Saimme tänään valitettavan suru-uutisen, hieno mies, ystävämme ja kollegamme Eero Raittinen on poistunut keskuudestamme.
Olemme onnellisia että MLC triomme sai vuosien varrella tehdä yhteistyötä mestarin kanssa, kumarramme syvään!
Kiitos kaikesta, hienot muistot ja musiikki jäävät elämäään❤️
Kuva: Jarmo Vainionpää
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Oikein mukava "tupla-arvio" Saksalaisessa Blues News lehdessä.
Koko arvio kommenteissa!
Nice "double review" on BluesNews Magazine in Germany.
Full review translation in comments!
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ENG To mark his 60th birthday, Micke Bjorklof is looking back and releasing two albums at once. “Outtakes” reflects on the past two decades of his band Micke Bjorklof & Blue Strip, and with the double CD “Live On Air”, the Finn focuses on his acoustic trio Micke & Lefty Featuring Chef, which - another birthday - was launched 25 years ago. The singer and harmonica player founded his blues band Micke Biorklof & Blue Strip back in 1991. “Outtakes” contains nine songs, all of which were recorded in the early 2000s and were not included on the previous CDs. Originally intended as backup tracks for emergencies, they now form an album in their own right, which can logically also be seen as a kind of chronicle documenting the group's development over the years. Surprisingly, the outtakes fit together very well. Despite the divergent recording dates, there is no break. The material doesn't have to hide behind the content of Bjorklof's regular albums at all, but develops a character of its own. It would have been a shame if the musician had with held these pieces from his many fans, who now also exist in this country. The second production, the Finn presents himself as part of the acoustic trio Micke & Lefty Featuring Chef. The double album contains a live session recorded in the studio for the Deutschlandfunk program “On Stage” from the year 2000 and a concert recording from the 2023 BluesBaltica Festival in Eutin on the second disc. Raw, rough, unpolished and without any overdubs, the three musicians provide a thoroughly honest insight into their musical cosmos, in which everything revolves around a historical guitar, Dobros, a semi-acoustic bass and an old suitcase converted into a bass drum. Handmade roots blues, the occasional jug band feel, band numbers and classics with a rustic sound are the result. The trio, which was once only intended as a side project to Bjorklof's main band The Blue Strip, has developed a highly individual life of its own over the years. Live, Micke, Lefty and Chef seem to be real vocal grenades, as you can hear especially on the second CD. SUOMI 60-vuotissyntymäpäivänsä kunniaksi Micke Bjorklof katsoo taaksepäin ja julkaisee kaksi albumia kerralla. ”Outtakes” peilaa hänen yhtyeensä Micke Bjorklof & Blue Stripin kahta viime vuosikymmentä, ja tupla-cd:llä ”Live On Air” suomalainen keskittyy akustiseen trioonsa Micke & Lefty Featuring Chef, jolla on myös juhlavuosi koska sai alkunsa 25 vuotta sitten. Laulaja harpisti perusti Micke Biorklof & Blue Strip bluesbändin jo vuonna 1991. ”Outtakes” sisältää yhdeksän kappaletta, jotka kaikki on äänitetty 2000-luvun alussa ja jotka eivät ole olleet mukana aiemmilla CD-levyillä. Alun perin sessioista ylijääneet kappaleet muodostavat nyt oman albuminsa, jota voi loogisesti pitää myös eräänlaisena kronikkana, joka dokumentoi yhtyeen kehitystä vuosien varrella. Yllättävää kyllä, Outtakesin kappaleet sopivat hyvin yhteen. Eri äänitysajankohdista huolimatta katkosta ei ole. Materiaalin ei tarvitse lainkaan piiloutua Bjorklofin varsinaisten albumijulkaisujen sisällön taakse, vaan se on oma kokonaisuus omalla luonteella. Olisi ollut sääli, jos nämä kappaleet olisivat pysyneet piilossa lukuisilta faneiltaan, joita on nyt myös tässä maassa. Toisessa tuotannossa suomalainen esiintyy osana akustista trioa Micke & Lefty Featuring Chef. Tuplalevy sisältää studiossa Deutschlandfunkin On Stage -ohjelmaa varten äänitetyn live-session vuodelta 2000 ja toisella levyllä konserttitallenteen Eutinissa 2023 järjestetyltä BluesBaltica-festivaalilta. Raakana, karheana, kiillottamattomana ja ilman mitään päällekkäisäänityksiä kolme muusikkoa antavat läpikotaisin rehellisen katsauksen musiikilliseen kosmokseensa, jossa kaikki pyörii historiallisen resonaattorikitaran, Dobron, puoliakustisen basson ja bassorummuksi muunnetun vanhan matkalaukun ympärillä. Tuloksena on käsintehdyn oloista roots-bluesia, satunnaisesti jopa jug band -tunnelmaa, countryblues henkisiä bluesklassikoita. Trio, joka aikoinaan lähti liikkeelle Bjorklofin pääbändin, Blue Stripin sivuprojektina, on vuosien varrella kehittänyt hyvin persoonallisen oman tyylinsä. Livenä Micke, Lefty ja Chef tuntuvat olevan todellisia ”äänikranaatteja”, kuten varsinkin toisella cd:llä kuulee.
