CD/LP/Track Review
Mika Pohjola: Special Edition
Glenn Astarita
Longtime contributor to AAJ and Downbeat, Jazz Review, EjazzNews, Radio DirectX.Finnish born pianist Mika Pohjola moved to New York City in 1995 where he has been creating a bit of a stir on the local scene which is a laudable accomplishment when considering the abundance of talent in New York’s fertile jazz environment. A good sampling of Pohjola’s creative juices, composing skills and technical gifts can be heard on Special Edition which contains 16 musical tracks comprised of compositions Pohjola composed between 1994-1999 and a series of interviews which were conducted in English and Finnish. On various tracks, Pohjola performs with such notables as bassist Bruno Raberg, guitarist/educator Mick Goodrick, saxophonist Chris Cheek and others. Throughout, Pohjola demonstrates his acute sensibilities for rich melodies, swing, and nifty utilization of space; however, the pianist also exhibits left-of-center tendencies on occasion. No doubt, Pohjola is a fine pianist who possesses a vivid musical imagination while at times fusing “classical” style motifs into traditional jazz formats. In summary, Special Edition provides an admirable glimpse of a young talent on the rise....* * * ½
Check out www.jazz.what.cc as this and other CDs by the artist are also available through North Country Distributors. For additional information or direct contact, send Mika an email at: mikamusik@email.com
Record Label: MikaMusik | Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
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