Petri hakala - trad.

[uncle ken]

I bought this CD after reading the article in the Cafe news and listening to the sample MP3. I really like this one. Has anyone else gotten it? It's a nice mix of classical and folk sounding stuff with some modern guitar work mixed in. The rest is similar to the sample MP3. Highly recommended.

[Spruce]

Haven't heard Petri's new one, but I would put Petri's band Freshet's recording on my top 10 list of favorite mando-related CDs...

[MiguelATF]

Saw Petri Hakala play at Seattle Folklife Festival maybe three years ago, with his Seattle-based band Freshet - playing music which ranged from traditional Finnish folkmusic - to Brazilian Choros - to some cool classical-inspired original compositions - to a number of NewGrass/Swing/Bluegrass-y pieces - and he was mind-bogglingly great. The band he was playing with, BTW, Freshet, was not shabby either - some fine musicians in it - but Petri H was quite simply amazing.

He put out a solo album a few years ago in Finland with a remarkable group of musicians backing him up which is also mind-boggling. His musical tastes tend to span everything from Finnish (not quite scandinavian as much Finnish music actually has eastern european and Russian overtones) to jazz to brazilian choro and swing to bluegrass to....well, to everything.

Hearing him play 'live' is not to be missed if you are at all able to see him. The only other mandolinist I have seen in the last few years who is equally great, both in his own stylings and in his virtuosity over a multiplicity of genres, is the talented Mr. Mike Marshall.

But for those of you who don't know Petri Hakala....he's worth not only researching....but seeking out.

-Miguel

[Spruce]

"The band he was playing with, BTW, Freshet, was not shabby either"

I'll say....
Seattle's Ruthie Dornfeld on fiddle, John Miller on guitar, Tapani Varis on bass and jew's harp, and Petri on his Gilchrist...

Their music is like Dawg Music taken to a whole 'nother level....
Incredible stuff....