The Original Sin

First time ever on CD!

Koivistoinen produced a body of work of amazing depth, beauty, sophistication and intellectual significance, which remains as a wonderful illustration of the Finnish and European Jazz heritage during that decade. However, by the end of the 1970s, the immense popularity, which European Jazz managed to kindle, was gradually losing its steam. Record labels, owned by international mogul corporations, lost interest in any kind of adventurous music, Jazz included, and the number of Jazz releases went down considerably, a situation which affected Finland as well.

Undeterred by this turn of events Koivistoinen decided to take matters into his own hands and established in 1983 one of the first musician-owned independent record labels, PRO Records, which enabled him to realize his musical projects. This album is a deeply significant milestone in Koivistoinen’s musical development, since it presents for the first time the true depth of his compositions as well as his overall musical approach. It is also his first work with a large-scale ensemble, which enables him to utilize his arranging skills to a full extent.

Both the music and the performances are absolutely breathtaking, although the album focuses on ensemble playing rather than on extensive soloing, but of course there are still plenty of most impressive solos. An atmosphere of serenity, contemplation and wide-open spaces, typical in Finnish music, prevails even in the up-tempo passages, which turns listening to this album into a most satisfying love affair with music. The fact that it is now almost 50 years old is completely meaningless in this context, where true classics only get better with time.