Matti P
Composer and pianist HEIKKI SARMANTO (b. 1939) is one of the most important persons in the Finnish jazz all time. His many-sided discography contains both instrumental and vocal jazz, and of the latter department, Syksy ja muita lauluja (= Autumn and Other Songs) is perhaps the most beloved, at least in Finland. Sarmanto based his compositions on poems by Aaro Hellaakoski and three other outstanding figures in Finnish poetry. This makes the album a classic also in the Finnish poetry-based music, alongside the Eino Leino albums of Vesa-Matti Loiri. "Laulelmamusiikki" is a good Finnish word that doesn't have a precise English equivalent. The French term chanson comes close.
The clasically flavoured arrangements feature piano, violin, cello, flute, oboe, saxophone, guitar, bass, drums and percussion. The vocal duties on the album are divided by Maija Hapuoja (she is one of Sarmanto's most frequent vocal collaborators), Harri Saksala (progheads may remember him from APOLLO and KALEVALA from the early 1970's) and cellist Karoly Garam.
The slow, melancholic title track always gives me goosebumps. Maija Hapuoja interprets the charming Lauri Pohjanpää poem that depicts a meeting and chatting of two crows. The vocalise at the end is so beautiful it sometimes brings tears to my eyes. Hapuoja continues on the next songs, both based on nature-oriented Aaro Hellaakoski's poems about a nightingale. These arrangements focus on acoustic guitar.
'Surviaisten tanssi' (a Hellaakoski poem about insects) brings dynamic variety with its fast tempo and lively woodwind soloing. The deep voiced Harri Saksala is a perfect vocalist for this one. 'Missä, milloin?' (= "Where, when?"; on Pentti Saarikoski's poem) is a modernistic, complex piece sung amazingly by Hapuoja. A casual listener might find this one a bit too avant-gardistic. The Hellaakoski-based piece 'Laulu' ("Song") sung by Karoly Garam approaches classical lied, further coloured by saxophone.
Whereas most songs on side one are sung by Hapuoja, Harri Saksala sings on four of the seven pieces of the second side. Eino Leino's beloved poem 'Nocturne' is better known as another composition sung by Loiri, but also Sarmanto's more introspective music and Saksala's voice capture the poem's spirit. On the brief, lied-like 'Hauen laulu' Saksala is backed by piano only. 'Kesäyö' (= "Summer night") is an elegant jazz chanson sung by Hapuoja who sings also the piano lied 'Satakieli herää'. Sarmanto's unique style as a composer always stays pretty recognizable. He combines jazz and art music like no one else.
I frankly don't like the hectic "Song of the Ants" in which Saksala spits the words out fast, but some may find it amusing. 'Vapaa sana' (Leino, sung by Saksala) is yet another fine and expressive piano lied. The final Leino-based piece is a duet of Hapuoja and Garam, with a delicate arrangement focusing on piano, violin and woodwinds.
It's hard for me to estimate what a jazz listener without understanding of Finnish would think of this album, but I think 4½ stars are truly deserved for this unique classic.