Juhani Aaltonen plays tenor sax and flute as he reads a team of Iro Haarla/p-hp, Ulf Krokfors/b, Ville Herrala/b, Reino Laine/dr and Tatu Ronkko/perc through seven originals. His thick and crusty tenor broods on p ieces such as “Riminiscence” and “All The Birds” while his flute floats like cirrus clous on “Kukunor” and “Hiisi.” Some rich and reflective moods are evoked on “Hiisi,” while the contribution of two basses makes for some thick trudging through the snow. Reflective and a bit angular, the pieces are more for the intellect than viscera.
TUM Records