Matti P The Finnish saxophonist and composer EERO KOIVISTOINEN (b. 1946) made his debut album Valtakunta after the collapse of Blues Section, the legendary Proto-Prog band that featured future Wigwam or Tasavallan Presidentti members such as Jim Pembroke. Valtakunta (= Empire) is an extremely unique album. Being composed on modern Finnish poetry, it was originally released in a series of Otava's literary records, even though Love Records would have been pleased to release it.

The poets behind the lyrics are Tuomas Anhava, Pentti Saarikoski, Jarkko Laine and Hannu Mäkelä. Several of the pieces feature spoken word rather than singing, and I think that only increases the album's charming personality. Sitar and flute are essential in the backing of Eero Raittinen's reading about the daily routines on 'Kello kuusi' (= Six o'clock). 'Lennosta kii!' later found its way with English lyrics ('Caught from the Air') on the Tasavallan Presidentti album Milky Way Moses (1974), again with Eero Raittinen on vocals.

The clearest jazz tones are heard on 'Television ohjelma on loppunut' (= The program on TV has ended) in which Koivistoinen himself reads Saarikoski's poem. Other vocalists on the album are Vesa-Matti Loiri ('Vorwärts') and Seija Simola, the entertainment chanseuse, whose tracks 'Hiljainen hetki' and 'Tuutulaulu' are IMHO album highlights.

Valtakunta is a delightful musical collache that bravely ignores the boundaries between genres. It has rock, jazz, spoken poetry, and rather experimental details, too. The line-up contained Koivistoinen's former band mates from Blues Section and some of the key figures of the Finnish jazz of the era. On the back cover Koivistoinen thanks e.g. Bach, The Beatles, Ravi Shankar and Frank Zappa for inspiration. I won't give the full rating often in this site, but I feel this is a special case deserving it.