncredited flute player deserves some flowers as well. I think they did it: they covered all four of the elements! Excellent suite--comprised of four equally great sections. (14.75/15)

2. "Ramblin" (9:02) soprano sax starts off up top while Jukka and bassist Heikki Virtanen set up the semi-funky R&B, semi jazz-rock motif for further soloing by both Pekka Poyry and Jukka. This bass player is impressive! (Perhaps as much for how forward in the mix he's been placed.) Jukka is also very impressive: using both technical skills and effects as needed/desired. Still, he does show that he's young and has more to learn--especially in the isolated solo he has in the third minute. His jazz Django-like strumming is also pretty advanced though I expect he'll get cleaner with experience. His work behind the sax, within the rhythm corps, is almost as impressive: that sixth minute is pretty amazing! Mr. Poyry does, however, manage to crawl out from beneath his leader's shadow in the seventh and eighth minutes. Very nice! (And you all know that I am not a sax man.) The song's final two minutes sees everybody gelling into an even-keeled ensemble, which is nice. Evenso, Jukka can't stop impressing me with his virtuosic instincts and displays. (19.25/20)

3. "Mountains" (6:35) slow guitar chord strums (one chord) while "distant" horn plays sentimentally behind. This goes on for 130 long, Rodrigo/"Aranjuez"-like seconds before the sax fades away, replaced by a couple of Mike Oldfield-like mandolin- and 12-string-sounding guitars for a little less than a minute before the original motif is brought back for a round of melodic repetition. Then the two motifs are cleverly melded into one interesting weave. I love creativity like this! Excellent song. Excellent emotional conveyance. (9.25/10)

4. "Wanderland" (5:02) Pekka Pohjola, Ronnie Österberg and multiple tracks of multiple instruments devoted to Jukka's guitars, acoustic and electric, spinet, and piano make for a great tune that reminds me of the instrumental sides of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Comus, The Strawbs, Gryphon, and other anachronistic prog and folkie pop artists; just a sweet, nice folk AMERICA-like tune (recorded a month before America was to release their Amazing first album). (9.25/10)

5. "Last Night" (Live at Tavastia-Club) (3:26) full on, ear-splitting (high volume) rock 'n' roll--complete with electric everything and rollicking organ to boot. This shows Jukka and the gang's rock/prog rock proclivities. (8.625/10)

Total Time 32:11

My verdict is that, while Jukka is definitely a jazz-trained guitarist, like so much of the output coming from the Wigwam family of musicians, this is not as much a Jazz-Rock Fusion album as an album of wide-ranging progressive rock: there's rock, folk-jazz, prog, and folk-pop music (sans lyrics) and a little creative/experimental Jazz-Rock Fusion (before it really existed as its own musical domain). With technical skills and creative instincts like those presented on this album, I look forward with great anticipation to hearing and reviewing all of Jukka's 1970s output!

A/five stars; a masterpiece of creative and wide-ranging folk- and jazz-infused progressive rock music. I would not, however, call this a proper representation of Jazz-Rock Fusion. HIGHLY recommended! Especially if you like really creative, inventive song palettes and song constructs.

P.S. I would rate this down for its unseemly brevity, but it's just too likeable--and too fascinating.

This is solo album number three for guitarist extraordinaire Jukka Tolonen. The man can play multiple instruments and is a great composer as well. Probably why he was in the mighty WIGWAM and TASAVALAN PRESIDENTTI while doing his solo stuff. There are five horn players on this 1974 release playing various saxes along with trombone and trumpet. Flute too along with clavinet, moog and accordion besides the usual rock instruments.

The album cover represents this opener "Aurora Borealis" and it made me realize that it has decades since I've seen the northern lights. I grew up where you could see the northern sky over Georgian Bay and we saw them several times. This track is the longest one by far at almost 13 minutes. A nice heavy sound from the keyboards here as drums support, horns and synths will also take part. A catchy melody takes over just before 1 1/2 minutes and it's sax led. Back to the previous soundscape as contrasts continue. The guitar starts to solo over top then we get a calm with nothing but piano left. It then starts to build as bass and drums join the piano, then synths sounding melancholic which I like. Soprano sax takes the lead around 7 1/2 minutes then it's the guitar's turn before 9 1/2 minutes as Jukka lights it up.

