Uahh ja Chick Corea Elektric Band

I recorded and mixed a composition of mine - Uahh. (That means nothing... just a name to call the piece of music as something. Thus it is easier to remember than just a serial number.) Six lines of woodwind-instruments, twenty-bar melody played twice and some improvising. Easy - the composition was simple and easy to play and to improvise in a relaxed environment is so easy... Dolce.

Watching and listening to a DVD - Chick Corea Elektric Band Live at Montreaux 2004. Fantastic musicianship, wonderfully skilfull playing and virtuousic yet relaxing music. And I like it. After a long day I'm tired but this music very much refreshes me and makes me smile.

Juha H.

Nukuttaa

I sent a photo here - to no avail. No pic here. Maybe Picasa is slow again... Have to wait...

And when you publish a rant the photo appears so nicely below... Next time I should wait longer.

Juha H.

Marsh tea. (Juha H.) 

Kansanmusiikkia

Sometimes folk-music is wonderful, like today. I took part in a rehearsal/jamsession with some quite masterful folkmusicians. Some notated music, some improvisations... Without written parts and when allowed to play freely along the flow of the moment it's so easy and natural for me to let the music just come out. During the years this band has played together for a few times. Every now and then we've had gigs, too. And so it's this time. Next Sunday we'll be playing in LaajaArt.

Juha H.

And the morning was so beautiful. (Juha H.) 

Blue and green tenderness. (Juha H.) 

Lordi

Right now at this very moment Finland is celibrating Lordi's winning of the Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Senaatintori, Helsinki. There are more than 80 000 people. And Finish television sends it LIVE all over the country. Lordi begins - church bells are ringing...

I'll mix my music tomorrow. Tonight I got something else to do.

Juha H.

Today - while trekking in the forest. (Juha H.) 

Ja tuli ilta

Howdy. It's been raining most of the day. This is definately good for the growth. Otherwise it's not so nice - if you go out for a while the drizzle soaks you.

Mixed the composition that I recorded a couple of days ago - Onnellinen orvokki (=Happy Violet). Now it's done and bounced to Disk. Soft and dolce. Also and finally Sini began to rehearse the singing of my composition that I recorded almost a week ago. Some day soon it's going to happen - she's going to sing it for real. Hard-disk recording is so nice.

Juha H.

Project X (or something of no-name) playing in Suolahtisali tonight. J-V on the right. Some more pics here. (Juha H.)

An old jetty. (Juha H.) 

Maanantai

All evening I worked with one of my compositions - one of those I wrote during the weekend. Now all is recorded - four tracks of percussion, bass guitar, electric guitar and two woodwind lines - and the whole is rough-mixed, too. Hopefully tomorrow I can fine-tune the mix... Everything is very Dolce.

Warm evening. Strong smells of Spring fill the air.

Juha H.

Euroviisut

Well, well. Since Abba won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974 (?!) I've never watched the Happening... But tonight I did - and Lordi WON. Hardrock Hallelujah!! (Could not link the band because the Server was obviously exhausted!!!!)

Juha H.

Musaa vain

Today I wrote eight all new compositions. That's quite many pieces of music even for me. Melodies, chords and basic structure in a lead-sheet format. The "feel" of the compositions vary from folk music to electronica, sort of... At the moment I believe that at least one of today's creations I'm going to record some day soon. Rest of the compositions may or may not come out in some future time - played on gigs or given away... Time will tell.

Juha H.

Rowan. (Juha H.) 

Ennen eilista

I began working with one of my compositions - Ennen eilista (=Before yesterday). It's going to be a song for Sini. At the moment it's got no words and probably will never have any. Wordless singing. I recorded a rhythm guitar track and a couple of woodwind lines. Now I'm already too tired to lay down bass guitar. Tomorrow, tomorrow.

Finland and BeloRussia are playing hockey.

Juha H.

Hoikkaset

Ensemble Hoikkaset had a gig. This time as a trio - accordion, violin and flute. Folk music from around the world. The venue was very small but the audience was quite happy and joyous because of our music. Nice longish gig.

I wrote a couple of compositions. Maybe one of them is suitable and good enough for Sini to sing.

Juha H.

Pitkin iltaa

Most of the evening I wondered and pondered what to record next. What kind of song would Sini like to sing? It was puzzling. I tried and played through many of my creations. Over the years I've written almost 4000 compositions . But none of them somehow was not suitable, didn't feel right. Maybe I was just tired. Anyways a puzzling dilemma. Tomorrow or the next day I'll solve this problem and possibly write an all new composition.

And so I began to watch and listen to Yes - their double-DVD Songs from Tsongas. That was a very good decision. The troubling dilemma I felt earlier this evening just faded away. Wonderfully happy and comfortably complicated music. So nice to listen and hear!

