Trio Toykeat: Kudos (EmArcy/ Universal)

1.Etude 
2.Met By Chance 
3.Gadd A Tee? 
4.Waltz By Chance 
5.Gadd A Tee 
6.Waltz Of Michel Petrucciani 
7.Pjut 
8.Happy Hour 
9.Heartfilms 
10.Pienta Purtavaa 
11.Ab Fab 12.Ping 
13.Kartzan`S Choice 
14.10 Years

Finland’s premier jazz group, the Toykeat (which means rude ones!) are one of the most eclectic piano trios I’ve ever come across. Talk about chameleons. Their music always seems to be tumbling schizophrenically between the comic, the academic and the romantic to the downright ridiculous. Each cut on ‘Kudos’, their fourth album, pays homage to a person who has inspired them in some way, their dedications ranging from Finnish authors and film directors through Sting to Victor Borge, the latter epitomizing the forced humour Toykeat doesn’t need to resort to as often as it does. They frequently overplay the melodrama too, often interpolating a subtle, beautiful lyricism or romanticism (sometimes ala Rachmaninov) to something totally knockabout or overbearingly banal: ‘Ab Fab’ sounds more like a tribute to The Keystone Cops than Jennifer Saunders.

I enjoyed them most in their more subtle and intimate moments. The wistful romance of the opening of the Gismonti dedication ‘Met By Chance’ and the somehow strangely familiar ‘Waltz For Michel Petrucciani’ are delightful and affectingly poignant. Their technical prowess is never in doubt, for pianist Liro Rantala breezes energetically through the Mozart tribute ‘Etude’ from the outset, throwing in a bit of Cecil Taylor along the way and Eerik Siikasaari’s expansive and musical bass lines, heard to good effect on ‘Pienta Purtavaa, ’10 Years’ and the introduction to ‘Heartfilms (Rantala’s piano also sounds wonderful here), are delicious. And I must also praise drummer Rami Eskelinen for some un-intrusive sticks and brushes. 

Wasn’t it Frank Zappa who once posed the question ‘does humour belong in music’? It most certainly does and Trio Toykeat’s sense of fun is undeniably irresistible, if a tad slapstick and overblown at times. They should, however, in spite of the excesses, acquire plenty of Kudos if they keep making records like this because they are a colourful outfit of immense musicality, emotional breadth and a sense of humour rare in jazz. 

http://www.birdpages.co.uk/magazine2/triotoykeatkudos.htm


Iiro Rantala
January 19, 1970
piano


Among the most internationally visible Finnish jazz musicians, Iiro Rantala is second to none when it comes to unsurpassable keyboard technique and flaring showmanship. The piano player first got infected by music in the children's choir Cantores Minores at the age of seven. Soon afterwards he was already taking piano lessons... And the rest, as they cliché goes, is history. 

SIBELIUS WOULD AGREE: THE COOLEST JAZZ COMES FROM THE NORTH 
Trio Töykeät has been Finland’s best known jazz group for 15 years, and is one of Europe’s leading and unique international music groups. Established in 1988, this tightly knitted unit, manages to pack more frenetic energy into one piece of music than most of us fit into a lifetime. They have released five great albums and the new one ‘High Standards’ is just out on the Blue Note label.

For 15 years Iiro Rantala (piano), Eerik Siikasaari (bass), and Rami Eskelinen (drums) have been touring the world in 43 countries and by now have given some 2000 concerts. Their performances are of true international calibre, and across five continents critics and enthused jazz, classical and even pop audiences have been applauding them. It’s Trio Töykeät - definitely unconventional, possibly wicked, but always uncompromising.

The Trio’s musical virtuosity has attracted wide and diverse audiences around the world. After studying at the Sibelius Academy (Finland) and the Manhattan School of Music (New York), the Toykeat musicians have during the past 15 years performed widely at festivals in Finland (such as the Pori and Espoo Jazz Festivals, Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival), New York, London, Paris, Cuba, Mexico, Belgium, Australia, Estonia, Russia, Greece, Germany, Switzerland, Italy (Umbria Jazz Festival), Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, New Zealand, Spain, Canada (Montreal Jazz Festival), Sweden, and Hong Kong, Brazil, Argentina… and many more spots around the globe.




