FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS VOL. 1-3 (We Jazz Records, 2026)

By Ferruccio Martinotti 

From Finland with love. A couple of glasses of kossu, a book of Arto Paasilinna, a record of the hardcore punk legends Kaaos, and then a movie (Calamari Union, yes) of Aki Kaurismaki, our true Homeric hero, have always been more than enough to attest to our fascination with that wonderful country. But there's more: a record label that, with the icastic name "We Jazz," helps illuminate our music like a sonic aurora borealis. The operational branches are “We Jazz Records”, established in 2016 to present "cutting-edge music on the jazz continuum in various formats, with vinyl being the primary format," and its younger sibling, “Other Power,” "a platform of all great music that doesn't logically fall under the scope of We Jazz." Both labels are curated and designed by Matti Nives. Should it be not enough satisfactory, then know that a quarterly magazine (actually a real glossy volume with color photographs) guarantees you the best editorial coverage of jazz/free/impro music available out there. For those not yet familiar with Helsinki’s alleys, we'd like to map the area with three, red marked, albums from the catalog: Mike Reed, "The Separatist Party"; Cosmic Ear, "Traces"; and Pat Thomas & XT, "Strata, Act." Completely different records with an enormous musical profile as a common factor, they represent an artistic asset value able to guarantee immortality to any label. 

We Jazz's new initiative includes the digital release of 5 tracks per month by bands not part of its roster, for the benefit of Bandcamp subscribers, and the kick-off is provided by this compilation which, with volumes 1-3, covers the period from January through March. We are dealing with such a cornucopia of music that it's worth a quick overview of all the musicians involved. UUSI AIKA (Sammaltuka). Strings, harp, wind instruments, drive the listener towards Finnish woodland mythology, Indian raga-inspired colors and Asian minimalism. HENRIETTE EILERTSEN TRIO (Fly Ikaros). Flautist's new band delivers a captivating composition with balanced interactions that at the same time manages to be intimate and almost limitlessly expansive. LAU NAU (Kosmospyorat). Synth drones mesh with the sound of a living garden, bees buzzing along beneath singing birds while simple chords carry dreams on oscillating waves. FELIX ALEXANDER LYBECK (Slapat Allting Hem). The magic of a Nordic forest, strange, weird folk notes intertwined with indie intimacy, creating music that feels both grounded and unearthly. JYVASKYLA WORKSHOP BAND 1970 (Nadaswaram). A previously unissued post-bop gem, this concert captures a set of groovy, adventurous and exotic compositions that firmly placed Finland on the global jazz map. LINNEA TALP (She came out of the white fog). The pipe organ is pushed in an unusual manner that allows the instrument's character to be revealed, gently, patiently, as though being teased out of hiding. ALAN BRAUFMAN (Angels). Alto sax and flute, among the actors of the 70s "loft" scene in New York, he returns after a long hiatus to lead an all star team (Patricia Brennan, Luke Stewart and Chad Taylor) between post-bop and oriental influences. FYSIIKKA & KEMIA (Luontokokemuksia). “Rural psych-jazz improvisations by Finnish bastard sons of Arbete & Fritid". Or, free music beyond the threshold where Swedish prog and Finnish weirdness collide. PIETU ARVOLA (Kummallinen ilmestys). Experimental tools like the daxophone and a dual looper called Coquantus are used to process textures combined with modular synths. MARK HARWOOD (The Course of a Year). Australian born, Berlin based, he runs a platform that works at the intersection of experimental music, performance, literature and visual art. GARD NILSSEN ACOUSTIC UNITY (Acoustic Unity). The sound of the sublime trio wrapped in the brutalist architecture and the magnetic audience of Barbican Centre, London 2018, delivers sheer, top notch, jazz aesthetic. HATKA (Peace Piece). Free, electro-acoustic textures and raw impro for an intense and playful outcome by a Transatlantic ensemble of three seasoned improvisers. KADI VIJA (Hands). A vocal instrumentalist who treats the human voice as a horn or a rhythm machine, here accompanied by piano, synth, vibraphone and percussions. PHARDAH (Village of Skulls). Featuring veterans of the Finnish experimental music and free jazz scene, along with a younger generation drummer, to unleash a vigorous bass riff, eventually accelerating into a wild collective gallop.

If you're looking for a way (one of a zillion…) to epitomize in 1 hour what “Free” in music means, this compilation could be the perfect spot to pitch your tent. For our part, we already put in the collimator Vol. 2, sure thing. 

Check it out on Bandcamp.