Timo Lassy

I know this sounds a bit twisted but had John Coltrane had a baby with Gene Ammons, the kid’s name would have been Timo Lassy.

Timo is a Helsinki-based sax player who likes his sound BIG. There’s the bluesy and soulful undertone of Mr Ammons or say Willis Jackson and the spiritual side of Pharoah Sanders and John Coltrane. As The Guardian’s John L. Walters put it: “Saxophonist Timo Lassy has storytelling approach to solos”. Baritone, tenor or flute, Timo will deliver. Timo has played in many groups, such as the Blue Note recording U-Street All Stars and the mighty Five Corners Quintet and has performed from New York to Istanbul.

Now it’s time see what the man is about.

Timo’s first single "African Rumble/High at Noon" was released a year ago and since that he has been recording his debut album titled "The Soul & Jazz of Timo Lassy", released in the Fall of 2007. These two tracks give a foretaste of what’s about to follow and we guarantee that you want to have more of this jazz/soulfood! As usual, the musicians are the cream of the crop with such names as Jukka Eskola on trumpet and Teppo "Teddy Rok" Mäkynen on drums. On the latin tinged "The Call" Timo’s heavy and rich baritone sound is backed by a horn section and we hear great solos from Timo and Giorgios. "Sweet Spot" is a more gentle little bossa number that show’s a more delicate and sophisticated side of this sax king who stands on the shoulder giants in order to see further.

"If your only experience with Scandinavian musicians is from listening to uber quiet, sterile and subtle sounds from ECM, Timo Lassy is going to make your eyes pop out… Most of the tunes have an exhilarating in-your-face propulsion that edges each soloist to marvelous and muscular music mania… The Soul & Jazz of Timo Lassy from Finland is a surprise catch in lake that seemed poorly stocked!"
ALL ABOUT JAZZ, October 2007.

"****"
HS/NYT

"Simply suberb"
- Nicola Conte

"A Jazz heavyweight… expect big things from Timo Lassy in 2007."

Reviews of his previous single:

"Echoes a classic Prestige recording. Tough" 4/5
-DJ MAGAZINE

"Excellent"
-STRAIGHT NO CHASER

"Outstanding"
- Mr Scruffv

"10/10"
-Rainer Truby

TO THE FRONTPAGE