Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Juhani Aaltonen & Iro Haarla: Kirkastus

10

Juhani Aaltonen & Iro Haarla: Kirkastus

By

View read count
Juhani Aaltonen & Iro Haarla: Kirkastus
On the sublime Kirkastus saxophonist & flutist Juhani Aaltonen and pianist & harpist Iro Haarla engage in a series of intimate and impressionistic duets that brim with lyricism and spontaneity. A definite spirituality marks all ten of Haarla's compositions and, although various Psalms inspired most, the sacred nature of the music goes beyond strict religious boundaries to a universal and timeless devotional state. The ethereal "Long Sole Sound," for instance, has a Zen serenity. Haarla's strummed, sparse harp strings form the organic framework over which Aaltonen's breathy, warm bass flute floats. The piece is quite evocative and atmospheric with individual improvisations that are complex and fluid, especially as they embrace one another in an exquisite, ad lib conversation.

The expressive "Still Waters" also has Eastern hints especially as Haarla, on harp, conjures the sound of waves lapping against the shore with her virtuosic acrobatics. Aaltonen's staccato saxophone undulates with spirited and brassy tones like a warm summer breeze. Gradually the tune becomes more angular and free flowing as Haarla and Aaltonen embellish the main theme with intelligent and emotive extemporizations.

On the intensely pensive "Nightjar" Haarla switches to the Chinese zither Guzheng. Aaltonen's nocturnesque solo meanders in contemplative circles around Haarla's resonant strums. The two musicians serenade each other in meditative soliloquys reminiscent of otherworldly lullabies.

The most dramatic moment of this exquisite album comes with the title track. This Haarla original reflects the glorification that its name signifies. Aaltonen blows fiery melancholic lines while Haarla's piano cascades crystalline notes with wistful passion. The expectant ambience is simultaneously filled with introspection and fervor. The latter grows as Aaltonen's tenor honks and squawks and Haarla floods the piece with shimmering, crescendo phrases.

Aaltonen and Haarla have been collaborating for about a dozen years and their superb camaraderie shows on this subtly provocative and soulful recording. This abstractly transcendent work is perhaps their best yet. On it they liberate one another from the arranged constraints of larger ensembles. The result is a series poetic and mellifluous stream consciousness dialogues.

Track Listing

Evening Prayer; Out of the Depths; Still Waters; Kirkastus; Arie--A Song for Lost Love; Nightjar; Farewell to Valomaki; Long Sole Sound;Hear Me Cry;Lead Me to the Rock.

Personnel

Juhani Aaltonen: tenor saxophone (1, 3, 4 ,6, 7, 9, 10), flute (2), alto flute (5), bass flute (8); Iro Haarla: piano (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10), harp (3, 6, 8), chen (6), percussion (2).

Album information

Title: Kirkastus | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: TUM Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

Near

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.