Review: Oaagaada - Music Of (We Jazz Records)

Oaagaada's 'Music Of' album is as free as (We) Jazz (Records) by a "mysterious quartet from rural southern Finland".

Well, I don't know what's in the waters of rural southern Finland but where these guys are concern, it sould like the spirits of Coltrane, Ayler, Coleman et al. particularly Albert Ayler on 'Serriterri' with his military background.

'Seagull Shapes' sounds like Ivor Cutler is about to add his whimsicle poetry at any moment whilst the seagulls oversea from the rooftops with their muted squarks in reverence.

The opus on the album is four part 'Suite Tuli' in which all four members of the quartet 'let go' and are as free as the cloudless skies of their homeland; particularly like the restrained Part II and the 'lets make some noise' Part I, Part III sounds a bit electronic at times and Part VI, at nearly 11 minutes long, "perfectly reflects [thier] organic musical ethos" and let's you  absorb the Oaagaada performance.

And you'd never guess all this from the afro-jazz inspired opener, 'Oag -Ada Sweet' (Ed. wasn't she in Coronation St. in the 60s?) and some (jazz) distance from Berke Can Özcan and Jonah Parzen Johnson 'Folk Memory' that came out at the start of the month (see review HERE) but this is the 'Music Of' Oaagaada - who are these guys?

P.S. The band celebrates the album's release with a performance at Helsinki's We Jazz Festival on 29th November at Kahvila Sävy.

Sami Pekkola, sax & shruti box
Tuure Tammi, trumpet
Tero Kemppainen, bass
Simo Laihonen, drums & log drum

Artist: Oaagaada 
Title:  Music Of
Release date: 15th Novhember, 2024
Label : We Jazz Records
Catalog Number : WJLP62

Format: LP / CD / Digital / Bandcamp