Edward Vesala (15 February 1945 – 4 December 1999),[1] born Martti Vesala, was a Finnish avant-garde jazz drummer.[1]

Edward Vesala
Edward Vesala in concert, International Jazz Festival, Prague, Lucerna Music Hall, 1984
Edward Vesala in concert, International Jazz Festival, Prague, Lucerna Music Hall, 1984
Background information
Birth nameMartti Vesala
Born(1945-02-15)15 February 1945
Mäntyharju, Finland
Died4 December 1999(1999-12-04) (aged 54)
Yläne, Finland
GenresJazz
Occupation(s)Musician, composer
InstrumentDrums
Years active1960s–1999
LabelsECM

Career

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Vesala playing with Apollo in Karhupuisto, May 1970

Born in Mäntyharju, he began playing jazz and rock in the 1960s, in such bands as Blues Section and Apollo. In the 1970s, he led his own jazz groups, a quartet with Polish trumpet player Tomasz Stańko and sax player Tomasz Szukalski, played with Toto Blanke's Electric Circus, and recorded with Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek. In the 1980s and 1990s, Vesala recorded several albums of his own compositions that combined jazz, classical music, tango, and folk music with his own group Sound & Fury, an ensemble of about ten players made up mostly of Vesala's students. Prominent players in Sound and Fury included saxophonists Jorma Tapio and Pepa Päivinen, guitarists Raoul Björkenheim and Jimi Sumén, and harpist and keyboardist Iro Haarla, who was Vesala's wife.[1][2][3][4]

Vesala died from congestive heart failure in Yläne, Finland at the age of 54.[1]

Discography

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As leader or co-leader

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As sideman

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With Jan Garbarek

With Tomasz Stańko

With Kenny Wheeler

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Edward Vesala Biografia". Jazz Finland. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  2. ^ Nuorteva, Kristiina (6 December 1999). "Jazzmuusikko Edward Vesala". Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  3. ^ Hänninen, Harto (16 February 2015). "10.2. Teeman Elävä arkisto: Edward Vesala". Yle. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  4. ^ Piiroinen, Jukka (10 July 2011). "Vesalan perintö elää". Valon kuvia. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
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