Finnish sax player Pauli Lyytinen calls his solo album Lehto / Korpi (Grove / Deep Forest) a cycle of environmental meditations. The album was recorded in a studio, Artlab in Helsinki, with Lyytinen playing the tenor, soprano and alto saxes, mellotron and percussion and uses effects, but is deeply rooted in Finland’s nature with its inspired dialogs with field recordings of cranes and swans, and attempts to find a sonic haven where the indoors and the outdoors meet. This is Lyytinen’s second solo album, following Machinery (Eclipse, 2016).

The nine short pieces offer Lyytinen’s highly melodic, textural compositions, spiced with subtle extended breathing techniques and layered, electro-acoustic soundscapes. The We Jazz label suggests inspiration from seminal albums of groundbreaking improvisers like Peter Brötzmann / Han Bennink’s Schwarzwaldfahrt (FMP, 1977) or Evan Parker With Birds (Treader, 2004). But Lyytinen’s patient and contemplative, innocent and gentle approach, with the prog-rock-tinged mellotron layers, makes it easier to tie this album to the legacy of American flutist Paul Horn and his series of meditative albums from the sixties and seventies recorded in natural and sacred sites with unique acoustic properties.

Lyytinen succeeds in suggesting a vivid, touching and imaginative journey through the beautiful, quiet natural ambiance of Finnish nature with its elusive colors. Lehto / Korpi echoes love and respect for this inspiring natural environment. A highly immersive listening experience.

Eyal Hareuveni

Pauli Lyytinen (tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, live effects, mellotron, percussion)