Musaa

Music took pretty much the whole day. And that's ok. Already before noon began FWD rehearse in Suovanlahti. Hard rock, soul, some pop music and Elvis... Then rehearsed PasunaPelimannit. They had a gig, too. Some playing of folk music in a cool breeze by the Lake Sumiaisjarvi. - Rest of the time travelling from here to there and then back and on...

Juha H.

Wild ducks looking for something to eat. (Juha H.)

Flowers in my backyard. (Juha H.)

Pro Tools

I'm finally back working with Pro Tools and how nice it is. For two weeks I didn't even open the program. (Well, actually for a while it was a bit hard, quite impossible - I was in Greece.) Now I'm back and happily working with the program of my choice. This is wonderful. - Today I mixed my composition based on a poem of Efith Sodergran. Now Sanoja (= Words) is ready and bounced to Hard Disk.

It has been raining all day long.

Juha H.

Lighthouse - Hania, Crete. (Juha H.)

Ilta sataa

Rain all day long. But that's ok - after the Mediterranean heat.

Most of the day I stayed inside and just played different instruments - flute, recorders, saxes and - of course - domra. This is the way I see what is FUN... And so it happens - I wrote down on paper some music, too.

Finally - it took some hours - I had the time to send some photos here. Pics from Hania, Crete.

Today Jopo moved to Jyvaskyla. Luckily it's only some 40 kilometers from here. Now both my sons live in the same city.

Juha H.

All evening I've been photoshopping pics from our journey to Hania, Crete. Above again one taken by Hanna-Maaria... Earlier today rehearsed FWD. We're going to have a gig at the TraktoriJazz festival... (Juha H.)

Scene from the balcony of our hotel Hania, Crete... (Photo: Hanna-Maaria) - Yesterday evening Ari Liimatainen sent me a txt-message from the same Cretan town: " It's so hot here that the zipper melts." Within a few days there is going to be the opening of his Art Exhibition in Hania. (Juha H.)

Back from Hania (=Chania), Crete. Above a photo of a bit odd way to have a holiday - recorder, some notes scribbled down on paper and Anthony Beevor's book Crete... (Juha H.)

Kreeta

Tonight we - Sini, Hanna-Maaria and I - are going to Hania, Crete. We're staying there for a week. Hopefully it'll be a nice and relaxing holiday. I'll leave my laptop home because according to the hotel's brochures there's no Internet connection...

Juha H.

Pukinjalkatanssi

Now and finally I had the time and mastered the poetry and music-project Pukinjalkatanssi (=Bock-leg-dance) - poems of Vieno Hamara and music ranging from J.S. Bach to my compositions compiled together. The book will be re-released in July and according to what I know the double-CD should be released at the same time.

Juha H.

Takaisin

Back from Helsinki. Machine Men played a great gig in the Old Icehall. They were actually better, more energetic and skilful than the main act Heaven and Hell. Tony Iommi is not any virtuoso guitar player - well, he's never been... But he did create some quite interesting and musically fascinating things with his instrument. (Heaven and Hell played so LOUD that my ears did hurt even though I had ear plugs...)

And again my fingertips are a bit sore after playing domra. Somehow it's harder to play than guitar.

Juha H.

Machine Men, Heaven and Hell

Soon it's time to travel to Helsinki, again. Machine Men are performing there as supportive act for Heaven and Hell in the Old Icehall. This means that during this week I see/I've seen the whole Black Sabbath - though Ozzy Osbourne with his band as a separate act...

Juha H.

Summer. Finally Sini got her voice back. Today she sang two songs that I composed in April and recorded the orchestra - with some help from J-V - in May. Edith Sodergran's poems - Toivomus (=Wish) and Sanoja (=Words) - are taking their musical shapes... (Juha H.)

This is what I wrote today - simple little composition more or less in Folk Music Style. (Juha H.)

Ozzy

Back from Helsinki. Above a photo taken with mobile camera and quite far away - so it's not a quality take. Ozzy Osbourne performing with his band at the Hartwall Arena, Helsinki. Audience - some 12000 people. Ozzy sounded pretty good - though he's not any great singer. (But in Ozzy's case that's not the most important thing...) The whole was very enjoyable and somewhat funny! During the 30-plus years of his career he's created many memorable and meaningful songs. And there was some charisma added with a good band... The supporting act was Black Label Society. Zack Wylde is quite a virtuoso guitarist. Unfortunately the band wasn't mixed well enough, the way they deserved. That's how it goes in the Rock'n'Roll world. Supporting acts MUST sound bad so that the main band won't suffer. This is simply stupid... Luckily Zack Wylde played also with Ozzy and could show his talents with better sounds. (Juha H.)

Runoutta, musiikkia ja Ozzy

All day I worked mixing poems of Vieno Hamara. I also mixed the classical guitar music that's part of the project. And I even composed, recorded and mixed one cut of my own. Sodalle (=For the War) is a slow march, actually it sounds like funeral music. Some of Hamara's poems describe the time, fears and miseries at the homefront of the World War II. Now the length of the project is 90 minutes. It is possible that all the pieces are done. Next they have to be put together. Later, later.

Tomorrow I'll be travelling to Helsinki. Ozzy Osbourne is there with his band. And there's Black Label Society, too. I like Zack Wylde quite much. He's probably the more important reason for me to go to Helsinki.

Juha H.

Lake Keitele. (Juha H.)

Kielot. This summer these beautiful flowers are blossoming some two weeks earlier than usually. Their smell is so wonderous!! (Juha H.)

An object under the water. (Juha H.)