KARI ANTILA — Dahill Road (review)

KARI ANTILA — Dahill Road album cover Album · 2023 · Post-Fusion Contemporary Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Matti P
My first acquaintance with the Finnish jazz guitarist and composer Kari Antila (b. 1966) was circa 2016 when I attended his gig (as a duo with a pianist, I believe it was), in a Helsinki restaurant. I liked it enough to buy right there his first album The North Wind (2013), but have to admit I've seldom listened to it. It featured Manuel Dunkel's saxophone. This latest Antila album is a quartet work, featuring pianist Alexi Tuomarila and the rhythm section of double bassist Kaisa Mäensivu -- also known as a band leader of her own -- and drummer Tuomas Timonen. All seven pieces were composed by Antila.

Right from the opening track 'For Toninho' I came to think of PAT METHENY, his easy-going and light-hearted output, to be more precise. This association is helped by the Lyle Mays style pianism and, above all, Antila's use of his voice as an additional instrument in the similar manner as on several Metheny albums. 'Moving Clouds' is slightly moody in its peaceful tempo and features Kaisa's double bass solo.

'Wild Rooster' is naturally among the livelier stuff here, nevertheless it maintains the sonic smoothness. Throughout the album the music is sophisticated, melodic, fairly gentle and easy on the ears and mind. Happy moods and a more introspective delicacy are in a harmonic balance. Not even 'Waltz for the Swan of Tuonela' gets notably dark, nor it (or Antila's music in general) sounds particularly Finnish, despite the title's reference to Kalevala/ Jean Sibelius.

The voice as an instrument returns on the final piece 'On my Way to Nairobi'. All in all this excellently played and produced album is very easy to enjoy, and especially fans of Pat Metheny will feel at home here. What it perhaps lacks is a wider variety in (guitar) sounds and truly memorable highlights. Four stars, therefore.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Live at Cliff Bell's Post Bop
MICHAEL SARIAN
Buy this album from MMA partners
aul Dietrich's Elemental Quartet : A Small Patch of Earth Post Bop
PAUL DIETRICH
Buy this album from MMA partners
Human Activity : Dream of the Possible World Fusion
BRAD SHEPIK
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tactile Post-Fusion Contemporary
LUCA DELL'ANNA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Explore Post Bop
EIVIND AUSTAD
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Luca Dell'Anna Trio | Tactile | Artesuono Records 2024
LUCA DELL'ANNA
js· 10 hours ago
Amaury Faye & Igor Gehenot "Random Life" from the album Live at Bozar
AMAURY FAYE
js· 11 hours ago
Tia Juana
THE JOYMAKERS
js· 11 hours ago
Across The Field
VISIONS JAZZ ENSEMBLE
js· 11 hours ago
Haunted House Blues
HANNAH GILL
js· 23 hours ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed