Finnish tenor sax player Timo Lassy began to work on his new album with his new trio – double bass player Ville Herrala and drummer Jaska Lukkarinen, but soon found out that he wanted «to paint a fuller, more colorful picture sonically». The tight, swinging and funky sound of Lassy trio was augmented by subtle electronics, played by Lassy, Dalindèo frontman Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen and Ilmiliekki Quartet pianist Tuomo Prättälä, and lush strings performed by Budapest Art Orchestra as arranged by Finnish artist Marzi Nyman and recorded in Budapest, and the percussion of Abdissa Assefa, who recorded and mixed the album.

Lassy wrote the seven pieces, all maintaining his no-nonsense, strong and expressive riff cooking on the tenor sax. These pieces are layered with a tasteful and airy spectrum of strings and electronic sounds that inject a romantic and nostalgic aroma and comment tastefully on the melodic themes of Lassy. This unique instrumentation allows Lassy’s sax to fly and soar above the refined and layered rhythm section, strings and electronic sounds.

The Lassy trio swings between two poles, the understated – when the trio is augmented with strings and electronics, and the extroverted, when it plays alone. The emotional, solemn ballad «Sointu», with the electronic sound of Prättälä, captures the introspective Lassy at his best, articulating the beautiful theme with elegance and grace. «Pumping C», when the trio plays alone, presents the trio in its most powerful and expansive form and letting Lassy’s soulful blows ride over the percolating grooves of Herrala and Lukkarinen. This piece highlights the jazz era that Lassy loves: mid-60’s styled soul jazz with a touch of boogaloo sensibility.

Eyal Hareuveni

Timo Lassy (ts, synth, keys), Ville Herrala (b), Jaska Lukkarinen (dr), Tuomo Prättälä (synth, keys), Valtteri Pöyhönen (synth, keybs), Abdissa Assefa (perc)