Esa Pietilä
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Esa Pietilä

Helsinki, Central Finland, Finland | INDIE

Helsinki, Central Finland, Finland | INDIE
Band Jazz Avant-garde

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"CD review"

Pietilä´s uncompromising approach, search for new angles and refusal to walk the trodden path betray his lofty ambitions, which comes across wonderfully in his most recent trio discs "Direct" and "Travel of fulica atra"


- FIMIC, 2008


"CD review"

Pietilä´s uncompromising approach, search for new angles and refusal to walk the trodden path betray his lofty ambitions, which comes across wonderfully in his most recent trio discs "Direct" and "Travel of fulica atra"


- FIMIC, 2008


"Taavel of Fulica atra" - CD review"

Pietilä is obviously serious about his craft of freeform jazz, and together with bassist Uffe krokfors and drummer Markku Ounaskari, he has created an uncompromising set of mainly collectively improvised material.
Never one to blow his lungs out like Peter Brötzmann, but not one to hold back either, Pietilä has a peaceful, storyteller´s approach to his music. He places great attention to creating musical sceneries that are essentially Scandinavian – and – Finnish by nature. Over the six years that Pietilä, Krokfors and Ounaskari have worked together as a trio, their interaction has developed into something seamless. The trio´s enjoyment of playing jazz oozes through and this album may well be their finest effort so far. - Finnish Music Quarterly 1/08:


"Taavel of Fulica atra" - CD review"

Pietilä is obviously serious about his craft of freeform jazz, and together with bassist Uffe krokfors and drummer Markku Ounaskari, he has created an uncompromising set of mainly collectively improvised material.
Never one to blow his lungs out like Peter Brötzmann, but not one to hold back either, Pietilä has a peaceful, storyteller´s approach to his music. He places great attention to creating musical sceneries that are essentially Scandinavian – and – Finnish by nature. Over the six years that Pietilä, Krokfors and Ounaskari have worked together as a trio, their interaction has developed into something seamless. The trio´s enjoyment of playing jazz oozes through and this album may well be their finest effort so far. - Finnish Music Quarterly 1/08:


"CD "Direct" - review"

Esa Pietila has a tenor tone suitable for framing, partaking of the Coltrane and post-Coltrane stream but also icily ruminative a la Jan Garbarek, without dipping into any untoward ECMism. The rhythm section alone on this trio date would prevent that. Take "Mind Hunt," for example: bassist Krokfors quotes "Milestones" (the second one) while drummer Ounaskari plays with as many hands as Elvin Jones at his most ferociously exuberant, and Pietilä manages to evoke this highly-charged Sixties atmosphere while never resorting to the tired bag of tricks that so few have been able to resist before him. Even his reentry after a bass/drum solo on "Headway" strongly recalls the Master's reappearance after a similar interlude on "Alabama," he doesn't allow himself to fall into any of the more obvious traps. Also, throughout this disc he seems to decline to take the bait offered by Krokfors and Ounaskari in particular, although the choices he does make complement their goading and churning just fine without making this into an outright Aylerfest. And his tone is gorgeous, particularly on the ringing "Direct" and the resonating "Point Zero". - CADENCE, USA


"CD "Direct" - review"

Esa Pietila has a tenor tone suitable for framing, partaking of the Coltrane and post-Coltrane stream but also icily ruminative a la Jan Garbarek, without dipping into any untoward ECMism. The rhythm section alone on this trio date would prevent that. Take "Mind Hunt," for example: bassist Krokfors quotes "Milestones" (the second one) while drummer Ounaskari plays with as many hands as Elvin Jones at his most ferociously exuberant, and Pietilä manages to evoke this highly-charged Sixties atmosphere while never resorting to the tired bag of tricks that so few have been able to resist before him. Even his reentry after a bass/drum solo on "Headway" strongly recalls the Master's reappearance after a similar interlude on "Alabama," he doesn't allow himself to fall into any of the more obvious traps. Also, throughout this disc he seems to decline to take the bait offered by Krokfors and Ounaskari in particular, although the choices he does make complement their goading and churning just fine without making this into an outright Aylerfest. And his tone is gorgeous, particularly on the ringing "Direct" and the resonating "Point Zero". - CADENCE, USA


"Esa Pietila Jeff Siegel "Outdoors" - Artists Recording Collective 2012"

I would liken this recording to perhaps something something left untouched if not completely ignored on the ECM shelf but having long since cut ties with the former label, it simply would not be justified. Esa Pietella is a musical visionary and when combined with the percussive onslaught of Jeff Siegel then both Pietella and Siegells welcome you to the land of the harmonic disengagement and the percussive nuance that magically reforms each piece into something new.

What is amazing when taken at face value is that Pietilla is without his regular quartet and there was but one rehearsal between Seiegel and Pietiella. There are baseless 4 tets, piano less trios, and a myriad of ensembles that explore the outer reaches that is the freedom or ground zero of jazz itself. Outdoors gives us a spontaneity lacking in so many other well rehearsed and well timed releases of sonic predictability and the appropriate ambiguity that simple comes along for the ride. "Outdoors" kicks the release off with a more free form open ended lyrical approach to the melody while the articulated percussive nuances guide the rhythmic direction of the piece itself. Pietillo explores every sonic inch of his weapon of choice that being the tenor saxophone. Spontaneous ambiguity centered in the midst of controlled chaos is indeed a beautiful thing. "Aurora Borealis" is in an introspective after thought, but of what? The northern lights? The effect of the northern lights, a Melody is search of a tune? Again the open ended approach with with Siegel and Pietilla is nothing short of brilliant and this my friends is a words tossed about with far too much relative ease and could easily double as laziness on the writer's part. Pietiella is controlled and precise while sightly methodically in his performance, Siegel conducts a percussive exploratory and together two voice become one. Layers of textures and a detached ambivalence to their craft leaving the listener wanting more. Aurora Borealis is indeed a master class. "Power Orbit" is just that, the controlled sonic fury that is the innate gift to shirt meter, harmonics and dynamics for effect on the fly. The amazing aspect of Oudoors is that a drummer, tenor saxophone duet is rarely if ever hear with perhaps Ive Pereleman that last player I can recall attempting such a fight of fancy.

While comparing artists and often labels leaves me cold...Esa Pietilla and Jeff Siegel and both exemplary artists that could easily stand along side any ECN artist and literally blow their socks off. A master class of what to do and more importantly what not to do. To dwell on hyper criticism s not how I roll...As close to perfect as you can get if you are looking for that happy place between hard bop and free jazz. A superlative recording.

Tracks: Out Doors; Waves; Aurora Borealis; Power Orbit; The Voice Behind The Graat Wall of Manitou; Serpentine; Road Trip; Death Of The Rain Foreast; Door to Door; Democrats and Republicans; Spaceyard; Milky Way; Anthem Of The Out Doors; Seep Trap.

Personnel: Esa Pietila: tenor saxophone; Jeff Siegel: drums and percussion.
- CriticalJazz, USA -Brent Black


"Esa Pietila Jeff Siegel "Outdoors" - Artists Recording Collective 2012"

I would liken this recording to perhaps something something left untouched if not completely ignored on the ECM shelf but having long since cut ties with the former label, it simply would not be justified. Esa Pietella is a musical visionary and when combined with the percussive onslaught of Jeff Siegel then both Pietella and Siegells welcome you to the land of the harmonic disengagement and the percussive nuance that magically reforms each piece into something new.

What is amazing when taken at face value is that Pietilla is without his regular quartet and there was but one rehearsal between Seiegel and Pietiella. There are baseless 4 tets, piano less trios, and a myriad of ensembles that explore the outer reaches that is the freedom or ground zero of jazz itself. Outdoors gives us a spontaneity lacking in so many other well rehearsed and well timed releases of sonic predictability and the appropriate ambiguity that simple comes along for the ride. "Outdoors" kicks the release off with a more free form open ended lyrical approach to the melody while the articulated percussive nuances guide the rhythmic direction of the piece itself. Pietillo explores every sonic inch of his weapon of choice that being the tenor saxophone. Spontaneous ambiguity centered in the midst of controlled chaos is indeed a beautiful thing. "Aurora Borealis" is in an introspective after thought, but of what? The northern lights? The effect of the northern lights, a Melody is search of a tune? Again the open ended approach with with Siegel and Pietilla is nothing short of brilliant and this my friends is a words tossed about with far too much relative ease and could easily double as laziness on the writer's part. Pietiella is controlled and precise while sightly methodically in his performance, Siegel conducts a percussive exploratory and together two voice become one. Layers of textures and a detached ambivalence to their craft leaving the listener wanting more. Aurora Borealis is indeed a master class. "Power Orbit" is just that, the controlled sonic fury that is the innate gift to shirt meter, harmonics and dynamics for effect on the fly. The amazing aspect of Oudoors is that a drummer, tenor saxophone duet is rarely if ever hear with perhaps Ive Pereleman that last player I can recall attempting such a fight of fancy.

While comparing artists and often labels leaves me cold...Esa Pietilla and Jeff Siegel and both exemplary artists that could easily stand along side any ECN artist and literally blow their socks off. A master class of what to do and more importantly what not to do. To dwell on hyper criticism s not how I roll...As close to perfect as you can get if you are looking for that happy place between hard bop and free jazz. A superlative recording.

Tracks: Out Doors; Waves; Aurora Borealis; Power Orbit; The Voice Behind The Graat Wall of Manitou; Serpentine; Road Trip; Death Of The Rain Foreast; Door to Door; Democrats and Republicans; Spaceyard; Milky Way; Anthem Of The Out Doors; Seep Trap.

Personnel: Esa Pietila: tenor saxophone; Jeff Siegel: drums and percussion.
- CriticalJazz, USA -Brent Black


"The Brain Trio The Wall KCD 2010"

The recently formed Brain Inventory Trio not only bridges two cultures but also brings us a fusion of styles from jazz and folk music to rock, throwing all preconceptions out the window. With American pianist Michael Jefry Stevens and two Finns, saxophonist Esa Pietilä and cellist Juho Laitinen, in the line-up, the trio's talents span across a multitude of musical genres. The upcoming album was recorded at a concert played in Helsinki in 2010.

Both Michael Jefry Stevens and Esa Pietilä are widely known for their avant-garde improvisation and visionary take on music. The upcoming album, The Wall, finally brings together the two musicians and their original and distinctive styles of free form jazz. Recorded live, the album's material is fifty percent composed pieces and fifty percent pure collective improvisation.

The unusual instrumentation of piano, cello (both acoustic and electric) and saxophones opens possibilities for new musical expression. The absence of a rhythm section leaves more room for free expression, with



In short real musicians playing real music without the need of programming or overdubs of any kind. The Brain Inventory Trio is an experimentation in sound scape's and the melodic road less traveled. Musical visionaries charting a new course for a new age of sound. Pianist Michael Stevens possesses a McCoy Tyner like multi-faceted sound that finds a happy place between the orchestral and the avant-garde.
Stevens' multi-faceted style and piano sound merging with the effects of the electric cello to create a massive, almost orchestral sound world. While Stevens serves as an anchor for this most impressive of trios it is their diversity that allows the ensemble to shift dynamics on the fly finding a special place that is neither traditional jazz nor free form but something in the middle. A musical happy place of harmonic wonder and vision.

Saxophonist Pietila is a musical visionary having much like Stevens, given master classes all over the globe and with resounding success.

