COMPOSERS: Alexi Tuomarila Quartet
LABELS: Warner
PERFORMER: Alexi Tuomarila Quartet
CATALOGUE NO: 0927-49148-2
The extravagantly gifted young Finnish pianist ALEXI TUOMARILA’s album 02 comes with a booklet-note encomium from Brad Mehldau, one of the most important young American musicians of his generation.
His generous words have the welcome effect of focusing the spotlight on a young musician whose style has been influenced by musicians such as Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett and perhaps Mehldau himself, yet is also shaped by his Nordic identity.
Thus Mehldau speaks of his ‘clear tone’ that ‘makes you focus on what he is playing’ – without perhaps realising it, Mehldau is describing the Nordic Tone; there is a quiet intensity and unhurried poise to Tuomarila’s playing and that of tenor saxist Nicolas Kummert which remains nuanced and focused throughout the 12 minutes of ‘Tribu’ or the 11-minute ‘For Example’.