JAZZ FUSION - THE GROUP - Same - 1978

Pérola vinda da Finlândia, o The Group foi formado em 1977 pelo renomado baixista Pekka Pohjola e é considerado um supergrupo local, contando com ex-membros das bandas Tasavallan Presidentti, Elonkorjuu e Made in Sweden em suas últimas formações. Lançaram apenas um disco, resultando em pequena turnê na Escandinávia, mas logo mudaram o nome para Pekka Pohjola Group.
O álbum homônimo de 1978 é dividido em apenas 5 faixas, todas instrumentais, que combinam jazz fusion com alguns momentos viajantes de progressivo. Alguns bons e dinâmicos arranjos aparecem com destaque para teclados, guitarra e baixo pulsante de Pohjola, lembrando um pouco seu trabalho solo e Return to Forever. Destaque para "Gado-Gado" e "Annapurna".
Apesar de seus momentos repetitivos e um pouco tediosos, esse trabalho merece audição dos apreciadores de jazz fusion.
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The Group was an obscure finish progressive/jazz rock band from late '70s, but with established musicians in this field. The band released only one album in 1978 self titled and then gone into oblivion under this name, because the musicians involved here minus Olli Ahvenlahti will go to Pekka Pohjola Group. As I said some very solid and skilful musicians here like ex Wigwam, Made In Sweden - Pekka Pohjola, drumer Vesa Aaltonen ex-Tasavallan Presidentti, guitarist Seppo Tyni from Elonkorjuu and keybordist Olli Ahvenlahti from Uni Sono and solo as well, so in the end a super group. The music featured here, I can't say is groundbreaking but is pleasent, well made. The jazz elements are well combned with the progressive ones, it sounds like a cross between Return To Forever and solo work of Pohjola, even his tradmark elements are not so present here, this is a group efford indeed as the name of the band suggested. The shorter pieces are the most intresting here with maybe Annapurna the longest one, because Ripple marks has some good but in same time some boring moments aswell, the piece to much time going nowhere in musical terms. All in all a decent album, nothing over the top, but fans of the genre might take some spins.
Text: ProgArchives

Olli Ahvenlahti (teclados)
Pekka Pohjola (baixo)
Seppo Tyni (guitarra)
Vesa Aaltonen (bateria)

01 Thai (5:19)
02 Ripple Marks (10:07)
03 Berenice's Hair (5:24)
04 Gado-Gado (6:53)
05 Annapurna (11:41)