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Edward Vesala

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Edward Vesala, born Martti Vesala, was a Finnish drummer and composer from avant-garde jazz. He was born in 1945 in Mäntyharju and in the 1960s began playing in jazz and rock bands such as Blues Section and Apollo. In 1969 his album Souljumppaa was released. In the 1970s he led jazz groups of his own, including a quartet with the Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stańko and the saxophonist Tomasz Szukalski. He also played in Toto Blanke's Electric Circus and recorded with the Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek. Albums from this period include Nan Madol from 1974, Satu from 1977 and Open from 1979.

Music and breakthrough

In the 1980s and 1990s he made several albums with his own compositions and with his group Sound & Fury, an ensemble of about ten players, mostly his students. Its members included the saxophonists Jorma Tapio and Pepa Päivinen, the guitarists Raoul Björkenheim and Jimi Sumén, and the harpist and keyboardist Iro Haarla, his wife. Their music combined jazz with classical music, tango and folk music.

Influence

Vesala was the most important drummer in Finnish jazz, and he brought that scene into contact with Polish and Norwegian jazz. His drumming was that of a composer: he gave the percussion a melodic role instead of merely a rhythmic one. He died in 1999 in Yläne, aged 54.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to Nan Madol by Edward Vesala and notice how the drums not only make the music swing but also colour it. Can you hear how percussion here almost becomes melody?

Discography

Studio albums

See also

Categories: Artists