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Track List

1 Landmark 06:18
    by Mika Pohjola (Mika Music)
2 Screenplay 06:53
    by Mika Pohjola (Mika Music)
3 A Ballad About Something 04:17
    by Mika Pohjola (Mika Music)
4 Future Apparent 05:01
    by Mika Pohjola (Mika Music)
5 Isämme kiitos päivästä 02:25
    by Aurelius Ambrosius (Mika Music)
6 Old Couples Lullaby 04:54
    by Mika Pohjola (Mika Music)
7 Young in the 80s 07:34
    by Mika Pohjola (Mika Music)
8 Forest Nocturne 03:42
    by Mika Pohjola (Mika Music)
9 Passing Recline 05:19
    by Mika Pohjola (Mika Music)
10 Movements in Style 02:18
    by Mika Pohjola (Mika Music)
11 Summer Garden 04:32
    by Mika Pohjola (Mika Music)
12 MikaSonik Theme 00:36
    by Mika Pohjola (Mika Music)
13 Retrospectives 08:11
    by Mika Pohjola (Mika Music)
14 Now Came to Us 03:14
    by Mika Pohjola (Mika Music)
15 Reppurin laulu 04:43
    by Oskar Merikanto (Mika Music)
16 Old Manhattan Tango 04:57
    by Mika Pohjola (Mika Music)
17 Landmark (Take 1) 06:03
    by Mika Pohjola (Mika Music)

Total Time: 80:57

About Landmark - Remastered Expanded Edition

Featuring MikaSonik with guest background vocals by Johanna Grüssner, Landmark was recorded in Helsinki, Finland (and Grüssner in New York) and released in 2002, the album presents original compositions that combine contemporary jazz with elements of fusion, classical music, and irregular meters.

The repertoire consists primarily of extended compositions that balance written material with improvisation. Rather than following conventional jazz forms, many pieces develop through changing sections, shifting time signatures, and interaction between the ensemble members.

The title track opens with an ostinato in 5/4 before expanding into a dialogue between guitar and saxophone. Other compositions include Future Apparent, Young in the 80s, Now Came to Us, Movements in Style, Ballad About Something, which forms the centerpiece of the album.

Landmark documents Mika Pohjola's compositional approach during the early 2000s, emphasizing ensemble writing as much as improvisation. Many of the compositions later became part of the group's live repertoire and appear in different interpretations on the companion live album Still Alive.

Credits

MikaSonik:
Mika Pohjola - piano & composer
Miguel Zenón - saxophone & flute
Ben Monder - guitar
Fernando Huergo - bass
Roberto Dani - drums

Special guest:
Johanna Grüssner - voice

Articles about Landmark - Remastered Expanded Edition

OPINION: Two remarkable jazz fusion CDs by Pohjola with Miguel Zenón and Ben Monder

Pianist and composer Mika Pohjola's remarkable and crafty quintet, featuring Ben Monder, Miguel Zenón, Fernando Huergo and Roberto Dani, is the author of two exceptional albums; Landmark, the 76-minute studio release, with Johanna Grüssner as a guest; and Still Alive, a 93-minute... Read

REVIEW: Landmark by AllMusic

This remarkable disc features Mika Pohjola's crafty "MikaSonik" ensemble, with Miguel Zenon on alto sax and flute, Ben Monder on guitar, Fernando Huergo on bass, and Roberto Dani on drums, with Johanna Grüssner contributing haunting vocals on occasion. Pohjola plays Fender Rhodes and other... Read

REVIEW: Mika Pohjola: Landmark

Pianist/composer Mika Pohjola represents one of those rare entities in modern music as his often-complex compositional style generally yields straightforward and easily attainable results. A musical mind at work for sure; however, Pohjola’s uncanny knack for integrating sonorous melodies with... Read

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