The other two songs I really like are first "The Sea" with the opening and closing atmosphere that is quite heavy. Piano joins in then drums and bass. Flute will lead then guitar as well as a couple of horns in there as well soloing over top. My favourite is the title track "The Hook" with the many intricate sounds that come and go to begin with sounding very cool actually. The guitar is so good on this one as Jukka just plays and plays. Nice bass later on.

Another solid release from one of Finland's best guitarists.

I almost feel like I'm giving this 4 stars against my will. Yet I can't deny how well done this album is. I'm not normally into such mellow records but this does break out at times("Thinking Of You In The Moonshine") with electric guitar and depth. I didn't like this record after the first listen but this one just kept getting better and better after each spin. I can relate to the Finns when it comes to their climate somewhat living here in Canada although I'm in the southern regions of Ontario where it's not that bad. Still after a couple of weeks of really cold weather with lots of snow recently I can relate. Summer means so much to us northerners. And this is a Summer record that is pleasant and often light like a warm summers day. I just enjoy the sound of this album so much.

Jukka mainly plays acoustic guitar but he adds some tablas, synths and piano and he got a couple of his TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI members to help out with flute, sax and bass. The flute might be the most prominent instrument as there's three musicians playing it. Two trombone players too and soprano sax along with two drummers as no one musician other than Jukka plays on more than three of the six tracks. Classy but warm music that again has really stolen my heart surprisingly.

— First review of this album —

In the mid-70's the Finnish guitar hero Jukka Tolonen was knocking at the door of an international breakthrough. Several US radio stations played his compilation titled Crossection, especially the piece 'Windermere Avenue' from the Hysterica album. The success in America however didn't really happen, partly due to weak promotion.

Tolonen's only single features two instrumental tracks from Hysterica (1975). Happy-spirited 'Silva the Cat' is nothing special as a Fusion composition per se, in fact it's quite straight-forward in its rhythmic structure, but Pekka Pöyry's flute and Tolonen's electric guitar are delightful to listen to.

For the B side track 'Django' I have less sympathy subjectively. Undoubtedly named after the gypsy jazz guitarist Django Rheinhardt, it focusses on Tolonen's technical virtuosity, but despite being joyful and relaxed, the piece has very little to offer from an emotional point of view, instead it feels a bit monotonous. I have no idea if this single had any effect on Tolonen's popularity, but to me it's rather useless and uninteresting outtake of an album which is not among my favourites in the first place. Hence only two stars, but you can add a third one for good musicianship.

Guitarist (and occasional multi-instrumentalist) Jukka Tolonen became famous as the leading force of Tasavallan Presidentti, the other of the two most legendary Finnish prog bands. In the early 70's Tolonen started his instrumental Fusion oriented solo discography, which IMHO reached its artistic peak with The Hook (1974). Hystetica (1975) was a bit more rocking and care-free album.

After that the guitar virtuoso gathered a new group around him: Coste Apetrea from the Swedish RIO band Samla Mammas Manna as the second guitarist, Swedish saxophonist Christer Eklund -- who also produced A Passenger to Paramaribo --, the American- born drummer Bill Carson and bassist Ilkka Hanski replacing the TP partner Heikki Virtanen. Key wizard Esa Kotilainen continued his collaboration in Tolonen's band.

Compared to the previous albums this one contains more funk flavour, well present on the first two tracks. The third piece 'Tanja' was named after Jukka Tolonen's wife. It's an elegant and mellow little composition for acoustic guitars. 'Air Rock' is rather a typical Fusion piece of the time with airy melodies, virtuotic playing and the light funk elements. Nice, if not spectacular in any sense.

The energetic 'Dimitri' was named after Tolonen's son. The album closes with its only vocal track 'What Went Wrong?' sung by Bill Carson (whose singing style reminds me a little of Wigwam's Jim Pembroke). An OK, laid back song with a jazz/blues orientation and a long solo for electric guitar.

This is a fairly good and pleasant Fusion album all the way, but not quite as impressive as some of Tolonen's other albums.

