in Reviews

Fiddlers go funky

"Esko Jarvela and Tero Hyvaluoma are definitely among the best fiddlers of their generation in Finland (both born at the beginning of the 1980s). Their playing style has the distinctive folk music phrasing and swing, but they seem to be at ease with almost any musical genre. When going solo, they prove themselves talented composers as well...

ESKO JÄRVELÄ EPIC MALE BAND: Esko Järvelä Epic Male Band
EMB001
TERO HYVÄLUOMA: Junkyard Ball
Lusti Music LustiCD009

Esko Jarvela and Tero Hyvaluoma  are definitely among the best fiddlers  of their generation in Finland  (both born at the beginning of the  1980s). Their playing style has the  distinctive folk music phrasing and  swing, but they seem to be at ease  with almost any musical genre.  When going solo, they prove themselves  talented composers as well.   

Esko Jarvela Epic Male Band  smells like black American music  with a tight Scandinavian twist, with  some Irish winds as a nice little extra,  played by Calum MacCrimmon.  A very talented band, but  sometimes I’m missing a little humour  and relaxed feeling in it. 

Tero Hyvaluoma’s Junkyard Ball  is a potpourri of this and that. A  freaky mix? Yes, but nicely done,  passing from Irish-American fiddle  frenzy to heavy funky drums, with  some traditional fiddle and harmonium  in between. Hyvaluoma also  shows his skills as an arranger, the  gem of the record being the lyricalromantic  folk song Läksin minä  kesäyönä  – a very personal touch in  the arrangement, extremely good  work by the singers and beautiful  details in the instrumentation.  Among the other musicians, young  talent Matias Tyn Tyni on keyboards  stands out.        

Tove Djupsjöbacka