Eero Koivistoinen Quartet - Hati Hati (2015)

innish Jazz has poise: chilly-crisp corners round even the most Avant Garde endeavors, as some of the country’s most accomplished composers infuse the beauty of Finnish landscapes and Nordic sensibilities in an otherwise wholly American musical tradition.]Among them is Eero Koivistoinen, one of the most celebrated saxophonists in modern and contemporary Jazz. Koivistoinen has played in numerous ensembles throughout his career, and has collaborated with other Jazz greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Tom Harrell, Randy Brecker, Gil Evans, Ron McClure, and Jack Dejohnette.
Koivistoinen’s published work spans decades; notable efforts include the often sampled Wahoo record, and his recent work on Round About Monk, an orchestral suite on the themes of Thelonious Monk, commissioned by the Radio Symphony Orchestra; Baltic Sea Blues for Sinfonietta; a Jazz trio commissioned by Kymi Sinfonietta; and an album of children’s songs commissioned by UMO Jazz Orchestra.
Koivistoinen’s new album, Hati Hati, due out February 27th on Svart Records, brings together the talents of bassist Jori Huhtala, pianist Alexi Tuomarila, and drummer Jussi Lehtonen in quartet ensemble, and showcases Koivistoinen’s finesse as both musician and composer.
Hati Hati’s title track opens the album with delicate disquiet; honest harmonies and forward Jaga Jazzist-style syncopation mark the song, as Koivistoinen’s sax sings praises with posture.
“Seaside,” the second of eight suites on Hati Hati, is piano-driven and lightly built on simple melody and emotion. Koivistoinen’s sentimentality shines in the simple arrangement of the song and notable fluidity of Tuomarila’s playing.
“Relations” is grounded with the generous inclusion of Huhtala; his bass solo mid song is mature, reserved, yet commanding. As the song builds, so does Koivistoinen’s own solo, which both sings and harmoniously wails. Tuomarila again swims en suite, as Lehtonen pockets and releases brush and stick work in kind places among the landscape.
“Times They are a-Changing,” much like “Seaside,” is sentimental, passionate, with Koivistoinen pulled back enough to allow the spaces and silence between notes impresses the importance of quiet. “Moz” jibes kinetically, as Tuomarila opens the song before sax takes to the breeze with panoramic view of Hati Hati, which is an album of honest, unadorned appreciation of modern Jazz.
Lushly, “Things” saunters as sax-songs should, with moody hues affixing Koivistoinen to Wayne Shorter-type intonation among cascades of piano; “Far North” is urban and blues-drenched, with prisms of piano carrying the poetics of the song. “Helium” concludes Hati Hati; the song’s dynamics bring together hypnotic phrasing and minor notes in unmussed “cool.” Koivistoinen’s most imaginative piece on Hati Hati, “Helium” finds each musician taking to the song’s generous offer of space, as each solo emerges as unhurried stanza.
For the Modern and contemporary Jazz fans, Hati Hati easily assumes position among a well-rounded collection of American Jazz and European Jazz records alike; the album amalgamates the refinement of Finnish songwriting with the tone and tenor of sax-based songs ala Shorter and his contemporaries.
Moreover, Hati Hati is performed by a well-assembled outfit: Tuomarila’s classical piano training shows in his uniformity; bassist Jori Huhtala’s Jazz-training shows in his timing; drummer Jussi Lehtonen shows sensitivity in his percussive work. The ensemble as a whole takes to the music with maturity and intuition, which is evident in their cordial approach.
Recorded at Yleisardio’s Studio in 2009, Hati Hati will finally be released in 2015 on CD, LP, and Digital formats through Svart records.
Those interested in exploring more of Koivistoinen’s catalog would do well to visit his official Website at www.EeroKoivistoinen.com, and to visit the Svart Records Website for more information and updates on the forthcoming record release.

01. Eero Koivistoinen Quartet - Hati Hati (5:50)
02. Eero Koivistoinen Quartet - Seaside (4:15)
03. Eero Koivistoinen Quartet - Relations (7:37)
04. Eero Koivistoinen Quartet - The Times They Are A-Changin' (5:12)
05. Eero Koivistoinen Quartet - Moz (7:25)
06. Eero Koivistoinen Quartet - Things (5:05)
07. Eero Koivistoinen Quartet - Far North (5:12)
08. Eero Koivistoinen Quartet - Helium (4:45)