Cellist Juho Laitinen is a most versatile artists performing as an instrumentalist, curator, teacher, and writer. A teacher at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Laitinen brings the unspoken but highly regarded sub genre of chamber jazz center stage as these three improvisational standouts attempt to cut a broad path in the field of improvisational music while working as a jazz collective. The somewhat "collective" sound is that of jazz, folk, improvised, classical, rock, electric and computer. An aesthetic vision to fuse multi-cultural elements of sonic language into a healing energy of sorts. The addition of the cello is a stroke of genius and the trio seemingly takes flight from this point forward. A spiritual healing energy for the planet as conceived by three visionaries of uncompromising power and lyrical distinction.
- CriticalJazz, USA - Brent Black


"The Brain Trio The Wall KCD 2010"

The recently formed Brain Inventory Trio not only bridges two cultures but also brings us a fusion of styles from jazz and folk music to rock, throwing all preconceptions out the window. With American pianist Michael Jefry Stevens and two Finns, saxophonist Esa Pietilä and cellist Juho Laitinen, in the line-up, the trio's talents span across a multitude of musical genres. The upcoming album was recorded at a concert played in Helsinki in 2010.

Both Michael Jefry Stevens and Esa Pietilä are widely known for their avant-garde improvisation and visionary take on music. The upcoming album, The Wall, finally brings together the two musicians and their original and distinctive styles of free form jazz. Recorded live, the album's material is fifty percent composed pieces and fifty percent pure collective improvisation.

The unusual instrumentation of piano, cello (both acoustic and electric) and saxophones opens possibilities for new musical expression. The absence of a rhythm section leaves more room for free expression, with



In short real musicians playing real music without the need of programming or overdubs of any kind. The Brain Inventory Trio is an experimentation in sound scape's and the melodic road less traveled. Musical visionaries charting a new course for a new age of sound. Pianist Michael Stevens possesses a McCoy Tyner like multi-faceted sound that finds a happy place between the orchestral and the avant-garde.
Stevens' multi-faceted style and piano sound merging with the effects of the electric cello to create a massive, almost orchestral sound world. While Stevens serves as an anchor for this most impressive of trios it is their diversity that allows the ensemble to shift dynamics on the fly finding a special place that is neither traditional jazz nor free form but something in the middle. A musical happy place of harmonic wonder and vision.

Saxophonist Pietila is a musical visionary having much like Stevens, given master classes all over the globe and with resounding success.

Cellist Juho Laitinen is a most versatile artists performing as an instrumentalist, curator, teacher, and writer. A teacher at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Laitinen brings the unspoken but highly regarded sub genre of chamber jazz center stage as these three improvisational standouts attempt to cut a broad path in the field of improvisational music while working as a jazz collective. The somewhat "collective" sound is that of jazz, folk, improvised, classical, rock, electric and computer. An aesthetic vision to fuse multi-cultural elements of sonic language into a healing energy of sorts. The addition of the cello is a stroke of genius and the trio seemingly takes flight from this point forward. A spiritual healing energy for the planet as conceived by three visionaries of uncompromising power and lyrical distinction.
- CriticalJazz, USA - Brent Black


""A solo saxophone work from arguable the finest saxophonists""

"A solo saxophone work from arguable the finest saxophonists from Eastern Europe in Karhea from Esa Pietila.....Pietila clearly shows why his prolific talent has his work revered by the masters of their craft. Karhea is a landmark release for one of the finest saxophone player that I have had the exception to hear. Eg. the tune"Lighting's Surprise" is a master class in the art of the tenor sax. With the exception of Ivo Perleman, Esa Pietila is now hitting his creative genius. Standing the test of time finds Esa Pietila simply aging like fine wine. Pietila gets better and more robust with age. A no brainer for sure...

