Two Finnish gentlemen – Helsinki-based double bass player-composer-bandleader Antti Lötjönen and Berlin-based guitarist-composer-bandleader Kalle Kalima – team up for a debut duo album, Stings, Bites and Scratches. The title already tells about the album’s spirit which insightfully scratches the surface of free jazz. The album was recorded live in the studio in Hietarannan Paviljonki in the fall of 2024. Lötjönen and Kalima shared the composition credits of the seven pieces as well as the production duties.

Both Lötjönen and Kalima are experienced improvisers. Lötjönen is one of the most sought-after bass players in Finland and plays in the Five Corners Quintet, Ilmiliekki Quartet, Timo Lassy Band, Sun Trio, and Verneri Pohjola Quartet. Kalima leads the Klima Kalima, Tenors Of Kalma, and Kalle Kalima & K-18 and plays in Kuu!

Stings, Bites and Scratches stresses the immediate affinity of these gifted musicians. The music flows patiently and organically, highlighting the original and unorthodox rhythmic and melodic sensibility of Lötjönen and Kalima. Their intimate, conversational dynamics often mimic playful and inventive hide-and-seek games (check the extended «Healing Waters / Low Bridge»), emphasizing their strong-minded voices, and often their eccentric sense of humor.

The gentle ballad «Four Little Doves», with Lötjönen’s hypnotic bass pulse and Kalima’s impressionistic, electric guitar lines, is one of the highlights of this beautiful album. The aptly titled title piece swings between the promised stings, bites, and scratches to gentle, emphatic, and sensual touches, capturing the album’s essence.

Eyal Hareuveni

Antti Lötjönen (double bass), Kalle Kalima (guitars)