Itkuja Suite: Invocations on Lament

The itku lamentations of eastern Finland were originally performed at funerals and weddings, usually by women. This cathartic tradition developed in Karelia, the region that spawned the Kalevala epic. Bringing a fresh multi-genre approach to the style are San Francisco musicians Heikki Koskinen, a pioneer in the Finnish free jazz scene before moving to the US in the 70s, and Rent Romus, an American saxophonist of Finnish descent.

Their songs with the mighty eight-piece Life's Blood Ensemble draw on Kalevala meter and pentatonic elements based on the zither-like kantele, played here to spellbinding effect by Koskinen. Adding to this are classical and jazz influences, echoing the loose, muscular large-group improvisations of Charles Mingus and Sun Ra. A highlight is Romus’ instrumental ‘Olin Kerran Onnekas,’ inspired by an ancestor from Norway's Finnish-speaking Kven community.

Alas, the vocal laments themselves aren't quite up to same level as the instrumental work. They’re performed by Heikki Laitinen, 79, a professor emeritus from the Sibelius Academy. While he surely carries deep knowledge of the heritage, his parts seem a bit uneven and detached, perhaps because they were recorded in Finland apart from the band. It would be fascinating – and perhaps truer to the tradition – to hear this stirring material performed by some of Finland's powerful new female folk singers.