Päivän arvio tulee Belgista!
Rootstime webzine sanoo että Live On Air on ”Kokoelma ainutlaatuisia akustisia bluesin livetallenteita näiltä kolmelta erityisen lahjakkaalta suomalaiselta”!🙏
Koko teksti liitteenä kommenteissa
Read this nice review in whole by Rootstime from Belgium in comments. Thank you!🙏
CRS/Continental Record Services
Playground Music Finland
Hokahey Music Productions
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MICKE BJORKLOF CELEBRATES 60TH BIRTHDAY WITH DOUBLE RELEASE MICKE & LEFTY are the core members of the Finnish band BLUE STRIP. It is the band around frontman MICKE BJORKLOF who in 1991, together with bassist Seppo Nuolikoski, formed Blue Strip. The lineup has remained quasi unchanged in recent years. In their early years, they performed as an acoustic blues pub rock cover band. Later they started playing electric and writing their own roots and blues songs. LEFTY LEPPÄNEN is considered one of top slide guitarists in Europe. CHEF KIVIMÄKI is the trio's bassist. The strongest trademarks of one of the most exciting acoustic blues and roots trios in the European blues scene are their powerful harmonies and the strong vocals of all band members. Micke & Lefty, ft. Chef debuted in 2004 with 'Big Bag and have since released three studio albums. 'LIVE ON AIR' is their first (double) live album as a duo with bassist Chef. It was recorded for Deutschlandfunk Radio. Volume 1 are studio sessions for DLF, recorded during the pandemic in 2020. Volume 2 are recordings from 2023 during the Blues Baltica Festival in Eutin, a municipality in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. On no fewer than 25 tracks, the trio showcases their musical prowess, their mastery of acoustic blues. It is a balanced collection of their own songs (on Volume I as “The One”, “Always See My Church” and “I'm a Guitar Man” - on Volume II as “Let the Fire Lead”, “You Better Me” and “Do the Right Thing”) and covers of legends ((on Volume I as “Tell that Woman” by Willie Dixon and “Big Bill Blues” by William Broonzy - on Volume II as “California Blues” by Jimmie Rodgers and “If I Had Possesion Over Judgement Day” by Robert Johnson). “A collection of unique acoustic blues live recordings by three exceptionally talented Finns…”
MICKE BJORKLOF JUHLII 60-VUOTISSYNTYMÄPÄIVÄÄNSÄ TUPLAJULKAISULLAAN MICKE & LEFTY ovat suomalaisen BLUE STRIP -yhtyeen ydinjäseniä. Kyseessä on yhtye keulahahmo MICKE BJORKLOFin ympärillä, joka perusti vuonna 1991 yhdessä basisti Seppo Nuolikosken kanssa Blue Stripin. Kokoonpano on pysynyt viime vuosina lähes muuttumattomana. Alkuvuosina yhtye esiintyi akustisena blues-pubrock-coverbändinä. Myöhemmin he alkoivat soittaa sähköisesti ja kirjoittaa omia roots- ja blues-kappaleita. LEFTY LEPPÄNEN pidetään yhtenä Euroopan parhaista slide-kitaristeista. CHEF KIVIMÄKI on trion basisti. Yhden eurooppalaisen blues-skenen jännittävimpiin kuuluvan akustisen blues- ja roots-trion vahvimmat tavaramerkit ovat voimakkaat harmoniat ja kaikkien bändin jäsenten vahva lauluääni. Micke & Lefty, ft. Chef debytoi vuonna 2004 albumilla 'Big Bag ja on sittemmin julkaissut kolme studioalbumia. 'LIFE ON AIR' on heidän ensimmäinen (tupla)livealbuminsa duona basisti Chefin ) kanssa. Se äänitettiin yhteistyössä Deutschlandfunk Radion kanssa. Volume 1 ovat DLF:n studiosessioita, jotka on nauhoitettu pandemian aikana vuonna 2020. Volume 2 on äänityksiä vuodelta 2023 Blues Baltica -festivaalin aikana Eutinissa, kunnassa Schleswig-Holsteinin osavaltiossa. Trio esittelee peräti 25 kappaleella musiikillista osaamistaan, akustisen bluesin mestaruuttaan. Se on tasapainoinen kokoelma heidän omia kappaleitaan (Volume I:llä ”The One”, ”Always See My Church” ja ”I'm a Guitar Man” - Volume II:lla ”Let the Fire Lead”, ”You Better Me” ja ”Do the Right Thing”) ja covereita legendoista ((Volume I:llä Willie Dixonin ”Tell that Woman” ja William Broonzyn ”Big Bill Blues” - Volume II:lla Jimmie Rodgersin ”California Blues” ja Robert Johnsonin ”If I Had Possesion Over Judgement Day”). ”Kokoelma ainutlaatuisia akustisia bluesin livetallenteita kolmelta erityisen lahjakkaalta suomalaiselta...”.”
