Timo Lassy Band

Artist Description

"Finnish saxophonist Timo Lassy may not be a familiar name to American jazz fans yet, but if there is any justice, that will change with the release of this debut album." - Thom Jurek, Allmusic.com

Timo Lassy is a Helsinki-based sax player who likes his sound BIG. There´s the bluesy and soulful undertone as well as the spiritual side to be heard in his playing. As The Guardian´s John L. Walters put it: ”Saxophonist Timo Lassy has storytelling approach to solos”. Baritone, tenor or flute, Timo will deliver. One of the most talented musicians of his generation Timo Lassy, 32, is not a newcomer in the jazz scene. Timo has played in many outfits, such as the Blue Note recording U-Street All Stars, Teddy Rok 7, Jimi Tenor and the globe-trotting Five Corners Quintet and has performed from New York to Istanbul.

Ricky-Tick Records published Lassy’s debut LP ‘The Soul & Jazz of Timo Lassy’ in 2007. Now Lassy presents his live band of top young Finnish jazz musicians. This saxophonist’s own material is rooted in the soul jazz tradition of the 1960’s while he simultaneously caters to urban club audiences hungry for postmodern jazz beats. Lassy’s sound can righfully be described as personal. The technique is there, along with the lyrical sense of drama. It is evident that you can find John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, or for example Cannonball Adderley lurking somewhere in the background when Lassy is on stage, but the artist has way too many ideas to just walk on the giants' footprints. Funk is right there on the spot as well alongside soulful jazz. Lassy himself describes his groove as being ‘sweaty where required’.

What then of Lassy's band? The Greek Helsinki resident, pianist Georgios Kontrafouris, is often found on speed dial when duty calls – be it Lassy's band or that of legends such as Lou Donaldson or Benny Golson. The drummer Jussi Lehtonen has played with Timo in the U-Street All Stars, whereas Antti Lötjönen, on bass, has blessed The Five Corners Quintet with his vision of jazz with a steady low end. Percussionist Abdissa ‘Mamba’ Assefa has been a percussion tour de force in the Finnish scene for more than a decade now. His talent has a central role in Lassy’s vision of contemporary soul jazz.

Any way you look at it, Timo Lassy's time has come. Get ready for the next chapter of jazz from Finland.