Iiro Rantala (b.1970), piano, studied at the Sibelius Academy and Oulunkylä Jazz Conservatorium in Helsinki, as well as at the Manhattan School of Music in NYC (1991-1993). The development of Iiro Rantala as a jazz thinker has been one of the most astonishing phenomena in the Finnish music world during the last six years. Winner of all the major jazz awards in Finland in recent years.Rantala is also a virtuso classical pianist and performs regularly with symphony orchestras in Finland, works like the Mozart No.23 piano concerto and Iiro’s own piano concerto was premiered in Finland in April 2003 with the Tapiola Sinfonietta.

Rami Eskelinen (b.1967), drums, also started his studies at the Oulunkylä Conservatorium in 1982 until he moved to the Sibelius Academy in 1988. In 1988 Rami was chosen as the best drummer at the Hoeilaart International Jazz Contest in Belgium, where the Trio also won the first prize. Rami also studied with Iiro Rantala at the Manhattan School of Music in NYC. He was awarded best drummer of the year in Finland of 1996.

Eerik Siikasaari (b.1957), bass, was born into a family of jazz musicians and sounds as if he imbibed the jazz tradition with his mother’s milk . He is a graduate of the Sibelius Academy and the Oulunkylä Conservatorium. By the late 1980’s Eerik had emerged at the number one choice among the bassists of his generation. In 1995 he was awarded the Georgie Jazz award of Finland, and in 1997, Finland’s bassist of the year.




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Reviews:

“...His playing to put it mildly is virtuoso. One must perhaps go all the way back to Franz Liszt to find the same kind of virtuosity. At least there is lots of romanticism in Rantala.”
- Kjeld Fransden, Berlingske Tidene, Copenhagen, September 1998

“Pianist Iiro Rantala is a real keyboard lion. That he sees the grand piano particularly also as a toy, appears in the many jokes in compositions lie ‘Another Ragtime, ‘Unfinnish Tango’ and ‘Hömppä Humppa’.”
- Frans van Leeuwen - NCR Handelsblad 26/9/98

“Whichever genre the Finns adapt it always remains a part of the integrate Töykeät idiom......The unrestrained technique especially by Rantala sounds astonishing, but never only for show, always functional. The 3 Finns through their openess manage to reach straight into the heart.”
- K.S., Parool, Amsterdam/Holland, September 2000

“This kind of music is completely different than the average jazz lover is used to...Their style cannot be categorised and also not be imitated, so personal it is...’Something like this we have never experienced and we feel ourselves fortunate’ was the audience exclamation. With a standing ovation the audience said farewell to these sympathetic Finns. Please return!”
- Sim Karten, Western Courant, Holland, October 2000

“Iiro Rantala is a pianistic sensation who makes the strongest case I know to believe in reincarnation because his pianistic technique and musical sensitivity speak of depths which appear impossible to have been achieved in this lifetime alone....” 
- Gil Goldstein, pianist and arranger, New York City, August 1993.

“When I first heard the Trio Töykeät play I was totally bowled over...knocked out. I immediately recommended them for work...and also started hiring them... then they started hiring me! Iiro Rantala is one of the best musicians I have ever known. A RARE talent!” - .-. 
- Lew Soloff, trumpetist, New York City, August 1993.

“Seldom, if ever has it happened that at an international jazz festival in Finland, a Finnish jazz group turned out to be the most outstanding of all performers”.
- Jukka Hauru, Helsingin Sanomat, Helsinki, Finland, April 1993

“Trio Töykeät contains a rare accummulation of talent and sense of style unequalled in Finland. Iiro Rantala presents a load of energy which seems to be inexhaustible”.
- Lauri Karvonen, Helsingin Sanomat, Helsinki, April 1992

“..A virtually unbroken torrent of in-your-face virtuosity, leavened with a delicious sense of humour and a daring eclecticism”..”Judging by this concert you can see why these three are gaining a reputation as one of the hottest properties in the jazz world today.”
- Tim Bridgewater, The Dominion, Wellington, New Zealand, March 1996

“It is clear that after eight years together the Finnish group possesses a unity of purpose and high level of mutual understanding and qualities that enabled them to execute difficult arrangements with ease.....Iiro Rantala’s single note runs were often electrifying”.
- Peter Jordan, Sydney Morning Herald, Australia, March 1996