Prog legend and bass maestro Pekka Pohjola tried his hand at many things during his long career, from riding on the crest of the Finnish prog-rock wave in the 1970s to the heavy jazz-rock heights of the 1980s and 1990s. For some reason, there aren’t too many official releases documenting his stunning live performances, but among these rare gems there is one that is a straight-up quintessential item in every prog connoisseur’s collection – the live album, “Heavy Jazz,” recorded at Tavastia Club, Helsinki, on April 18th, 1995, except for two tracks – “Risto” and “Heavy Jazz” – which were recorded at Fuchu Flight in Tokyo, Japan, on November 19th, 1994. The exact release date is nigh impossible to find on any online sources. Spotify claims it to be January 1st, 1995, which is obviously false, since the songs had not even been recorded yet. Other sources claim it was released in October, so that’s probably closer to the truth. The original release was distributed via Rockadillo Records, as was the first reissue in 2011. Svart Records reissued a limited pressing of 500 copies of this live classic on vinyl in 2023, but, of course, it’s been out of stock for ages. Now that it isn’t within the realm of possibilities to see this Finnish legend in action anymore (he passed away in 2008), there is no better way to get a taste of that magical live energy than by putting this record on.
Given the era of this live recording, it’s no brainer that the tracklist leans quite heavily toward the jazz-rock phase of Pohjola‘s late career. There is only one song from his symphonic prog phase in the 1970s, the weirdly titled “Nykivä Keskustelu Tuntemattoman Kanssa,” the original version of which is from the 1977 collaboration album, “Keesojen Lehto,” with Mike Oldfield. This live version is remarkably more fusion-tinged than the original, and I have to say that I do prefer guitarist Markku Kanerva‘s modern touch on those guitar parts. As much as I appreciate Oldfield‘s musical prowess as a composer and a band leader, I have always hated his guitar tone with a passion.
The live lineup here is the same with which Pohjola did his 1992 album “Changing Waters,” so it’s no surprise that the album has given three songs to this selection – and, as luck would have it, they are the absolute best three from that endeavor: “Innocent Questions,” “Fanatic Answers,” and “Benjamin.” They are played as a three-in-a-row, which kind of makes sense as the first two were also paired on the album. The live arrangements do not differ much from the studio versions, except for the obvious absence of strings in the first two. “Fanatic Answers” is Kanerva‘s showpiece, like on the album – his tone and phrasing are simply immaculate. “Benjamin” is one of my all-time favorites in Pohjola‘s immense catalog. On the album, there are two versions of this song – one that is more stripped-down and tranquil, and one that is more punchy and electrified. This live version does a little bit of both. The song itself is a masterclass in evoking different moods with simple and minimalist moves, such as modulating from a minor key to its parallel major by sharpening one single note in the main motif – that’s pretty damn ingenious!
The synth-driven anomaly of an album, “Jokamies” (1983), is visited by two songs – the opener, “Relief,” and “No Way Out.” The original album was a soundtrack work that blended gloomy synth textures with elements from classical choral music, which obviously estranged some longtime fans who were expecting either jazz-rock or a return to Pohjola‘s early, hyperactive Zappa-prog. In this live context, these gloomy meditations work much better than on that album, to be honest. I’m not saying the album is bad, but it sure is dark and heavy.
Pohjola‘s sixth solo album, “Urban Tango” from 1982, offered two songs to this live endeavor. First up, “Imppu’s Tango” is not actually a tango song, contrary to its title. The brief melody in the song’s intro resonates with the air of a stereotypical Finnish schlager, which most often is a tango piece, and then some of the motifs are phrased in a somewhat tango-ish staccato. The power chords in the song’s B-section, especially in this live version, pay such a nice homage to the SURVIVOR banger, “Eye of the Tiger,” that Astor Piazzolla is not exactly the first impression that comes to mind. The other banger from this album is the epic closer that gave this live album its title. Long story short, heavy jazz is quite a descriptive coinage for both the song’s title and this live set as a whole. In terms of mood, “Pressure” from the 1986 album “Flight of the Angel” is carved from the same sonic cloth.
Back in the day, it took me quite a while to figure out where the song, “Albatross,” came from, since you cannot find it in any of those Pohjola solo albums, nor on the albums he did with WIGWAM in the 1970s. Then, one day, it hit me: of course! The song is a fusion-tinged cover rendition of the Peter–Green-era FLEETWOOD MAC classic! How stupid of me! This version is VERY different from the original, so there’s that. I’m not really sure whether this version does justice to the original or not, but it fits right in with these Pohjola songs as a nice, atmospheric plateau before the last two epic monoliths.
Before the title track brings this live extravaganza to a close, we hear the fan favorite and live staple from 1985’s “Space Waltz,” an album that also reached a milestone anniversary this year. Cross-referencing this live version to the original is pretty interesting because you cannot help but notice how similar Kanerva‘s phrasing is to that of Seppo Tyni, who played the guitar on the original studio version. There are subtle differences in the guitar tone and such, but overall, the style is really close, which is a nice bonus; as it happens, I have a huge admiration for both guitarists because of their highly expressive style.
In conclusion, if fusion-tinged jazz-rock is something you might fancy when nobody is looking, here is a superb live recording from the Finnish bass legend. While you’re probably out of luck if you wish to get this affair on vinyl, the CD reissues aren’t that hard to come by, yet.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Relief
- Pressure
- Imppu’s Tango
- Nykivä Keskustelu Tuntemattoman Kanssa (Comfort With A Stranger)
- Innocent Questions
- Fanatic Answers
- Benjamin
- No Way Out
- Albatross
- Risto
- Heavy Jazz
Lineup
Pekka Pohjola – bass
Anssi Nykänen – drums
Markku Kanerva – guitars
Seppo Kantonen – keyboards
Label
Rockadillo
