Trio Töykeät moving to bigger venues

Finland's leading jazz export Trio Töykeät came up with a new album on the threshold of their Asian tour on August 31st. 'Wake' is their second offering on Blue Note (EMI) label.The previous effort, 'High Standards' (2003), showcased the group's knowledge of standards from Parker's 'Confirmation' to tongue-in-cheek version of Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid' and anything in between. This time Trio Töykeät rely on their original compositions of pianist Iiro Rantala, drummer Rami Eskelinen, and bassist Eerik Siikasaari.

The two cover versions are Ellington's 'In A Sentimental Mood' and Kenny Baron's 'Voyage', of which the latter gets a special treatment with Rantala's tricky and tango-tinged arrangement. As a matter of fact, tango has been a major inspiration for the trio's playful rhythms and unforced virtuosity through the whole album.

A genuine indicator of the thorough internationalization of Trio Töykeät is the fact that the group has played this year more concerts in Germany alone than in their native Finland. Aside from that, a typical venue for the group starts to be a concert hall instead of a jazz club. On their Asian tour in Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong the venue capacities exceeded even 2000 seats.

From 1988 on Trio Töykeät have concertized in five continents and more than 40 countries. They have released altogether six albums, of which 'Sisu' (1997) remains one of the most successful Finnish jazz album with the sales of nearly 20 000 copies.

Mika Kauhanen/Fimic
27 September, 2005