Heikki Sarmanto

"Moonflower, by the legendary Finnish pianist Heikki Sarmanto and his quartet, is the first "new" album on Luke Mosling's Porter label; the other two projects that make up his opening salvo are reissues of private-press recordings done by Mait Edey's Seeds imprint in the early '70s. Sarmanto is best known to American audiences for his work with Sonny Rollins and Art Farmer. He's recorded 25 albums as a leader, including New Hope Jazz Mass for jazz ensemble, orchestra, soprano, and choir (conducted by no less than Gregg Smith and performed at the Newport Jazz Festival). His symphonic jazz poem Suoni premiered at Carnegie Hall in 1988. Given the scope of those projects, Moonflower is a much more intimate work; it expands on the intense lyricism of Sarmanto's larger works in a smaller, more soulful setting. Sarmanto's group also includes drummer Craig Herndon, bassist Pekka Sarmanto, and saxophonist Juhani Aaltonen. Sarmanto composes like a veteran; having come up during the "new thing" period, he always had one foot inside the tradition and one on the margins. He has been influenced as much by 20th century classical music and the folk music of his native Finland as by jazz. He's also been deeply affected by the written word, which seems to be a thing with pianists; like Michael Garrick, poetry has always been a part of Sarmanto's suitcase of passions. All of this said, in the 21st century he has looked the tradition squarely in the eye and found a way to extend it with regard to all the things that he's absorbed in his lengthy career. On Moonflower, an intensely lyrical jazz with deeply focused ensemble play and improvisation walks hand in hand with notions of dynamic, texture, and the interplay possible when four players are listening to an idea as well as to one another."