Common Ground Jussi Lampela Ensemble

• 1 Steady-Loose 05:04
• 2 Front-Sides 06:43
• 3 Sorrow-Comfort 03:26
• 4 Sub-Ultra 05:57
• 5 Poly-Uni 05:53
• 6 Dusk-Dawn 05:09
• 7 Implode-Explode 04:16
• 8 Flat-Bent 05:53
• Total Runtime 42:21

Info for Common Ground

Composer, arranger, and guitarist Jussi Lampela is known for his bold and multi-layered works, in which jazz meets symphonic thinking and cinematic soundscapes. Lampela is one of the most respected composers and orchestrators in Finnish jazz, with a repertoire ranging from big band compositions to chamber music and film scores.

The new Jussi Lampela Ensemble highlights the intimate and experimental side of his musical language. The driving forces behind the ensemble are trumpeter Jukka Eskola and drummer Teppo Mäkynen, who together with Lampela's electronics create a counterforce and dialogue to the subtle sounds of the string quartet.

The album features Lampela's brand new work Common Ground, which combines electronic and acoustic soundscapes. The music moves between minimalist aesthetics, ambient and concert music with through-composed arcs, and the freer improvisation of jazz. The result is a meditative, tense and beautifully breathing whole – music in which the world and the mind find a common tune.

Jussi Lampela Ensemble:
Jussi Lampela, compositions, electronics
Jukka Eskola, trumpet
Teppo Mäkynen, drums
Ilkka Lehtonen, 1st violin
Elina Viitasaari, 2nd violin
Lotta Poijärvi, viola
Jaani Helander, cello

Jussi Lampela
(b. 1972) is a Helsinki-born composer-arranger and guitarist who specialises in writing and arranging music for various sorts of outfits for live, recording and screen purposes. He has composed for and led his own group Jussi Lampela Nonet since 2010, and in the same year their collaborative album with trumpeter Jukka Eskola, Lampela X Eskola, was nominated for the Jazz Album of the Year in the Finnish Emma Music Awards. Some of his major collaborators include Vantaan viihdeorkesteri, Kuopio Philharmonic Orchestra, Oulu All Star Big Band and drummer-producer Teppo Mäkynen, and he has also worked as an orchestrator and arranger for Finnish composer Pessi Levanto and Janne Huttunen’s feature film productions. Furthermore, Lampela has made a name for himself as a sought-after teacher.

This album contains no booklet.