Praised for his extraordinary ideas, trumpeter Verneri Pohjola has been considered an up-and-coming talent throughout his career. He is the son
Pekka Pohjola, an important bassist in the Finnish prog and jazz scene, with whom he also played frequently, before his untimely death in 2008. The now 45-year-old Verneri has a special sound of his own, which can be heard partly in his trumpet playing and
… partly in the group he leads. The fairly solid jazz ensemble neither avoids hard rock nor complicated avant-garde. Pohjola is particularly convincing in his soulful trumpet sound. It allows him to attract attention like a magnet with simple long notes. That fits beautifully with both the exciting Of Our Children and the almost solemn Save This One For When You Need It. The album may have sprung from Pohjola's Monkey Mind, yet it is the strong group playing that makes the album truly impressive. (JV)more
