Jazz Archives

"Fairyport" was the 3rd album released by Finlands WIGWAM which also featured the introduction of another cast member with the entrance of the outstandingly talented composer/musician/bassist Pekka Pohjola. The end result was WIGWAM's first real stab at pure progressive rock and INMO is one of my more favoured albums of the 70's prog era. On "Fairyport", WIGWAM mix jazz, rock, pop all in one exploratory album with a nice wide range of themes and moods. Generally the songs are pretty organ drenched with lots of rhythmic syncopation. With "Fairyport" the threesome of Gustavson, Pembroke and Pohjola was completed. Jukka Gustavson (keyboards) wrote the most progressive pieces, with Jim Pembroke (vocals, piano) wrote the lighter and shorter songs and Pekka Pohjola's (bass) focus on the instrumental aspects. The bottomline is a very well balanced album with lots of progressive tendencies, instrumental prowess and instrumental mastery. There are several magical moments on this album including "Losing Hold" , "Cafffkaff, The Country Psychologist" and Pohjols's ZAPPA-esque instrumental tribute "Hot Mice". Band membership was Ronnie Österberg (drums, congas, percussion, backing vocals), Jukka Gustavson, (vocals, piano, organ, electric piano), Jim Pembroke (vocals, harmonica, piano, electric piano), Pekka Pohjola (bass, violins, acoustic guitar, piano, celeste and harpsichord). I guess every diamond has one rough cut and so too does "Fairyport" with the last track being a 17 minute live epic recording circa 1971 and sounds even with the re-mastered CD version like something off a bootleg. Having said that the studio material is to kill for and I would heavily recommend this album to all lovers of progressive rock.

:::Review by loserboy:::

Wigwam - Fairyport (1971)

1. Losing Hold (7:06)
2. Lost Without A Trace (2:29)
3. Fairyport (6:53)
4. Gray Traitors (2:48)
5. Caffkaff, The Country Psychologist (5:22)
6. May Your Will Be Done Dear Lord (5:28)
7. How To Make It Big In Hospital (3:01)
8. Hot Mice (3:19)
9. P.K:S Supermarket (2:20)
10. One More Try (3:26)
11. Rockin' Ol' Galway (2:27)
12. Every Fold (3:07)
13. Rave-Up For The Roadies (17:20)

Credits
- Jukka Gustavson / vocals, acoustic & electric pianos, organ
- Ronnie Österberg / drums, congas, percussion, backing vocals
- Jim Pembroke / vocals, harmonica, piano (2-12)
- Pekka Pohjola / bass, violins, backing vocals (3), acoustic guitar (8), keyboards (8-9)
+ Unto Haapa-aho / bass clarinet
- Eero Koivistoinen / saprano saxophone
- Tapio Louhensalo / bassoon
- Risto Pensola / clarinet
- Pekka Pöyry / soprano saxophone
- Hannu Sexelin / clarinet
- Jukka Tolonen / guitar (2-7-13)
- Ilmari Varila / oboe

Finnish guitarist Jukka Tolonen's fourth solo album is a great jazz rock album in the same vein as the three previous. This is fairly simple, well arranged music where the melody lines are more in focus than the solos, although we get to hear quite a lot of Tolonen's distinct and somewhat bluesy guitar, as well as a sax sometimes. Musically it reminds me of Chick Corea's Return to Forever albums but the music is not that sparkling, rather cooking. The musicians are not trying to make the music scream or cry, but rather swing and flow. There's an overall relaxed and unpretentious feeling over it although they play rather fast from time to time, and yet with a typical Scandinavian melancholy trademark.
Four bright shinig stars!

:::Review by Borje Lund:::

Jukka Tolonen - Hysterica (1975)

1. Jimi (9:30)
2. Django (2:34)
3. Hysterica (6:33)
4. Tiger (7:02)
5. Silva The Cat (4:50)
6. Windermere Avenue (7:15)

Credits
- Jukka Tolonen/ Guitars, Piano
- Heikki Virtanen/ Bass
- Esko Rosnell/ Drums, Percussion
- Esa Kotilainen/ Moog, Clavinet, Accordian, Organ, Synthesizers
- Pekka Poyry/ Alto Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute
- Seppo Paakkunainen/ Baritone Sax
- Jan Kling/ Tenor Sax
- Bertil Lofgren/ Trumpet
- Torgny Nilsson/ Trombone
- Sakari Kukko/ Soprano Sax, Flute
- Pekka Pohjola/ Bass