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Juhani Aaltonen & Heikki Sarmanto: Conversations
ByAll 16 improvisationsbased on Sarmanto's melodies, spontaneous creations in the studio and two standardsare launching pads for the pair's rich and sophisticated melodic languageromantic, at times, but never sentimental. Reflecting a shared musical history, collective experiences and love for improvisation, this remarkable duet was recorded without any preconceived notion of how the music was going to turn out; it simply flowed effortlessly from some mystical source outside their shared musical consciousness, almost creating itself, as Sarmanto testifies.
Most of Sarmanto's compositionsoften drawing inspiration from his love of Finnish and American poetrydate back to the seventies, a creative period for both musicians, but his writing only suggests the basic framework for their highly sensitive and patient interplay. The free-flowing interplay sounds fresh, joyful and modestfocused totally on the compositions' melodic content, as if the two only recently began to explore and share their love for a good melody. Some of Sarmanto's material was first composed for ensembles with vocalists, while others reflect his experimentation with abstract form, free of fixed tonality. Three pieces appear here for the first time.
"The Sea In The Moonlight" is one of Sarmanto's most impressive interpretations of poetic texts, inspired by a poem by Eino Leino and featuring Aaltonen's passionate and poetic work, reflecting the poem's dark, somber tone. On "Evening Haze," based on poem by one of Finland's most beloved poets, Aaro Hellaakoksi, Aaltonen and Sarmanto use only a fragment of the song to articulate its sad and melody. Only the painful and intense "War Trane" is different, a composition that reflects the huge impression of John Coltrane 1961 Helsinki concert on the two of them, their love for the Coltrane's music and their experiences as "war children" that were sent to safety in Sweden towards the end of World War II.
The two standardsthe romantic "You And The Night And The Music" and melancholic "Alone Together"also stress the relaxed, intimate communication and almost infinite melodic possibilities that both players find, even in such well-known themes. The five spontaneous improvisations are more spiky and intense but still rely on a clear melodic structure despite the open-ended and often busier attitude. All sound as part of a long conversation between two veteran comrades that need few words and only the occasional gesture to convey a whole world of inspiring stories and deep emotions.
Little need be asked from such great masters, other than more recordings of such impressive and rare musical affinity.
Track Listing
CD1: When I Was With You...; So Much Happened; What We Cannot Imagine; ...It Happened Today; Le Petit Soldat; Just Like a Dream; You and the Night and the Music; Evening Prayer. CD2: From Nothing; No Work Bound Me; Free Souls; The Sea in the Moonlight; War Trane; Peace Talk; Alone Together; Evening Haze.
Personnel
Juhani Aaltonen: tenor saxophone; Heikki Sarmanto: piano.
Album information
Title: Conversations | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: TUM Records
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