Unna with Helge Tallqvist Band – Today I Sing The Blues
Q Records
10 songs – 34 minutes
Unna Kortehisto is a pop and blues singer from Helsinki, Finland. On Today I Sing The Blues, she teams up with the Helge Tallqvist Band for 10 well-recorded and well-played tracks of blues, soul and a little jazz. All the songs are cover versions but one has to tip one’s hat to the eclectic selection of so many lesser known gems, often re-imagined cleverly and with innovation.
The album kicks off with Leo Fuld’s 1947 Yiddish classic, “Where Can I Go”, re-based as a smooth jazz-inflected soul song. By contrast, Lavelle White’s “Voodoo Man” sticks pretty close to the original, with guitarist Jonne Kulluvaara neatly acknowledging Clarence Hollimon’s superb guitar from White’s version. Super Pie DeSanto’ “Somebody’s Always Trying” is given a “Mannish Boy” workover.
Ted Taylor’s “Somebody’s Always Trying” sees the horns of the original replaced with Tallqvist’s superb harmonica. Aretha Franklin’s “Today I Sing The Blues” is perhaps more rigidly structured than the original, with both Tallqvist and Kulluvaara excelling.
Kortehisto is a fine singer, particularly on the softer, more jazz-influenced tracks. The band is also first-rate. Drummer Juppo Paavola and bassist lay Jaska Prepula lay down a series of solid grooves, whilst Tallqvist’s harmonica playing fully supports his stellar reputation. On Leonard Feather’s 1944 jazz number, “Would If I Could,” which is re-cast as a mid-paced blues shuffle, Tallqvist obviates the need for a clarinet or a trumpet with his harp. Heck, in “Will My Man Be Home Tonight”, he even echoes Earl Hooker’s guitar introduction on his harmonica.
Interestingly, the band take Ann Peebles’ “My Man” in a much smoother direction than the original. By contrast, Little Johnny Taylor’s “Part Time Love” stays pretty true to Taylor’s version, albeit that Kortehisto sings it from the other party’s perspective. The album finishes with Wes Montgomery’s instrumental, “In And Out”, with Kulluvaara and Tallqvist harmonising neatly on guitar and harmonica.
As one might be able to infer from the song choices, Today I Sing The Blues is not a raw, powerful, emotional roller coaster. It is a smooth, confident, mature release, containing a lot of excellent playing. It was recorded and mixed at Suprovox Analog Studio in Finland, by Tomi and Emil Leino, with mastering by Antony Brantberg. It will be interesting to see if Kortehisto continues to work with the Helge Tallqvist Band. One must hope so. There is clearly a lot of natural chemistry at work here.
