Stars Aligned Martti Vesala Soundpost Quintet

• 1 Compulsion 06:58
• 2 The Sun's Eye 04:42
• 3 Stars Aligned 06:14
• 4 A Murder Of Crows 04:41
• 5 The Lost Sea 05:40
• 6 Rooftops 07:00
• 7 Murky Green 02:44
• 8 Driving Force 04:51
• Total Runtime 42:50

Info for Stars Aligned

Regardless where trumpet player Martti Vesala may be headed, this is the music that is playing in his head: Classic jazz, melodic without being too easy, funky and yet relaxed, filled to the brim with gripping grooves and ripping solos. It may be music from another era – the 60s and 70s – and its sound may feel worlds apart from the clichés typically associated with Vesala's Finnish home – Nordic melancholia, sad chords, cooly drawn lines. Little wonder, then, that legendary jazz publication Downbeat recently compared him to Miles Davis. And yet, thanks to Vesala's drive, passion and virtuosity Stars Aligned feels perfectly contemporary.

Already Vesala's previous effort Helsinki Soundpost made it clear that the Soundpost Quintet takes priority in Vesala's work. On Stars Aligned, he is again treating the limitations of its purely acoustic line-up as challenges, using them to grow both as a performer and composer. After the debut album featured a subtle and almost chambermusical sound, his latest full- length now turns towards something more epic and majestic. If Vesala's gaze was focused inwards and on his roots on Helsinki Soundpost, it is now turned upwards, outwards, towards the big stages of the world.

The instantly recognisable production of the album, somewhere between vintage and entirely contemporary sound design, was sculpted by star producer Miikka Huttunen, highly respected for a string of successful Finnish releases from pop to jazz. Astoundingly, all eight minutely detailed arrangements of Stars Aligned were taped in a mere three days: The title track with its emotionally ambivalent Leitmotiv and utopian harmonies; experimental study "Murky Green"; and, last but not least, beat-driven pieces like "Driving Force“ or "A Murder of Crows", which, with their casually swinging bass-and-drum-loops, are reminiscent of David Holme's classic soundtrack for blockbuster Ocean's Eleven.

Although the trumpet takes center stage in all of these pieces, Stars Aligned is foremost the triumph of a tightly playing ensemble, which has only recently finetuned its on-stage- communication on a major tour through Finland. For 2018, the rest of the world is now on Vesala's radar. After all, as much as he stands by his Nordic roots, the sound of Stars Aligned is his real home. This is the music that is spinning in his head all day – no matter where he's coming from, regardless where he may be headed.

Martti Vesala, trumpet, fluegelhorn
Petri Puolitaival, tenor saxophone, alto flute
Joonas Haavisto, piano
Juho Kivivuori, double bass
Ville Pynssi, drums, percussion

Recorded at Finnvox Studios, Helsinki December 6th– 8th 2016 by Miikka Huttunen
Mixed by Miikka Huttunen at Neomusic, February 2017
Mastered by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers West, March 2017

Martti Vesala
Helsinki-based jazz trumpeter and composer Martti Vesala (b. 1981) is an acclaimed instrumentalist, composer and pedagogue.

Vesala is a Sibelius Academy graduate, having studied in the Nordic Master in Jazz programme under the instruction of today’s leading jazz trumpetists, such as Tim Hagans, Gerard Presencer, Laurie Frink and Peter Asplund. A creative and experienced composer, Vesala has written original music for nearly two decades for ensembles of all sizes, ranging from quintet to big band. His original compositions contain catchy melodies supported by lush harmonies and the rhythmic layers of Afro-American heritage of jazz. As a trumpet player, Vesala’s style is influenced by Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw, in addition to the more modern stylings of Dave Douglas and Kenny Wheeler.

Vesala is the leader of Martti Vesala Soundpost Quintet, a group comprised of crème de la crème of finnish jazz musicians. The group’s music consists entirely of Vesala’s compositions, reflecting his long time admiration of Wayne Shorter’s music and the groove of the 1960’s Miles Davis Quintet. Signed to German Ozella Music label, the group has two albums in the market, “Helsinki Soundpost” and “Stars Aligned”. Their third album will be released November 4th 2022.

Other ensembles include the nordic jazz group Maratone Quintet, active years 2007-2014. With Maratone Quintet, Vesala performed extensively in Finland and Estonia, playing at numerous jazz-clubs, concert halls and jazz festivals. The quintet appeared at the Dølajazz 2010 festival, organized in Lillehammer, Norway. In 2010, they represented Finland in the finals of the Getxo International Jazz Group Competition in Spain. Maratone Quintet produced and recorded two albums: Setting Out (Free Agent Records 2008) and Finding the Way (Prophone 2012).

Vesala’s big band compositions have been performed by UMO Jazz Orchestra, Klüver’s Big Band (Aarhus, Denmark), The Big Band of The Royal Academy of Music (Stockholm, Sweden) and Jyväskylä Big Band. He has been a finalist of the Esko Linnanvalli Big Band composition competition 3 times: in July 2011 with an original composition “Subconstellation”, in November 2013 with “Rhododendron” and in 2015 with “Piper’s Park”.

Vesala also works actively as a freelance musician with such groups as Njet Njet 9, The Soul Investigators and Josu Mämmi trio. He also performs occasionally in the ranks of UMO Jazz Orchestra, Espoo Big Band, Sibelius Academy Alumni Big Band, musicals produced by the Helsinki City Theatre and numerous other projects.

Booklet for Stars Aligned