Jupu Group - Ahmoo (2018)

Ahmoo is an interesting episode in the history of Finnish jazz and prog rock because it puts the violin in the spotlight in a prog rock setting. The album cover refers to the violin’s essential role on Ahmoo: created by Paulyn De Fresnes, it is a surreal conjoining of the female form and the violin. Jupu Group’s career in the mid-seventies was short. The group was led by Juhani “Jupu” Poutanen, who had studied classical violin. In addition to Poutanen the group consisted of Jukka Linkola, Upi Sorvali, Ilkka Hanski and Janne Louhivuori. At the time Ahmoo was released Jukka Linkola was already in the process of cementing his position as an important and talented pianist, conductor, composer and arranger. Together with bass player Ilkka Hanski and drummer Upi Sorvali he later started Jukka Linkola Octet. Janne Louhivuori’s career turned towards rock music, and he played the guitar as a studio musician on countless Finnish rock albums, and also joined the Hurriganes. The Svart edition of Ahmoo is the first time the album gets reissued.