Jyväskylä Workshop Band

A previously unissued post-bop gem from 1970, featuring an outstanding lineup including American saxophonist Charlie Mariano, Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen, and Finnish jazz greats Heikki Sarmanto, Eero Koivistoinen, Paroni Paakkunainen, Seppo Ranniko, Pekka Pöyry, Edward Vesala, and Matti Koskiala. Professionally recorded, this vibrant concert captures a set of groovy, adventurous, and exotic compositions that firmly placed Finland on the global jazz map.

Jazzaggression Records is back with more historical jazz material recorded in Jyväskylä, Finland, Summer of 1970. First time published!

When Heikki Sarmanto first showed me the recording tape, my jaw dropped - looking at the lineup, all the Finnish jazz greats were there, along with Norwegian bass sensation Arild Andersen and American alto/soprano great Charlie Mariano. Mariano even plays the nadaswaram, a South Indian double-reed instrument he had picked up years earlier, giving a few moments on the tape a sound you don’t normally hear in Nordic jazz. The music itself is energetic, modal, spiritual, groovy, exotic, and heavy on the drums, all the things that make a rare-groove junkie smile. As Heikki said, “In a live setting, the ensemble takes much more chances - that’s where you find the real stuff!”

The horn section is something else too: Mariano, Eero Koivistoinen, Pekka Pöyry, Paroni Paakkunainen, and Seppo Rannikko move easily between written lines and more relaxed passages, letting the solos breathe and develop naturally. The rhythm section - Andersen on bass, Koskiala on drums, Vesala on percussion, and Sarmanto on electric piano - keeps everything grounded while allowing the music to flow freely.

The set includes originals and covers, including Heikki Sarmanto’s Sunflower and Magic Song, along with compositions by Charlie Mariano and classics like Miles Davis’s Blue in Green and Duke Ellington’s Cottontail.

We had the tracks transferred and mastered, spoke to everyone involved who is still around, and pieced together the story behind this musical document. At first, we thought a single LP would be enough, but after listening through several times, it was clear this had to be a double album - too good to leave anything out.