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Track List

1 Souvaripoika - Lumberjack 04:25
    by Toivo Kärki (Warner Chappell Music, Inc.)
2 Leivonen lumimyrskyssä - A Lark In The Snowstorm 02:28
    by Toivo Kärki (Manus)
3 Interview: Jazz 00:35
4 Nuori sydän - Young Heart 04:55
    by Toivo Kärki (Warner Chappell Music, Inc.)
5 Tuopin jäljet - The Stories Of My Pint 06:15
    by Toivo Kärki (Warner Chappell Music, Inc.)
6 Soita hiljaa, kitarain - Play It Softly, My Guitar 04:25
    by Toivo Kärki (Warner Chappell Music, Inc.)
7 Interview: Minor and Major 00:37
8 Koivun alla kello kahdeksan - Under The Birch-tree At Eight 04:16
    by Toivo Kärki (Warner Chappell Music, Inc.)
9 Toivematka - Dream Journey 04:20
    by Toivo Kärki (Warner Chappell Music, Inc.)
10 Hiukan haikeaa - A Bit Melancholic 03:30
    by Toivo Kärki (Warner Chappell Music, Inc.)
11 Interview: Inspiration 00:45
12 Sininen hetki - The Blue Moment 05:55
    by Toivo Kärki (Warner Chappell Music, Inc.)
13 Päivän kehrä - Sunshine 01:55
    by Toivo Kärki (Warner Chappell Music, Inc.)
14 Onni, jonka annoin pois - The Happiness I Let Go 05:55
    by Toivo Kärki (Warner Chappell Music, Inc.)
15 Interview: The Cassette Player 00:19
16 Counting The Cost - Nyt maksaa saan sen 03:26
    by Toivo Kärki (Warner Chappell Music, Inc.)
17 Kom så stilla - Come So Quietly 04:10
    by Toivo Kärki (Warner Chappell Music, Inc.)
18 Eron hetki on kaunis - The Sweet Moment Of Goodbye 05:06
    by Toivo Kärki (Warner Chappell Music, Inc.)
19 Interview: The Footstool 00:42
20 Lauluni aiheet - Songs From The Heart 04:24
    by Toivo Kärki (Warner Chappell Music, Inc.)

Total Time: 68:23

About Leivonen lumimyrskyssä - A Lark In The Snowstorm

"Leivonen Lumimyrskyssä is a documentary as well as musical experience by pianist and composer Mika Pohjola, who now lives in New York. A large roster of players in multiple ensembles perform fifteen songs; the CD also contains five interview snippets with Kärki, plus a computer-compatible multimedia presentation featuring some of his original arrangements. Kärki's interest in jazz began after hearing Louis Armstrong's 1920s recordings. Plans to move to the US were abandoned when he was called into service during World War II. 'Kärki used very sophisticated melodic and harmonic ideas in all his compositions and arrangements,' Pohjola writes in his liner notes. 'My arrangements on this record are somewhat out of the ordinary, yet they convey an idea of the strength of Toivo Kärki's music; his compositions preserve their character even when expressed in a musical style far away from the original.'"
-Mark Sabbatini, All About Jazz

After the wartime in the mid-forties, Toivo Kärki had to hide his interest in big band swing music, but he never abandoned it. He was a realist though, and preferred to place his musical talent in the service of the general public, so eager for uplifting entertainment after the demanding war years. Nevertheless, Kärki used very sophisticated melodic and harmonic ideas in all his compositions and arrangements. This is why his compositions are a challenge for modern authors working on new versions of these old songs. This album, A Lark in the Snowstorm, combines the versatility of his compositions, his musical preferences and his aspirations, adapted into a modern expression of music. The title piece is the second earliest of Kärki's existing compositions, a true reflection of the many turns in his life. Only those who were more familiar with him knew that basically he was a sensitive artist - like a lark. On the other hand they knew that he was a persevering fighter, who had to struggle against the odds throughout most of his professional career. He never gave up, not even in an icy snowstorm. The compositions of Toivo Kärki (1915-1992), at least the best of them, can be characterized with the exacting word 'quality'. The basis for his musical thought was his keen interest in jazz, which started as early as 1928 when he heard Louis Armstrong on record. After winning an international contest for new compositions, arranged by the Rhythm magazine in 1939, Kärki planned to move to the United States. History, however, decided otherwise: the Finnish Winter War (against the Soviet Union) broke out and Kärki was sent to the front like thousands of others.

Credits

Mika Pohjola - piano & arrangements
Toivo Kärki - composer
Henrik Lamberg - voice
Sanni Orasmaa - voice
Eeppi Ursin - voice
David Ambrosio - bass
Laura Arpiainen - violin
Anna Basis - violin
Bill Campbell - drums
Alan Ferber - trombone
Mark Ferber - drums
Janne Halonen - guitar
Fernando Huergo - bass
Robin Miller - cello
Indra Ozola - flute
Franco Pinna - percussion
Felipe Salles - saxophone & bass clarinet
Julio Santillán - guitar
Ayumi Takeshima - violin
Kari Toivonen - narration
Dan Weiss - drums

Articles about Leivonen lumimyrskyssä - A Lark In The Snowstorm

REVIEW: Mika Pohjola: Leivonen Lumimyrskyssä - Celebrating The Music Of Toivo Karki

Perhaps the most intriguing question about a tribute album like this is the original performer's reaction to a modern shakeup of their work. Approval? Outrage? Indifference? A key factor, aside from quality, might be the artist's inclination for departure from convention. If so, Finnish composer... Read

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