Juha H.

Clouds over Lake Keitele. (Juha H.) 

Mother's Day. While trekking today. (Juha H.) 

Kuopijosta takasi

Back from Kuopio. One night trip there and back. Musical entertainment and a theatre performance.

Yesterday Don Johnson Big Band played in Henry's Pub, Kuopio. And we were there, Sini and I among some 300 other listeners. The venue was packed full. Music was mostly quite simple - simple rhythms, harmonies and melodies. But everything was pretty well executed - skilfully played and performed with joy. And there were a couple of added bonuses - Pekka Kuusisto played violin ( and doubled on synth) plus Emma Salokoski sang wonderfully ( and she doubled on violin). All in all we liked the gig. It's a joy to see and hear happiness in Music.

We came back home just a few hours ago through a thuderstorm - First this Summer.

Juha H.

At sunset. (Juha H.) 

Leaves of a Birch in Spring. (Juha H.) 

Musakivaa

I worked much of the day with my music. Last Easter I wrote a little composition, a bit like a hymn. Today I recorded it - four tracks of percussions, bass guitar , electric guitar and a couple of lines woodwinds. It was quite simple and easy to do. And of course there was some improvising, especially in the Outro section... Later I'll mix the whole. It's so good to be back in the creative process of making music. And even though I can do anything with my compositions - execute exactly the written material, manipulate meticulously or insanely recorded tracks - it is always very important to add something improvised, something invented and created within the spur of the moment. Miracels happen within the moment of here and now.

Actually quite everything happens within the here and now. Yesterday is gone though maybe remembered. Tomorrow is not yet here. You don't know for shure what's coming. Yesterday's happiness and misery can be good advice or guiding light for you to be prepared for tomorrow and its surprises. But the real life most importantly happens right now and right here.. And all this sounds so banal. Sometimes everyday life can be banal... For me improvisation is a very meaningful example of the here and now.

Juha H.

Huilua ja haitaria

I played a gig with accordionist Reijo Korhonen. And once again music was fun. Actually we've never before played together as a duo. Accordion and flute mix nicely together. Today's gig consisted mostly of Finish and Russian folk music. Though here and there I added some hints of jazz - some improvised lines. Maybe next time I'll take my acoustic guitar (Yamaha) with me and instead of just blowing the flute I'll sing something...

Juha H.

Atakhama takaisin Suomessa

Atakhama is back in Finland. This morning at 8.20 J-V sent me a txt-message: "In Finland. Freedum." He was very happy to come back home. Tough and rough ordeal - gigs and travelling a few thousand kilometers - is left behind. Music and playing was ok but the travelling by train was hard and very tiresome. J-V told that the Russian people are very nice and friendly but dust, garbage and dirty places were so prevalent - especially outside of Moscow.

Warm Summer day.

Juha H.

Ice is gone. Little lighthouse - Lake Keitele, Finland. (Juha H.) 

Atakhama, Moskova ja Helsinki

Atakhama is probably at this very moment playing their gig in Moscow, Russia. Earlier today J-V sent a couple of txt-messages telling that within the last days they've travelled alot by train - 43 hours to their previous venue, there and back. Woahh! And after the ordeal straight to stage... Atakhama's tour has been quite a rough one.

Sini and I travelled today to Helsinki and back. Unfortunately we could not see the Ars 2006 Art Exhibition in Kiasma because of some damages caused by smoke of a big arson in Helsinki - just about a hundred meters from the museum. Otherwise the trip was ok. It was quite nice to see so many people celebrating their weekend in a nicely warm weather.

Juha H.

Ari Liimatainen and some of his paintings. Art Exhibition in Aanekoski, Finland. (Juha H.)

Lake Keitele - last remnants of ice. (Juha H.) 

Toropainen and the new scooter. (Photo: Sini) 

Kukkiva maa jatkaa taas

Maija P. visited. We listened the recording of poems of Kukkiva maa - so that everything is ok. I made some minor chances and fixes to what was done in February 2006 - EQed one bass guitar, added noizy clanking chains... Now all is done. Kukkiva maa (=Blossoming Fields) is ready to be released.

Toropainen visited - with his new scooter.

Juha H.

Bryansk

J-V sent a text-message from Bryansk, Russia. Everything is ok - and Atakhama keeps on gigging. According to the message the audiences have been wild and crazy. J-V wrote that there are lots of pirated CDs for sale. And poverty is pretty prevalent...

I hadn't much time for my music - only two or three hours of playing flute and guitar. Other obligations took my time so thoroughly.

Juha H.

May Day. Sini waiting for the ice to melt. (Juha H.)