Holkko

Lightboxer is an instrumental band that rides the wave of Afro on a surfboard of improvisation. Tight grooves, irresistible melodies and a hint of cinematic ambience help fill the sails and set the course for the sunset. Behind this group of a distinctive sound and strong, almost visual moods we find two veritable labourers of the Finnish jazz scene; the Emma-awarded Markus Holkko and the guitarist Aki Haarala. The eponymous debut album was released in June 2012 by Texicalli Records.

The Finnish trumpeter and flugelhorn player Jukka Eskola is probably best known for his work with his compatriots, the hard-bop Five Corners Quintet. Here he is leading his own combo in finely crafted new compositions and arrangements of bossa nova-inflected jazz with an engaging, breezy 1960s feel. The style of music may be retro but the musical forces playing it are strikingly fresh and novel, with Jukka Eskola’s sextet judiciously supplemented by a virtuoso string quartet.