Esko Järvelä: ES&CO

This project started three years ago when I was working out how to do my final concert for the Sibelius Academy. I totally lost my night’s sleep, not because I was stressed but because of excitement I felt right after getting the idea. My cooperation  with these fine musicians had already begun some time ago…

I met Gjermund for the first time in 1993 at Kaustinen where he was giving a workshop with his father Geir Egil. I was already then (despite being a stupid kid) really impressed with his playing. During the past years we have been playing together mostly in the group Frigg but also in many many great sessions at different folk music events all around Scandinavia. I have always enjoyed enormously playing together with Gjermund. In music nothing is as easy as that.

In 1997 I got to visit Kihaus Folk Festival at Rääkkylä, Finland. On the last night of the festival there was a nice, small session going on around a campfire till dawn. Amidst all the fun, I got to play together with the local Guitar Hero Mr. Logren, for the first time. From that moment he has been my favourite guitar player. Tuomas is also a member of Frigg where we have been together for almost then years now.

One year later, at Kaustinen folk music festival, I met a grazy gang of superb Swedes. Tha had a huge effect on my musical career. Mikale Karlsson, Karl-Johan Ankarblom and his brother Nils-Petter are all great musicians and genious composers. Their fresh attitude towards traditional folk music and their joy in playing it were something I hadn’t seen before. I have been privileged to get to play with them in many endless sessions and learning a bunch of amazing tunes. When I was thinking of who to ask to play pump organ in the group, Nils-Petter was an obvious choice.

My goal was to capture some of the same feeling on tape that I have experienced in all the sessions with them. So just jump in and enjoy. That’s what I did!