- CriticalJazz, USA / Brent Black


""A solo saxophone work from arguable the finest saxophonists""

"A solo saxophone work from arguable the finest saxophonists from Eastern Europe in Karhea from Esa Pietila.....Pietila clearly shows why his prolific talent has his work revered by the masters of their craft. Karhea is a landmark release for one of the finest saxophone player that I have had the exception to hear. Eg. the tune"Lighting's Surprise" is a master class in the art of the tenor sax. With the exception of Ivo Perleman, Esa Pietila is now hitting his creative genius. Standing the test of time finds Esa Pietila simply aging like fine wine. Pietila gets better and more robust with age. A no brainer for sure...

- CriticalJazz, USA / Brent Black


"CD-review of "Direct""

Bounding into “Mind Hunt,” the first track, with buoyancy and immediate claim to the listener’s attention, Pietilä’s trio puts forth its strengths up front that carry it through the remainder of the album: the group’s engaged absorption in the music, the members’ interest in the infinite potential of the sounds they can create, their openness for free improvisation and the elaboration upon the conventional roles of their instruments. The result is a recording by matured and explorative musicians whose enjoyment in the process of playing jazz comes through in each of the12 tracks.
Pietilä injects immediacy and surprise into his playing by going for unplanned gems that like-minded interaction can discover through spontaneous playing. Pietilä doesn’t include any chorded instruments in his trio, and with good reason: His interests are as much about implication—the spaces between the dots he punches out—as about literal adherence to pre-written composition.
Although Esa Pietilä’s recordings aren’t as heavily promoted as those of saxophonists on larger labels, his work is that of an always explorative saxophonist, accessible though with a personal perspective toward the music he plays. And "Direct" is the work of a jazz artist worth the search. Whole article at: www.jazzreview.com - Jazzreview.com


"CD-review of "Direct""

Bounding into “Mind Hunt,” the first track, with buoyancy and immediate claim to the listener’s attention, Pietilä’s trio puts forth its strengths up front that carry it through the remainder of the album: the group’s engaged absorption in the music, the members’ interest in the infinite potential of the sounds they can create, their openness for free improvisation and the elaboration upon the conventional roles of their instruments. The result is a recording by matured and explorative musicians whose enjoyment in the process of playing jazz comes through in each of the12 tracks.
Pietilä injects immediacy and surprise into his playing by going for unplanned gems that like-minded interaction can discover through spontaneous playing. Pietilä doesn’t include any chorded instruments in his trio, and with good reason: His interests are as much about implication—the spaces between the dots he punches out—as about literal adherence to pre-written composition.
Although Esa Pietilä’s recordings aren’t as heavily promoted as those of saxophonists on larger labels, his work is that of an always explorative saxophonist, accessible though with a personal perspective toward the music he plays. And "Direct" is the work of a jazz artist worth the search. Whole article at: www.jazzreview.com - Jazzreview.com


Discography

selected discography as a leader :

- Duo Jeff Siegel & Esa Pietilä, "Out Doors", 2012, ARCD 2420

- Brain Inventory Trio, "WALL", Michael Jefry Stevens, Esa Pietilä & Juho Laitinen - 2012, KONNEX Records, KCD 5284

- "Karhea", Improvised Solo saxophone - Fiasko Records, 2009 FRCD 41

- Esa Pietilä Trio,"Travel of Fulica atra", Fiasko Records, 2007 FRCD 31

- Esa Pietilä Trio, "Direct", Fiasko Records, 2003 FRCD 13

- Esa Pietilä Quartet feat. Anders Bergcrantz, "Fastjoik" 1998 A-records/ Challenge, AL 73147

- The Case " Codes " 1996, Tricks music TMCD 1196

streaming tracks of music at: www.esapietila.com

Photos

Bio

At his teens Esa Pietilä studied saxophone at Sibelius-Academy (Helsinki) and privately with worldwide known David Liebman & Ellery Eskelin in NYC plus at multitude of masterclasses in Europe & USA.

His playing and recordings has been thanked by such internationally well-known critics, reviewers and editors like Stuart Nicholson (UK), Laurence Donohue-Greene (AllAboutJazz-New York),Don Williamson (Jazzreview.com),Robert Spencer,(Cadence USA), Matthew Wuethrich (ALL ABOUT JAZZ) etc.

Esa´s original style and various groups: Trio, Liberty Ship, 4 Streams, solo saxophone concerts etc., have stabilized his position performing on the national / international jazz circuit, and have led him to play in USA, Canada, Italy, Germany, Norway, Sweden, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Austria, Iceland, England, USA, Australia, New Zeeland, Brazil and Cuba… He has performed with the names like Paal Nilssen-Love, Michael Jefry Stevens, Jeff Siegel, Harvey Sorgen, Karl Berger, Mark Helias, Mathias Eick, Mike Nock, Claudio Fasoli, Heiri Kaenzig, Anders Begcrantz, Ron McClure, Odean Pope, Raoul Björkenheim, Brian Melvin, Iro Haarla, Markku Ounaskari, Uffe Krokfors, Filip Augustson, Hilmar Jensson, Johannes Mössinger, Kjartan Valdemarsson, Fabian Kuratli,...Along with his engagements at international festivals, Esa has also been a regular visiting teacher and lecturer at annual IASJ symposium led by Davib Liebman

Pietilä´s uncompromising approach to music, search for new angles and refusal to walk the trodden path betray his lofty ambitions. He injects immediacy and surprise into his playing by going for unplanned gems that like-minded interaction can discover through spontaneous playing. His interests are as much about implication - the spaces between the dots he punches out - as about literal adherence to pre-written composition.

His groups explore new improvisational fields of freejazz expression, and they have performed with success in many Scandinavian and European festivals & clubs on the recent years. The openness for free improvisation eg. of Esa´s Trio, and the elaboration upon the conventional roles of their instruments, highlights a larger goal: creating a unified group identity.

In 2007 Pietilä started a series of totally improvised solo saxophone concerts, which will continue annually. He release the studio version of recordings of improvisations in 2009.

"At the Solo concerts, the virtuosity of his tecnique and the tonal colours Esa Pietilä creates in multitude textures belong into to the elite of saxophone expression. His capabilities to let the saxophone ring from variety of minimalism whispers to full free blowing, results a rich palette of colourful shapes of multiphonics, chordal tones, rhythmic surprises, and even fuga-like approach of inner dialogue."

reviews:

"A solo saxophone work from arguable the finest saxophonists from Eastern Europe in Karhea from Esa Pietila.....Pietila clearly shows why his prolific talent has his work revered by the masters of their craft. Karhea is a landmark release for one of the finest saxophone player that I have had the exception to hear. Eg. the tune"Lighting's Surprise" is a master class in the art of the tenor sax. With the exception of Ivo Perleman, Esa Pietila is now hitting his creative genius. Standing the test of time finds Esa Pietila simply aging like fine wine. Pietila gets better and more robust with age. A no brainer for sure...

- CriticalJazz, USA / Brent Black

“Esa is one of Finland's leading jazz musicians and a dedicated jazz educator. I recommend his albums Direct (Fiasko Records) with Uffe Krokfors on bass and Markku Ounaskari on drums as well as the album Fulica Acra that followed, which show his scope and imagination as a player.”

- Professor Stuart Nicholson, Author, Journalist, Lecturer

About solo saxophone CD "Karhea"....Congrats on the new CD - it's FANTASTIC!

- AllAboutJazz-New York (Laurence Donohue-Greene )

"while never resorting to the tired bag of tricks that so few have been able to resist before him".

- Cadence, USA

Esa is a wonderfully gifted saxophonist and composer. I can highly recommend Esa as a composer, performer and educator.”

- Michael J. Stevens, member, International Society of Improvised Music

More info of Esa´s groups and the solo concerts at www.esapietila.com. The website contains streaming tunes, videos of the groups, interviews, reviews, blog guestbook etc.

Band Members