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Jussi Reijonen: Three Seconds | Kolme Toista
by Neri Pollastri
Disco tanto sorprendente, quanto interessante, questo Three Seconds | Kolme Toista è la narrazione musicale di un vero e proprio viaggio interiore fatto dal suo autore, il chitarrista Jussi Reijonen. Nato a Rovaniemi, nel nord della Finlandia, Reijonen è però cresciuto prima ad Amman (Giordania), poi a Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Muscat (Oman) e Beirut (Libano), per approdare da adulto negli Stati Uniti, a Boston e infine a New York, dove nel 2011 ha pubblicato il suo primo, ...
Continue ReadingJussi Reijonen: Three Seconds | Kolme Toista
by Karl Ackermann
East/West jazz fusion has a long presence on the U.S. jazz scene and that foothold has been growing in the 2000s. Composer/guitarist/oud player Jussi Reijonen is uniquely qualified to bridge musical cultures. Nordic by birth, he has lived in the Middle East, Africa, and the U.S., absorbing native music at each stop. Reijonen's solo debut, Un (Self Produced, 2012), paved the way for Three Seconds | Kolme Toista. The acclaimed debut album incorporated global influences but in a melodic haze. ...
Continue ReadingGiuseppe Paradiso: Parallel Dimensions
by Chris M. Slawecki
Parallel Dimensions steers the listener's imagination through a luxurious multicultural tapestry woven in music by drummer, vocalist, composer, arranger and producer Giuseppe Paradiso and his sextet. It explores broad musical horizons that can sound radiantly bright or dark, often features several instrumental or melodic voices at the same time, and is strongly colored and shaped by African rhythms. Parallel Dimensions sort of sounds the way that the cover of Miles Davis' landmark Bitches Brew looks. Two drum pieces ...
Continue ReadingJussi Reijonen: Un
by AAJ Italy Staff
Il chitarrista finlandese, ma di base a Boston, Jussi Reijonen riversa nel suo album di debutto Un tutte le influenze stilistiche raccolte durante il proprio percorso di vita, nel quale ha conosciuto culture diverse e molto distanti tra loro. Ne è venuto fuori un miscuglio molto particolare, dove svolgono ruoli decisivi, per la risultante stilistica di questo lavoro, gli interventi del leader all'oud e alla chitarra fretless, le percussioni di Tareq Rantisi e Sergio Martinez e i contributi dei musicisti ...
Continue ReadingJussi Reijonen: Un
by Eyal Hareuveni
The debut recording of Boston-based guitarist and oudist Jussi Reijonen is a remarkable crystallization of musical concepts and influences from the West and in the East. It is also a mature reflection of the musical experiences that Finland-born Reijonen accumulated in all the places that he grew up, including the Finnish Arctic Circle, the Middle East and East Africa. But more than that, it is the approach that Reijonen, a student of guitarist David Fiuczynski, Palestinian violinist/oudist ...
Continue ReadingJussi Reijonen: Un
by Hrayr Attarian
Finnish guitarist/oudist player Jussi Reijonen's debut, Un, seamlessly blends multiple ethnic influences into a stimulating whole, crackling with vitality and innovative spirit. The opening “Serpentine" is a sonic tapestry of both eastern and western motifs. His sinuous oud and Palestinian percussionist Tareq Rantisi's resonant beats contrast nicely with Turkish pianist Utar Artun's more western sensibilities. Artun's elegiac lines flow over Swedish bassist Bruno Råberg's and Spanish drummer Sergio Menendez's deeply soulful vibes. The two currents weave around ...
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