Martti Vesala Soundpost Quintet - Landmarks (2022) Hi Res

The first three seconds of "Trial by Fire" on Martti Vesala Soundpost Quintet's album 'Landmarks' are an exact replica of the opening chord of the title track to Miles Davis's iconic Bitches Brew. It is a statement of intent, a declaration of wanting to go beyond: "Over the past years, my compositions have become more rich and colourful, as I'm drawing inspiration from more varied sources." The results speak for themselves: Landmarks is easily Martti Vesala's biggest vision so far.

"Wild Eyes" with its sharp, almost electronic-sounding drums, maps out new territory and briefly aligns the quintet with some of the currents radiating out from the British jazz scene. But already on the subsequent "Nightflight Home", a deep, slow-simmering ballad about the fear and elation that change can bring, his Finnish roots come to the fore without ever tapping into worn-out folk clichés.

Everyone in the band has grown, starting with Vesala himself. On "Closer to the surface", his ecstatic solo demonstrates his interest in non-trumpet greats like John Coltrane as part of his never-ending quest for expanding his technique, and palette. The progression of Soundpost Quintet as a unit is becoming apparent, too, with the performers gelling tighter than ever while simultaneously excelling as individual instrumentalists. This is still an all-acoustic band - but with both eyes closed, it is hard to tell at times.