2022 – Humu Records
By Phillip Smith; April 23, 2022
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com
Having reviewed Finnish guitarist
Jarkka Rissanen’s 2021 album Cargo last year, I was quite anxious
to hear his latest release Bones with his band Tonal Box
featuring Kalle Fält. Like his previous
album, this one is comprised entirely of instrumentals divinely steeped in jazz
fusion leaning into funk and blues. Tonal
Box is comprised of Rissanen on guitars, lap steel, and Casio, Fält
on tenor sax, Jorma Välimäki on tuba and double bass, and Jussi
Kettunen on drums and percussion.
Bones rolls in on a funky beat surrounded by the sweet swampy sound of slide peppered with blasts of sax from Fält on “Chicken Hawk”. Then “Heyday” hits, with its alluring dance-inducing rhythm and relaxed Hawaiian-flavored lap steel with a saxophone-lead. I love the space created with their cover of Dr. John’s “Della (Part 1)”. With tuba accompaniment, this song beautifully captures the essence of a lazy day. I detect a strong jam-band essence in “Shake”. With every listen, I’m reminded of Phish, a favorite of mine. “Down the Road” walks the tightrope between blues and jazz, with Rissanen holding down the blues on guitar while Fält keeps a foot on the jazz side of the song on sax.
Jarkka Rissanen wins me over again with these eight instrumental tracks on “Bones”. It’s an absolutely splendid album.
