Täna ilmus siis Eesti Ekspressis artikkel Jaan Kumanist, kirjutasid mina ja Henrik Esse. Minult tulnud idee sai tänu Henriku eestvedamisele ja intervjuuerimisnärvile teoks. Meil olid muidugi suured plaanid ja küsimused, tegelikkuses oli asi palju keerulisem, pärast pikalevenivaid vestlusi ja telefonikõnesid ja käsitsi kirjutatud paberilehti saime ikkagi artikli valmis kirjutada, millega sai rahul olla. Ja Siim toimetas selle meeldivasse vormi ka ära. Tore oli, et saime Valter Ojakäärult emaili. Huvitav oli info, et Ojakääru plaadi pidi salvestama vene jazzfunki maestro Georgi Garanjan isiklikult, kes olla tegelikult ka Kumani töötlusi kiitnud, kahjuks jättis Kuman oma tagasihoidlikkuses selle lause pooleli. Loomulikult on siin pettumusi, tegelikult jäigi algküsimusele vastus saamata - kuidas ikkagi tuli nendele plaatidele selline moodne sound? Samas oli tore kohtuda ühe oma aja parima trompetistiga, kelle töö kirjeldamiseks meil lihtsurelikel puuduvad sõnad. Oluline, et meile meeldib. Tore, et tuli selline tükk eesti popmuusikaajaloo "raamatust".
Täna õhtul mängin (Henrikul ei ole kahjuks aega) peale keskööd Von Krahli teatri baaris üritusel "Estosteroon" ainult Kumaniga seotud muusikat, instrumentaale ja ka Els Himma vokaaliga asju. Artikkel "Trompetist Kumani Kaleidoskoop"
Tänane laul on "Gloobus". Minu arust parim Jaan Kumani osalusel tehtud lugu, G. Tanieli lugu on originaalist täiesti eraldunud, saanud suurepärase funk-arranžeeringu Kumanilt. Väga ilus. Sellest loost kõik algaski minu jaoks, kuulsin Alari Oravat mängimas seda lugu Jazzitupi raadiosaates. Autoriks nimetas ta täiesti tundmatu nime, polnud elu sees kuulnud. Ja nii ta jäigi. Kuni mõni aasta hiljem kadunud Annelinna turul vaatasin ühe härra üksikuid vinüüle, seal oligi kaks kummalist "Tantsurütme" nime kandvat singlit ja ühe peal oligi tuttav loo nimi "Gloobus". Nii see oli.
Instrumentaalansambel Raivo Tammiku juhatusel - Ratastel Melodija 7" CM-0003913-4 1973
Jaan Kuman - Ratastel Estraadipalu Melodija 7" 1975 C62-05515-6
mainin ära, et neljapäeval 14. oktoobril mängin õhtul von krahlis peol Estosteroon ainult ja ainult Jaan Kumani muusikat, seoses tõenäoliselt ilmuva artikliga hra Kumanist.
let's continue with Jaan Kuman music! also again I'm presenting different versions of same track from Melodiya releases. let's start with Raivo Tammik original. it was now maybe two years ago, i was looking through melodiya records in now closed record store in Tallinn. there was pile of sleeveless singles and i still looked through them. i was awarded. i found weird estonian single, it didn't have many texts on it, it was by Raivo Tammik, who i had never heard of. well, i thought by that point i should know all about Estonian Melodiya releases, even if i don't have them. i could understand it must be instrumental, but what exactly. i took the change and took this slightly scratched record home. i was floored, i was hearing great jazz instrumental, quite close to nordic jazz scene, which has produced very expensive records. soulful jazz, nice rhythm, great flute playing. now started research. i found Raivo Tammik was pianist, jazz musician, had quite high position in Soviet Estonian music industry, also he hated beatrock. well, i could hear he wasn't afraid of modern jazz sound. anyway, he left USSR to Germany in the middle of 1970s, which would again give some hint, why his stuff got unknown. if you left homeland to western country, you didn't exist anymore! pretty rare record that.
now go two years later and Jaan Kuman, good and upcoming star of estonian jazz music, got to release his debut single with two instrumental tracks recorded year-two earlier. two great instrumentals here, b-side has beautiful track, but his version of "Ratastel" is pretty fine, quite raw funk on rhythm side. though Kuman's trumpet playing is sublime. Kuman is pure jazz musician, he has big love for everything classic, jazz and easy listening, but don't like primitive music as 'rock'. well, i can't blame anyone for their music taste. he mentioned that "Ratastel" is most closest to rock sound of his arrangements/recordings.
