New Voices

One of the finest of Finnish accordionists, Markku Lepistö plays with all the elegance and grace of a chamber musician combined with a daredevil wit and energy. Well-known for his work with the legendary groups Värttinä, Progmatics, Doina Klezmer and Lepistö & Lehti, as well as for his own outstanding solo work, Lepistö's new trio release, New Voices, is a welcome addition.

With long-standing collaborator Petri Hakala on mandolin and Milla Viljamaa on piano, Lepistö explores the often overlooked world of the one-row button accordion, believing passionately that it has huge potential in both traditional music and contemporary compositions.

Beautifully recorded and produced the trio here weave a tapestry of playful melodies and wistful melancholy, a perfect combination of colours and textures. ‘Waltz for Five’, for example, is a gently flowing river of sound, gradually gathering energy: it's exquisitely played, majestic and sumptuous. ‘Minor Reel’ is huge fun, yet Lepistö's accordion articulation is beyond sublime. If giants of the classical chamber-music world such as the Beaux Arts Trio had played mandolins and accordions, they might have sounded like this.