Waltz for Better Times

Over the past two decades Matti Kallio has worked on more than 100 records, whether performing, producing or composing. He has worked with Värttinä, Björk and the UMO Jazz Orchestra, as well as in the theatre. Now the Iceland-based Finnish accordionist (he also plays keyboards, flutes and whistles) has released his first solo album. Actually, Waltz for Better Times is more the work of a trio as on every track Kallio is joined by Petri Hakala (guitar, mandolin, mandocello) and Hannu Rantanen (double bass), and their sound is that of a band. Indeed, ‘Leaving Ennis’ begins with a double bass solo, and on ‘Nord Waltz’ Hakala's mandolin is to the fore. But each of the ten pieces is a Kallio composition: this music is his. It is Nordic with Celtic inflections – ‘Indie Tune’ could be Irish – and a jazz feel.

Kallio typically sets out a theme and then approaches it from different angles, trying it this way and that, intriguing the listener. The attraction is not simply technical; this is emotional music. ‘Leaving Ennis’ captures the happy sadness of leaving; it is music of moving away. Overall, the mood is optimistic and lively yet contemplative: the better times are coming, not fading into the past.