Sunday, January 02, 2005

V IS FOR CRAZY FINN

Time to mop up the rest of the alphabet. Truth be told, I finished ploughing through my A-Z of the CD collection in about mid-December. Taken this long to get my brain (and rear) in (sort of) gear to finish the list.

"Ode to the Death of Jazz" filled the best part of a mini-disc for a day or so. Gives the chance to open up the debate about the origin of the tango. Apparently a debate rages between Argentina and Finland about the origins of this seductive dance music. Really, I kid you not.

Edward Vesala, a man with serious Coke bottle glasses, encourages the debate with a few tango inspired tracks on this ECM platter. But, as Vesala is one of music's most quirky composers, not quite the usual take on the tango. The accordion plays notes you think it shouldn't. And, when it should, it doesn't.

Vesala is listed as both composer and percussionist. Not many composer/perscussionists about. Vesala was much the quirky character.

This is an ode not so much to the death of jazz, as to the individualistic nature of Vesala's sometimes difficult, sometimes comical music.

:: Posted by pete @ 21:36