Trio Töykeät will release their new WAKE album August 31st on the legendary Blue Note jazz label. “This is the best album we’ve ever done”, says Iiro Rantala from Trio Töykeät. “Blowing my own horn has nothing to do with it! It’s a cold fact, I’m just laying it out as it is. We’ve played together for 17 years and a band this old can’t afford to put out a bad recording."

The newly born masterpiece contains nine tracks written by the band, and two arrangements from covers. Wake is an eagerly awaited release; it’s been five years since Trio Töykeät have recorded any original material. Their previous release High Standards was exactly that, a collection of standards.

The band is especially happy with their new songs. “The compositions are the strongest element in Wake. We got rid of the loose tracks and the rest just works like a rooster on a hen-house", Iiro says. “We cut the ‘virtuoso stuff’ to the minimum and I’m convinced that Wake is definitely a listener-friendly album. It’s groovy and has balls.”

The album not only includes compositions by pianist Iiro Rantala, but also one from bassplayer Eerik Siikasaari and two from drummer Rami Eskelinen. In addition to the Duke Ellington classic In A Sentimental Mood, the band has given a unique Töykeät treatment to the perhaps lesser known Kenny Barron piece Voyage. In addition to the fact that Wake is the band’s best performance so far, it is also the most comprehensive and balanced Töykeät album.

Töykeät takes global steps

Trio Töykeät is the most successful and best-known Finnish jazz act to date. Their career spans over 2000 gigs in 43 countries and all five continents. This year the band picks up the pace with a two-week tour to Asia, in some concert halls seating over 2000.
“This is our biggest tour ever”, says Rantala. Besides Asia the band has stormed continental-European festivals and concert halls. In the past few years their success has grown particularly in Germany, where they this year play more gigs than in Finland.

Same line-up for 17 years

Trio Töykeät was formed “accidentally” in 1988. With the exception of the trio’s first two months, the line-up (Iiro Rantala – piano, Rami Eskelinen – drums, and Eerik Siikasaari – bass) has stayed the same. In their long-spanning career, Töykeät have released new material sparsely, Wake being the sixth album release. Their debut Päivää was released in 1990 (the international release was titled G’day and was released in 1993), Jazzlantis in 1995, Sisu (Guts) in 1997, Kudos (Fabric) in 2000, and their first Blue Note release High Standards in 2003.

The release of their new album Wake is big news.