RinneRadio

"Those, who are not busy being born, are busy dying", sang Bob Dylan ages ago. The truth is still in there. I can't think of any motto that would fit RinneRadio better. The band has been changing continually, and still does, but from the very beginning it has had it's own thing going. Sometimes you might not know exactly what you should, or could, call that thing, but always it has been recognisable. Underneath the different clothes RinneRadio always has its own very personal soul and character. And a sence of humour. Although it has never been a joke band. RinneRadio has that underlying attitude that playing music should be fun and exciting and not an academic excercise. It can be deep, but never boring. This radio has always transmitted live on the spiritual level and curiosity never killed these cats. On the contrary, it has kept them alive and kicking! The record you are now holding is more than their first. It's their absolute starting point.

In 1988 Tapani Rinne was happily blowing his horns (tenor, soprano, barytone, alto, clarinet) in Edward Vesala's Sound & Fury, when Vesala suggested they make a solo album for Rinne on Vesala's own Leo label. Something more rhythmic and reflecting the current musical styles more broadly than Sound & Fury's avant-jazz witchcraft. The idea came out of the blue to Tapani, but he jumped at the chance. Why not? At 26 he was already a very experienced musician having played professionally everything from easy listening and Finnish novelty songs to blues, rock, soul, different kinds of jazz, symphonies and experimental music, plus teaching bass clarinet at the Sibelius Academy. He also had composed his own tunes since teenage.

In the end the record came to include only one of Tapani's tunes (Ula) the rest being Vesala's, who also produced and played the drums. Propably that was for the good of the record. In any case it sounds fresh today, ten years after its initial release. Let's Have Donc Line gets funky with a mischievous attitude while Ula grips you with its bluesy rifferama and screaming theme, and Walking Eyes seduces with its cool melodies and dynamic rhythmic nyances. The slow skanking reggae of After You've Burned Your Cards and the cinematic elegance of But Anyway Green turn out to be timeless jewels.

Tapani's multilayered blowing is brilliant throughout and Seppo Tyni treats you to plenty of wild, grinningly kinky guitar work while also playing real nice bass lines. Iro Haarla never really became a full member of RinneRadio, but here she plays synthesizers, organ, piano and even some harp (the stringed type) with imagination and style. Vesala - a one of a kind combination of ancient Finnish shaman, Max Roach and Keith Moon, whose input to the Finnish jazz and rock scenes has been significant - keeps the rhythms down to earth so that Tapani and Seppo can freak out from a solid base.

- I saw that Tapani, like (guitarist) Raoul Björkenheim, was one of my pupils, who clearly wanted to be more than just a top-notch session player, so I encouraged him to spread out. I felt he was a sure and safe investment, because he was the type that, once you give him some energy, he runs with it and makes it grow. That's always very satisfying spiritually, if not economically, Edward Vesala says now reflecting his feelings of this album.
- Eetu taught me the right attitude. He made me think more deeply about music, offers Tapani, who regards Vesala as his most important teacher.

So, turn your RinneRadio on and take a trip with this first program. It will be interesting in many ways, if you are familiar with RinneRadio's later transmissions - so far seven dynamite albums, one of which, Pfft, is a live remix by Pan-Sonic's Mika Vainio - which have included, for instance, some amazing joikk chanting from the brilliant Samí singer Wimme Saari, mind-altering ambient atmospherics and hypnotic trance/drum'n 'bass rhythms from the machines of Tommi Lindell, Kimmo Kajasto, Jari Kokkonen and the turntables of DJ Freakmaster K.One (the latter two constitute RinneRadio with Tapani at the time of my writing this at the end of 1998) not to mention Tapani's horn magic, which in recent years has mostly been created with the soprano sax. If you don't know the later albums, you'll get the appetite with this one and then you really are in for a wild musical adventure, when you start checking them out one by one.

JUSSI NIEMI (1998)

1. Setsibo 5.08

2. Walking Eyes 3.23

3. Between Tomorrow and Nothing 3.33

4. But Anyway Green 4.19

5. Let's Have a Donc Line 3.13

6. After You've Burned Your Cards 5.14

7. O-Bou 5.59

8. Ula 4.03

9. Quatzaa Buldi 3.05

Tapani Rinne: tenor, soprano, barytone and alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Iro Haarla: piano, synthesizers, harp
Seppo Tyni: guitar, bass
Edward Vesala: drums, percussion
Antero Priha: trumpet 1,2,4,6
Simo Salminen: trumpet 3, 7
Raoul Björkenheim: guitar 6
Jimi Sumen: guitar 7
Compositions by Edward Vesala
except Ula by Tapani Rinne.
Recorded at Finnvox Studios, Helsinki .
Produced by Edward Vesala.
Engineers: Risto Hemmi, Markku Törrönen, Jimi Sumen.
Mixed at Finnvox Studios by Jimi Sumen.
Re-mastered at Finnvox Studios by Pauli Saastamoinen.
Cover Design: Leena Kouhia
Photo: Riipinen
Photo of Edward Vesala: Petri Kemppinen
Spaceman: Simo Rouhiainen