Eero Koivistoinen -

Eero Koivistoinen (Jan. 13, 1946) is a Finnish jazz-rock saxophonist, composer, and bandleader who first emerged in 1967 as part of the Helsinki blues-rock/psych combo Blues Section. Since 1968, he has released more than 20 albums as a jazz-band leader. His most popular works include the 1973 RCA releases 3rd Version and Wahoo!, as well as the 1976 Love Records release The Front Is Breaking.

Background

Eero Uolevi Koivistoinen was born Jan. 13, 1946, in Helsinki and grew up in Kotka. His father bought him a violin in 1957, and Koivistoinen studied at Kotka Music Institute while playing chamber repertory. A seafaring brother brought home jazz records. In 1962, Koivistoinen persuaded his father to buy a Selmer alto saxophone.

Koivistoinen returned to Helsinki in 1965 and entered Yleisradio camera-assistant training. He worked as a camera assistant around 1966–67 while meeting drummer Edward Vesala and bassist Pekka Sarmanto, who joined him for jams at Mäyränkolo, Poli, and E-Klubi. Koivistoinen left the Yle job after admission to Sibelius Academy, where he studied saxophone with Eero Linnala and composition with Aulis Sallinen.

Koivistoinen recorded his compositions with Sarmanto and Vesala at Dipoli in Espoo in January 1967 for the Teekkarien Jazzkerho EP Jappa. Percussionist Pekka Tirkkonen and cellists Veli-Pekka Räsänen and Jarmo Vainio augmented individual pieces. The Finnish Jazz Federation named Koivistoinen Jazz Musician of the Year and gave him the inaugural Yrjö Award.

Vesala brought Koivistoinen into Blues Section in spring 1967, joining singer Jim Pembroke, guitarist Hasse Walli, and bassist Måns Groundstroem. Drummer Ronnie Österberg soon replaced Vesala. Koivistoinen played alto saxophone on the self-titled Blues Section LP for Love Records and at a November Yle jazz concert at Helsinki’s Kulttuuritalo.

Koivistoinen left Blues Section in summer 1968 and prepared his first full-length project for the Otavan kirjallinen äänilevy series. He entered Finnvox on July 26 to record Valtakunta from his settings of poems by Pentti Saarikoski, Jarkko Laine, Tuomas Anhava, and Hannu Mäkelä. Vocalists Vesa-Matti Loiri, Eero Raittinen, and Seija Simola joined the sessions.

Discography: