After conquering the funk and soul forty fives for a while, then going into jazz with the Jukka Eskola Soul Trio, Timmion Records strikes gold once again with a deeper foray into jazzier sounds with the Sami Linna Quartet on their New Look imprint. Led by guitarist Linna, this quartet is made up of solid, seasoned, global players. With over two decades under his belt, Linna is complimented by saxophone player Jussi Kannaste, organist Miiko Helevä (Jukka Escola Soul Trio) and drummer Dana Hall. Hall is a journeyman skins player who has worked with heavyweights like Joe Henderson, Ray Charles, Horace Silver, and Benny Golson just to name a few. So we know that the music is in good hands when all of these cats get together. The A-side, “Made For Tomorrow” is a total ’70’s spiritual jazz trip, with Linna’s guitar leading the way, followed by the saxophone solitude of Kannaste (who truly goes hand in hand with Linna), and, of course the superb drumming by Dana Hall. If you’re into spiritual jazz (and you should be if you aren’t), this is a great feeling like early 1970’s but it’s 2019. The flip, “Umpoya” is more on the soul jazz tip. Upbeat, chipper, and on the move, it’s got a sweet bass line and great organ work. Brings it back to the days of Benson working with McDuff or Green working with Patton. Golden age soul jazz right here. A beautiful nod to the great in the present day. Both tracks are single edits, a taste of what’s to come on a upcoming full length. This is jazz people, alive and well today, delivered by some of the best players in the game you never heard of. Keep an ear out for more info on the full length and more jazz goodness from this quartet.
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