I’ve had the pleasure of getting secrets of the trade passed down directly to me from past jazz masters, so what could be more
rewarding than sharing some of my own knowledge and experience with the future generations? As the profesor of jazz music
at the Sibelius Academy in Finland, I’ve enjoyed doing just that, nurturing young talent for over 40 years.

The energetic leaders of this recording originally met at the school in Helsinki in 2017. Bassist Nathan Francis had come all the way from Fresno via San Francisco, and drummer Aleksi Heinola from Vaasa, Finland, by way of Norway. I was very fortunate to mentor these wonderful and exceptionally talented young musicians as students, and to follow their path to later success as professionals by participating in their projects.

After paying their dues in cooler climates, the two friends were ready to get in on the action and decided to move together to New York City in late 2023—just as I had done way back in 1979. Scouting the scene as roommates up in Harlem, it didn’t take long for Aleksi Heinola and Nathan to start working with a wide variety of artists around town and touring across the U.S. The reason? They are truly a rhythm section that every body loves—a dream team that just wants to support and groove—and seriously get down!

That’s why you shouldn’t expect a barrage of drum and bass solos on this recording. Instead, the rhythm duo lays down a silky red carpet for their guests, who deliver first class solo performances. The front line is made up of slightly older—but still “young”—masters: saxophonist Seamus Blake, guitarist Peter Bernstein, and pianist Aaron Goldberg. These three wonderful musicians have long been favorites of the rhythm duo, and with this recording, along time dream hasfinally been realized.

The program features relaxed, groovy originals with intriguing twists, interspersed with a few carefully chosen standards. It’s classy acoustic jazz in the ’60s idiom, with the rhythm section consistently maintaining a velvety, swinging groove you’ll want to enjoy again and again. Highlights include Nathan’s even-eighth, bossa-flavored “Tai Chi,” with its inventive contrapuntal bass lines, and Aleksi’s haunting “Helsinki to Harlem.” (the uptown area has changed quite a bit since my time there with organist Jack McDuff’s group in the early 1980s!) The wonderful frontline shines on every track—and yes, even the drummer steps forward on the up-tempo “LazyBird” classic.

This recording marks the first co-led date by this dynamic duo, but we will no doubt be hearing much more from them in the future. Listen to the music and catch Aleksi and Nathan live in your neighborhood whenever you can—you won’t be  disappointed!

—Jukkis Uotila (From the inside liner notes of "From Helsinki to Harlem", FSNT-721)