2021 – Humu Records
By Phillip Smith; June 19, 2021
Jarkka Rissanen, a forty-plus year veteran of the music scene is a legend
among Finnish roots music fans. His latest
record Cargo marks his seventh under his own name, and follows up quite
nicely to his previous album Hybrid Soul, which was awarded Best
Finnish Album of the Year by Blues Finland magazine. This nine-track album is entirely comprised
of instrumentals and features guitarist Rissanen along with guitarist Markus
Väisänen, percussionist Esa Kärki and bassist Ilpo Komulainen. Their music incorporates bits and pieces of influence
ranging from Chicago and Delta Blues, to the Big Easy and beyond. I love this amalgam of blues and jazz. It’s speckled with phenomenal jams and
amazing surprises.
“Rocking Chair” washes over like a cool breeze on the front porch at the end of a hot summer day, lulling me into a state of peacefulness with its gentle riff and relaxing melody. “Cargo” follows up, nicely segued and maintaining a meditative state for a while, until it wakes up and sweetly begins to accelerate. Without going too far, it eventually returns back to its original launch pad with an array of cosmic guitar licks and spacy percussion. Then the hypnotic rhythm of “Mousetrap” rolls out and draws me right in to its enchanting, funky lair. I love the swampy sliver of slide guitar Rissanen tosses into the mix. The fresh funky jazz piece called “Tofu Queen” is light and intoxicating. It brings a smile to my face with every listen. In a Pink Floyd syle, “Once Upon a Time” gracefully brings this brilliant album to its euphoric end.
Cargo is such an extraordinary listen. It’s absolutely flawless.