Valter Ojakäär "Vastu kerkivale kuule" C60 07941-2
i have had to think so much about estonian trumpeter and ensemble leader Jaan Kuman lately, i should put some of this energy into blog too. also it will be teaser for thing me and my friend have been working on. soon there will be longer piece on Kuman, at first in Estonian, later maybe some translations too. At first Jaan Kuman and his group was given opportunity to record 6 EPs, after that he got reputation as great arranger and trumpet player. So he got also job to do album of works by one of greatest Estonian pop and jazzmusic composers Valter Ojakäär. At first it was even supposed to be recorded by Georgi Garanjan and Melodiya ensemble (we can now only imagine how great it could have been). Though thinking of it took time and at last it was still decided to record in Tallinn by Estonian musicians. That's our luck, this album is most easier to get of all Kuman related records. There's even export version. First side of record has singers and is more pop record, though there's some soulful/funky arrangements. B-side is all instrumental jazz music, most of it is pretty upbeat and funky. This song "Serenaad trompetile" was particularly brought out during our conversation. Composer himself had been happy with results and arranger was also satisfied. It's pretty old song, first recorded in 1955 by old first good trumpet player Abi Zeider, but Kuman was first good jazz player. Song was given new colours and it had been given new life. It really sounds so, we slight hint of funky rhythm and jangly guitar, topped with great brass playing, they tried to mimic big band, as they Estonian Radio had new recording equipment, they could use bit more tracks. Sometimes Kuman played all trompets himself. You can hear also girl singing, which by me gives really great accent to this instrumental. These are actually Collage girl singing, Kuman remembered that Ojakäär wasn't happy with result, but as they were lacking of time, they let girl choir recording be that way. Good for them!
For some reason I listened to a lot of Melodiya disco records. Some of my favorite disco tracks have been posted here already, now I should post some well-known stuff too. Let's take Estonian disco classic! Laine is quite old professional vocal ensemble, their first vinyl releases are from middle 60s. In the beginning of 70s were released two albums, 10" LP has some easy listening charm, otherwise they just sounded too professional, maybe good for estrada fans. They gave a lot of concerts, also with many popular singers, and their instrumental group had some best players. Now let's go to 1983, when was released their another self-titled album, recorded in 1979 and 1982. Again here's quite a few typical Laine songs from weird folk songs to boring modern soul, but also three fantastic disco tracks. And this LP is loved because of these tracks and also played by brave dj's (like me on last Friday). Actually there's nothing to be ashamed, these songs are straight covers of disco classics. "Nüüd on mul muusika" is originally "I Love America" by Patrick Juvet. Other two tracks are credited to G. Malavasi (well, I guess it must be Mauro Malavasi), I haven't yet found their original. If actual LP is pressed bit poorly, then music production is quite wonderful. Songs are true to originals, but sound much softer thanks to orchestra arrangements. "Lõpulaul" has that wonderful 'middle-part' or 'breakdown' with great percussion sound, something so unbelievable for Soviet Estonian record. Another thing is lyrics. Both Malavasi written tracks have very conceptual part of record, at first they are singing about music, about their show, which is going to start just about now, how dancing connects us and last song "Lõpulaul" aka "Song of End" also has important task to finish record, that means how party is now over, but you'll remember music. Well, you can imagine how they always started and ended their concerts with same songs. "Nüüd on mul muusika" has great lyrics by our absurd poetry classic Ott Arder, another metatext about music, how they love music, disco music, which changes their lives. (Ma ei ole väga hea luuleteksti analüüsis) It's hard not to love those songs if you're Estonian.
PS after listening all Mauro Malavasi produced tracks, I found original version of "Lõpulaul" - Peter Jacques Band "Walking On Music".
