Juuri kun mietin

Now the musical project based on poetry of Ryokan is ready. I mastered the whole today. All sounds very good! I'm happy!

Juha H.

Maija P ja J-V

Maija P was here. We started the planning of a MultiArt concert - poetry, music and photos. Jori and possibly Sini is going to be part of the whole, too. The performance will be ready early next year.

J-V did have the time and he recorded two 16-bar guitar solos. So nice!

Juha H.

Musiikkia

All Saturday I just worked with my music. Lots of playing of flute and piano. (Well, maybe and if I continue rehearsing keyboards I might someday be able to play some Bach for real...) And of course I did compose some songs. And now the project consisting of poems of Ryokan and my music is almost ready - only one guitar solo is not yet there. Hopefully J-V can do it tomorrow...

Juha H.

Takapiha 104

Backyard today. And there was some Sun, too. This was so nice. There have been so many cloudy days... - Sini and I just finished watching Slumdog Millionare. The film and its story is absolutely fantastic! And as it is conducted and written more or less by Westerners, who do know India, it is more understandable for us Scandinavians who've never been to India... (Juha H.)

Juliste 3

Gig poster for Improvisages number 3. Actually this was my favourite of the three contenders. The two others are below. (Juha H.)

Juliste 2

Gig poster for Improvisages number 2. Above Sini's favourite. On sunday I compiled three different posters for our next gig. This was placed second. The one released yesterday was the winner. Ari is the final judge in these matters... (Juha H.)

Juliste

Gig poster for Improvisages. (Juha H.)

Sulka

Feather. (Juha H.)

Keikka takana ja Neal Asherin kimppuun

We played a nice little gig - Jori, Sini and I. All went quite well and Sini is pretty happy.

Now might be the time to continue to read The Gabble - a compilation of short stories written by Neal Asher. His visions are so strangely wonderful - though sometimes very violent...

Juha H.

Renaamista

Improvisages rehearsed today. Some composed pieces of music but mostly what we played was totally improvised. And Ari showed his paintings with video equipment.

But before Improvisages - Jori, Sini and I rehearsed some of my songs. There are gigs coming for us.

Juha H.

Ilta etenee

Most of the day I just jammed with different instruments and music making equipment - flute, alto sax, recorder, Stratocaster, Ableton Live, Sonuus G2M, domra, acoustic guitar... So - nothing special.

Juha H.

Puiden seassa

In the middle of the forest. Though now all snow has melted away and grey has returned to rule the world. (Juha H.)

Luminen tie

Snowy road. - Today it was time to record some tracks of mandolin and percussion. (Juha H.)

Puut ja harmaa talven taivas

Pines with grey winter sky. - All evening I just recorded keyboards and different woodwind instruments. (Juha H.)

Lumella

Spider on snow. (Juha H.)

Puut

Trees in Winter and the silence of forest. (Juha H.)

Toropaisen luona

While visiting Toropainen's cottage in the middle of the forest today. Trees and snow give you so much peace . And the silence is so... beautiful. (Juha H.)

Ruusujen talvi

Winter of roses. - Now some Richard Thompson and his DVD 1000 years of Popular Music. (Juha H.)

Ensemble Hoikkaset

Ensemble Hoikkaset had a rehearsal today. We played some Finnish Folk, Russian music and Traditional Jazz. So nice it was once again.

And in the evening while back at home - I recorded some lines of woodwinds, composed some more music and played my trusty flute.

Juha H.

Sonuus G2M

I got today an all new Sonuus G2M Guitar to MIDI converter. Nice little gadget. I tried it with my half-acoustic classical Yamaha guitar and with Stratocaster. It worked quite nicely even with a nylon stringed instrument. But with electric guitar it was actually very good. Later I'll try it some more.

Juha H.

Takapiha

My backyard today. - Sini sang one of my song. I mixed the whole and bounced it to HardDisk. I also had time to record keyboards for one composition of mine. There wasn't much time for anything else. (Juha H.)

Ja musiikkia

Jouko T was here once again. I recorded him playing four or five acoustic guitar tracks for his own compositions. And after he left I did a bass line for one of his song. That's a good day's work.

Soon I can go to sauna. I just have to wait a little bit more untill it's hot enough.

Juha H.

Valoa

Candles. (Juha H.)

Imrovisages ja muuta musiikkia

Improvisages rehearsed today. Unfortunately Ari could not come here. So Jori and I rehearsed with Sini singing. There are some gigs coming for the three of us. Music is so nicely wonderful!!

J-V was here, too. He recorded a guitar solo for one of my composition. I didn't do the actual recording - J-V is pretty proficient with Pro Tools. - And J-V played from his iPod some all new Machine Men songs. Awesome music!

Now playing John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension @ Belgrade Live DVD. Masterful musicians!

Juha H.

Valkoista valkoisella

White on white. - Now I've compiled the digital picture sequence of the paintings of Ari Liimatainen. Visual weirdness to go with the musical mysteries of Improvisages... (The photo above is not any part of the whole...) (Juha H.)

Outo olio

Weird creature. - Today it was once again time to record a couple of solos with domra . (Juha H.)

Istuva kissa

Sitting cat. - Luckily I had some time off from my other projects and obligations. So I could record bass guitar and a few tracks of percussion for one of my own composition. (Juha H.)

Improvisages ja muuta

All evening I've worked with Ari Liimatainen's paintings, photos taken from them. I'm making a picture sequence to go with Improvisages performing their music live. I picked some 350 paintings to work with... Some gigs coming.

Now playing - Mike Stern's Big Neighborhood.

Juha H.

Keitele

Lake Keitele is frozen over. Still some days untill the ice is thick enough to walk on. (Juha H.)

Keikalle

All was packed to go gigging... And the Very Nais Quintet and FWD a.k.a. Gospel Sisters and Brothers concert itself was quite ok. (Juha H. Photo; Sini)