Jpp

String Tease

(Northside)

By PopMatters Staff

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Finland’s premier fiddle band JPP possess both a deep appreciation for traditional Finnish folk music and brilliant musical technique honed by classical conservatory training. The formal training comes in handy because JPP’s calling card is a lush, wall-of-sound that is built on precision and heart-felt playing. Often backed by an additional 7 piece fiddle orchestra, an acoustic bass, and the mesmerizing harmonium of Timo Alakotila, JPP cook up a diverse stew of polkas, waltzes, and the eastern European-flavored “Finnish Gypsies.” Ultimately, it’s rather like Itzhak Perlman jamming at a Nashville hoe-down with Johnny Gimble and Mark O’Connor.

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