Strong and Tasty Sound Tagine
Trumpet player Ilkka Arola has a background both in jazz as well as in Arabic music. In this new release these influences truly shake hands in a natural way – the North African culinary term tagine is actually a very accurate term to describe the process of several musical ingredients slowly cooking and coming together. The process of finding a good balance in music inspired by many sources is not a fast one.
Being inspired by the Orient is easily turning into something superficial or a pastiche, but not this time – this tagine has been cooking calmly, to become strong and tasty. In the music composed by Arola the Orient flavour is a natural part of the musical language he wants to express himself in. On a concrete level it means that the music is mostly based on strong melody lines and irresistable rhythm.
Arola plays both the flugelhorn and the very efficient quartertone-trumpet, which bends itself nicely to the microtones so present in this musical language. He is joined by a lineup of very experienced and versatile musicians, among them Max Zenger who enter several very interesting dialogues with his wind instruments, especially the growling bass clarinet.
ILKKA AROLA SOUND TAGINE: Land Ahead!
Ilkka Arola: quartertone trumpet, flugelhorn and other brass instruments, bouzouki
Max Zenger: bass clarinet, baritone sax, flute
Eeti Nieminen: drums and percussion
Topi Korhonen: electric and acoustic guitar, oud
Esko Grundström: double bass, electric bass, kantele
Juuso Hannukainen: percussion and electronic sounds
Flame Jazz Records FJRCD003, 2019