Here's yet another item in the Finnish Pop Liisa / Jazz Liisa series (we're talking of live performances in Liisankatu studios, Helsinki, from the early or mid-70's, that at the time were only broadcast on the radio and have finally, in recent years, been released on vinyls and CD's).

Jukka Tolonen, the guitarist and leading figure of TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI and a succesful solo artist, appeared twice in the series of those gigs (if the Tasavallan Presidentti gig from 1973 is not counted), first in 1973 as Jukka Tolonen Ramblin' Jazz Band featuring e.g. trumpetist Mike Koskinen and the reeds player Pekka Pöyry, then in 1975 as Jukka Tolonen Band featuring Pöyry, keyboardist Esa Kotilainen, bassist Heikki Virtanen and drummer Esko Rosnell. These musicians represent the cream of the Finnish jazz rock / fusion scene of the 70's. The vinyl for this latter gig contains four tracks in roughly 37 minutes (whereas the preceding one has two compositions, 'A Warm Trip With Taija' and 'Ramblin''). All four compositions here are from Tolonen's fourth solo album Hysterica (1975). This restriction to one album may feel a bit narrow-minded for today's music consumer, but it's understandable that the limited length of the radio-broadcast gig was dedicated to the new release. [Let it be said that Hysterica isn't among my favourite Tolonen albums; especially I prefer The Hook (1974), which is one of my favourite Finnish fusion albums of all time.]

'Tiger' is a lively jazz-rocker with solos for various instruments following each other. Especially flute sounds great. 'Windermere Avenue' is a feelgood piece in mid-tempo, slightly simpler in structure. Only Tolonen throws a solo on this one. 'Hysterica' as a faster piece is for the most part about showing off the technical competence of the musicians, both in soloing and in excellent combo playing. But as a composition it feels a bit too self-indulgent and lacking the more emotional aspect, as does also 'Django', or the gig in general, despite all the superb soloing.

I wouldn't necessarily consider this release a must; it may feel a bit pointless if you already have Hysterica album. But if you're a dedicated instrumental jazz rock / fusion listener with a special interest for live recordings and excellent musicianship, it's undoubtedly worth the money. ------ Each CD release of Pop Liisa or Jazz Liisa series contains two separate items, in this case Hurmerinta--Sorvali Big Band's gig from 1977. BTW, that gig also features guitarist Sami Hurmerinta's wife Maarit on vocals. Maarit, a respected long-term artist in her own right, sings in Finnish on her own albums, whereas the English-language set in question features compositions by Jimi Hendrix and Frank Robson.

-- The First Review of This Album --

The sixth solo album of the ex- TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI guitarist & composer JUKKA TOLONEN is a solo work in every sense of the word, and an acoustic one. To the dedicated listeners of acoustic guitar soloing this naturally might be his most rewarding album, but I, and probably the majority of us, clearly prefer the preceding five albums performed by a varying bunch of musicians, especially both the more acoustic and serene "Summer Games" and the more electrified and lively fusion album "The Hook". I do appreciate good music for solo guitar (I have an LP by john Williams playing J. S. Bach, which I like a lot, and I enjoy e.g. STEVE HACKETT's acoustic works), I'm just not very deeply into music for solo instruments in general.

The two longish opening tracks are quite introvert, classically oriented compositions with some Ethnic nuances, and the brief and relatively sentimental 'A Little Love Song' brings a lovely, lighter, brighter moment. 'Life on Pluto?' sounds a bit too sketch-like for its repetitive melody line. The shortest tune 'Dimitri's Lullaby' is credited to Jukka's wife Tanja. Nice in its simplicity.

'Spring Is Coming' (14:43) is exceptionally a composition for solo piano, not guitar. No less brilliant technically, as piano was in fact Tolonen's first instrument, studied already at the age of seven. To me this is perhaps the most beautiful track of the album; I'm not sure how much the instrument itself affects to that opinion... Oh, did I just hear a tiny melodic similarity to 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'? Yes, and I believe it's an intented little citation, just few notes long. This hurriless composition is full of warmth and happy emotions. Maybe he should have done a solo piano album as well?!

The final piece is aptly titled as 'Sunrise Samba'. Recommended album if you enjoy intimate and classically oriented music for solo instruments in general and acoustic guitar especially.