Mighty Mighty - See The Light (2014)

The latest release from the Schema Records once more taps into the fertile Helsinki scene with See The Light from Mighty Mighty. The Italian label seems have stepped to fill the void left by the apparent demise of the Ricky-Tick label ensuring that jazz fans around the world continue to gain access to a scene that has produced numerous exciting acts over the last decade or so.

Led by pianist and composer Kari Setälä, the sextet play a set of nine tunes that take inspiration from both the acoustic two-horn hard bop sound of the sixties the electric piano soul and funk infused jazz sounds of the early seventies as seen on many CTI recordings. The accent is very much on catchy hooks and danceable rhythms from start to finish, but rather than a crossover album, it's a jazz album through and through.

The album gets under way with the swinging hard bop groove of Backyard Boogie, a killer dancefloor jazz tune in the best tradition of the band's compatriots The Five Corners Quintet, with trumpeter Jorma Kalevi Louhvuori and saxophonist Jussi Kannaste.

The swinging grooves continue with See The Light, albeit at a slightly less frantic pace, and once again the two horns deliver a fine performance. The pace then drops for Once Again, a fine tune with a great piano solo from Setälä.

Dark Sun kicks off with some solo sax from Louhvuori before the main riff kicks in. An intense yet infectious tune that builds over its seven and a half minute duration. The closing Time's Up is the other acoustic tune on the album and is another smokin' free flowing tune that doesn't let you pause for breath.

Probably the album's biggest number is Karma, a tune with hard bop rhythms but with some amazing electric piano that has a killer riff and is set to be a sure-fire hit on the jazz dancefloor this year.

The seventies flavours are most apparent on the funky Simba and a cover of Stevie Wonder's Too High.

See The Light is a bold and confident debut from Mighty Mighty and could well be one of the albums of 2014. Not to be missed.

Tracklist:

1. Backyard Boogie (05:19)
2. See The Light (05:40)
3. Once Again (04:59)
4. Dark Sun (07:33)
5. Simba (06:00)
6. Seventh Sign (08:38)
7. Karma (05:42)
8. Too High (04:27)
9. Time's Up (07:22)


Personnel:

Kari Setälä - piano
Jorma Kalevi Louhivuori - trumpet
Jussi Kannaste - tenor saxophone
Jori Huhtala - bass
Jussi Lehtonen - drums
Abdissa "Mamba" Assefa - percussion