UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra: Last Dance – New Music for Jazz Orchestra by Ed Partyka


Neuklang LP/digi, NLP4251, release date: 28.1.2022.

1. G.G.’s Last Dance (14:32)
Composed & arranged by Ed Partyka
Solo: Kasperi Sarikoski (Trombone)
Recorded: Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki (4.9.2020)

Woodwinds: Ville Vannemaa (Alto Flute & Soprano Saxophone), Manuel Dunkel (Alto Flute & Soprano Saxophone), Mikko Mäkinen (Alto Flute & Soprano Saxophone), Jouni Järvelä (Bass Clarinet), Max Zenger (Contrabass Clarinet & Bass Clarinet).

Trumpets: Teemu Mattsson (Lead), Timo Paasonen, Mikko Pettinen, Tero Saarti, Tomi Nikku

French Horn: Tatu-Pekka Paukkunen

Trombones: Kasperi Sarikoski, Pekka Laukkanen, Mikael Långbacka (Bass Trombone)

Tuba: Mikko Mustonen

Rhythm Section: Seppo Kantonen (Piano), Jori Huhtala (Bass), Jaska Lukkarinen (Drums)

2. Para Nada (9:48)
Composed by Eliane Elias
Arranged by Ed Partyka
Solos: Mikko Mäkinen (Clarinet) and Seppo Kantonen (Piano)
Recorded: Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki (2.9.2020)

Woodwinds: Manuel Dunkel (Alto Flute), Jouni Järvelä (Clarinet), Ville Vannemaa (Bass Clarinet), Max Zenger (Contrabass Clarinet & Bass Clarinet)

Trumpets: Teemu Mattsson (Lead), Timo Paasonen, Mikko Pettinen, Tero Saarti, Tomi Nikku

French Horn: Tatu-Pekka Paukkunen

Trombones: Kasperi Sarikoski, Pekka Laukkanen, Mikael Långbacka (Bass Trombone)

Tuba: Mikko Mustonen

Rhythm Section: Seppo Kantonen (Piano), Jori Huhtala (Bass), Jaska Lukkarinen (Drums)

3. Dienda (11:29)
Composed by Kenny Kirkland
Arranged by Ed Partyka
Solos: Jouni Järvelä (Alto Saxophone), Tatu-Pekka Paukkunen (French Horn), Seppo Kantonen (Piano) and Jaska Lukkarinen (Drums)
Recorded: Kaapelitehdas, Helsinki (4.9.2020)

Woodwinds: Jouni Järvelä (Alto Saxophone), Ville Vannemaa (Bass Clarinet & Soprano Saxophone), Manuel Dunkel (Tenor Saxophone), Mikko Mäkinen (Bass Clarinet & Baritone Saxophone), Max Zenger (Bass Clarinet & Bass Saxophone)

Trumpets: Teemu Mattsson (Lead), Timo Paasonen, Mikko Pettinen, Tero Saarti, Tomi Nikku

French Horn: Tatu-Pekka Paukkunen

Trombones: Kasperi Sarikoski, Pekka Laukkanen, Mikael Långbacka (Bass Trombone)

Tuba: Mikko Mustonen

Rhythm Section: Seppo Kantonen (Piano), Jori Huhtala (Bass), Jaska Lukkarinen (Drums)

4. Do as I Say (Not as I Do) (11:59)
Composed & arranged by Ed Partyka
Solo: Ville Vannemaa (Soprano Saxophone)
Recorded: Savoy Theater, Helsinki, Finland (30.9.2020)

Woodwinds: Jouni Järvelä (Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone & Clarinet), Ville Vannemaa (Soprano Saxophone & Alto Saxophone), Manuel Dunkel (Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone & Alto Flute), Mikko Mäkinen (Baritone Saxophone & Alto Flute), Max Zenger (Bass Saxophone & Bass Clarinet)

Trumpets: Teemu Mattsson (Lead), Timo Paasonen, Mikko Pettinen, Tero Saarti, Janne Toivonen

French Horn: Joonas Seppelin

Trombones: Kasperi Sarikoski, Pekka Laukkanen, Mikael Långbacka (Bass Trombone)

Tuba: Mikko Mustonen

Rhythm Section: Juho Valjakka (Piano), Juho Kivivuori (Bass), Jaska Lukkarinen (Drums)

Stage Manager: Pyry Räty

Live Sound Engineer: Heikki Iso-Ahola

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Record Label: Neuklang 
Recording: Markus Ketola, assistants Valtteri Pokela, Ilkka Ferm; live recording at Savoy Theatre by Heikki Iso-Ahola
Mixing and mastering: Philipp Heck (Bauer Studios, Ludwigsburg)
Artwork: Nicole Blasounig
Graphic Design: Michel Holzapfel

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This album is the first conducted by Ed Partyka, the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra’s current artistic director.

Originally hailing from Chicago, Illinois, Partyka has lived and worked in Europe since 1990, mainly in the German speaking countries. As a conductor and arranger, he has collaborated with many top European Big Bands and mentions Bob Brookmeyer as a significant artistic mentor – perhaps no wonder, Partyka’s instruments being the bass trombone and tuba. He has played on over sixty albums, eleven of which have been released under his own name.

The collaboration between UMO and Partyka barely got off to a start when Covid-19 took over the world in March 2020. All the great plans and bright ideas went to waste and “the new normal” started. UMO’s headquarters at the old cable factory Kaapelitehdas in Helsinki was converted into a studio and streamed concerts and other digital content became the order of the day. This was the inaugural production at UMO’s new studio, with three of the four titles being recorded there in September 2020.

“I am very happy with my first album as chief conductor of the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra. This special recording contains music written during the first year of my tenure, which also happened to be the first year of the pandemic. The recording itself was made possible by concert cancellations, If concerts had not been cancelled due to the pandemic we would have never had the studio time to be able to record this project. So even though the pandemic caused great disruption and hardship, there were positive things that were made possible by an otherwise negative situation. I love writing for and working with these excellent Finnish musicians, and it is an honor to lead this wonderful orchestra. UMO has a long history of excellence and a rich tradition steeped in the roots of jazz (both American and European), and it is my ongoing goal to respect these traditions and build on the history of the orchestra by bringing in new influences and ideas.” Ed Partyka

On this album UMO’s expanded instrumentation consists of an acoustic rhythm section, five trumpets, French horn, three trombones, tuba and all five saxophone players doubling admirably on a wide variety of woodwind instruments, from flute to contrabass clarinet (and almost everything in-between). Thanks to this impressive array of instruments in the hands of the outstanding musicians of UMO, the soundscape of the album is lush and fervent and Partyka’s sonorous voicings and rich harmonies provide a warm and luxurious orchestral cushion for melancholy melodies and expressive improvised solos.

The challenges of the pandemic remain, and this album is an important document of a situation that could not have been foreseen when Ed Partyka and the members of UMO started working together in early 2020. In any case, the ninth conductor of the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra has earned his place in the auspicious, almost fifty-year long history of the orchestra with the excellent music presented here on Last Dance.