Micken kuuskymppisten juhlinta senkus jatkuu!
"Stormy Monday Blues"-ohjelma Freies Radiossa, Saksan Stuttgartissa omisti lähes koko ohjelman meidän uusien "Micke Bjorklof & BlueStrip - Outtakes" ja "MLC - Live On Air" levyjen esittelyyn. Tämä on suuri kunnia, Danke schön🙏
Micke 60th Birthday celebration continues! "Stormy Monday Blues" radio show in Stuttgart, Germany, presented by Günther Bajtl devotes almost the entire programme to showcasing these birthday releases, "Micke Bjorklof & BlueStrip - Outtakes" and "MLC - Live On Air" albums. Thank you so much!🙏
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These two gentlemen started their musical collaboration in 1997 when the lead singer, harmonica player and bandleader Micke Björklöf (born –65) was looking for a new guitarist to his band, Micke Björklöf & BlueStrip (formed 1991) and asked Lefty Leppänen (born –66) to join the band. This world-class slide guitar virtuoso is also known from his previous work with Keystone Cops and his solo project Southpaw Steel N´ Twang. After playing few years together, they started talkin´ about doing some acoustic duo shows while the band was having a break from touring. They both shared a passion and love for older acoustic delta and country blues music; this would be great opportunity to play the music they both had strongly been influenced by. Their first show as duo, Micke and Lefty took place when they were asked by the festival organizer to fill up with an acoustic show due some cancellations. But a real kick-start came little later when they got a chance to open the show for Robert Plant and B.B King on the main stage at Puistoblues, the biggest blues festival in Finland, with audience over 10 000.
Musically it started as a spinoff from the MB& Blue Strip band, playing acoustic versions of the same material. Over the years it became and grew to a totally own band with original material and own repertoire. In the fall 2003 Micke & Lefty started to work on their forth coming debut album. “We thought it would be nice to get some upright bass on some tracks so we asked Mr. Chef Kivimäki to join us in the recording sessions”, says Björklöf. Those sessions were a blast! This talented young man has been cooking´ his bass rhythms and singing with Micke & Lefty since then. Nowadays Micke & Lefty perform mostly as trio with Chef but are still doing some duo performances every now and then. Their critically acclaimed debut album “Big Bag” was released 2004 by Bluelight Records. The album introduced strong original material among couple of unique performances of classic tracks.
2010 Micke & Lefty feat.Chef celebrated their 10th anniversary with releasing a new album “Up the Wall” (Hokahey Records!). This was already the fifth album where Björklöf and Leppänen were collaborating. With the follower to the critically acclaimed “Big Bag” album they took a huge step forward; hundreds of live shows had improved their unique band sound and made this trio very tight and groovy, which you really can hear on the album. The album was mainly recorded live in studio just to get as close as possible of the magic of a live show. Also bass player Chef has got his space as lead vocalist this time. Up the Wall album contains 11original tracks and 2 cover tracks, Tony Joe White’s “Polk Salad Annie” and Willie Dixon’s Big Three Trio’s “Come Here Baby”.
Key tracks on the “Up the Wall” album: “You Better Me”, the first radio single is strongly soul and gospel influenced song with great harmony vocals. This song also has some real crossover potential. “Up the wall” the title tracks for the album, with Micke on lead vocals. This is a really authentic down-home blues song. This will also be the first ever-filmed music video for the band. “Clean up” is a tight Louisiana flavoured rock´n roll song with Chef on lead vocals. “Guitar man” is an up tempo blues song with lyrics from blues guy’s hard but rewarding life; it’s also Lefty’s showcase of his fantastic slide guitar playing. He also sings this track.
2020 (Hokahey Records)
Tracklisting:
01. Tell That Woman
02. Always Something Good
03. Big Bill Blues
04. Small Town Baby
05. Let The Fire Lead
06. The One
07. Gotta See My Church
08. You Gorgeous You
09. No Stuff Is Good Enuff
10. Rock n Bowl
11. I’m Steady Rollin’ Man
12. I Got to Tell you
2004 (Bluelight Records)
Produced by Micke Björklöf & Ville “Lefty Willie” Leppänen
Micke Björklöf: vocals, drums & percussion, dobro, harmonica
Lefty Leppänen: vocals, guitars, mandolin, tenorbanjo, harmonica
Miikka “Chef” Kivimäki: upright bass, acoustic bass, background vocals
Mika Virkkala: fiddle on “Love´s made a fool of you”
Kimmo Ahola: grand piano sound on “If I had possession…”
2010 (Hokahey! Records)
Produced by Micke, Lefty and Chef
Micke Björklöf: vocals, drums & percussion, dobro, harmonica
Lefty Leppänen: vocals, National steel, pedal steel, acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, harmonica
Chef: vocals, upright bass, acoustic bass
Pekka Gröhn: organ
DigiMusalinkki: https://lnk.to/mickeleftyupthewall
Playground Music
Tom Pannula
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+358 (0)10 292 0501
tom@playgroundmusic.com
CRS / Continental Record Services
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Netherlands
bertp@continental.nl
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