Edward Vesala

Edward Vesala
Edward Vesala in concert, International Jazz Festival, Prague, Lucerna Music Hall, 1984
Background information
Birth name	Martti Vesala
Born	(1945-02-15)15 February 1945
Died	4 December 1999(1999-12-04) (aged 54)
Genres	Jazz
Occupation(s)	Drummer, composer
Instrument(s)	drums, percussion
Years active	1960s–1999
Labels	ECM

Edward Vesala (15 February 1945 – 4 December 1999), born Martti Vesala, was a Finnish avant-garde jazz composer, bandleader and drummer.

Born in Mäntyharju, he began as a drummer playing jazz and rock in the 1960s, among all in such bands as the early line-up of Blues Section and Apollo. In the 1970s, he led his own jazz groups, led a quartet with Polish trumpet player Tomasz Stańko and sax player Tomasz Szukalski, played with Toto Blanke's Electric Circus, and recorded with Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek. In the 1980s and 1990s, Vesala recorded several albums of his own compositions exhibiting a unique style that combines jazz, classical music, tango, and folk music with his own group Sound & Fury, which was an ensemble of about ten players made up mostly of Vesala's students. Prominent players in Sound and Fury included saxophonists Jorma Tapio and Pepa Päivinen, guitarists Raoul Björkenheim and Jimi Sumén, and harpist and keyboardist Iro Haarla who was Vesala's wife.

Vesala died from congestive heart failure in Yläne, Finland at the age of 54.

Discography

As leader

• Nana (Blue Master, 1970)
• I'm Here (Blue Master, 1973)
• Hot Lotta (Blue Master, 1973)
• Nan Madol (ECM, 1974)
• Satu (ECM, 1976)
• Rodina (Love, 1977)
• Heavy Life (Leo, 1980)
• Mau-Mau (Johanna, 1982)
• Neitsytmatka (Polarvox, 1982)
• Bad Luck, Good Luck (Leo, 1985)
• Lumi (ECM, 1986)
• Ode to the Death of Jazz (ECM, 1989)
• Invisible Storm (ECM, 1991)
• Nordic Gallery (ECM, 1995)

As sideman

With Jan Garbarek

• Triptykon (ECM, 1973)

With Tomasz Stańko

• Balladyna (ECM, 1976)

With Kenny Wheeler

• Around 6 (ECM, 1979)

Sources

• Jazzhouse

External links

• Edward Vesala discography compiled by Dan Kurdilla. No longer available.
• Edward Vesala on ECM Records
• Allmusic Guide biography of Edward Vesala by Chris Kelsey
• Eetu - 12 sessiota Edward Vesalan kanssa Documentary film on Vesala and his work with Sound and Fury by Markus Viljanen (1994)