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Guitarist Olli Soikkeli Releases New Album: Comeback

ByJoe Barth

JGT contributor Joe Barth talks to guitarist Olli Soikkeli about his new album, Comeback.

Olli Soikkeli began playing Gypsy-Jazz Guitar as a high school student in Finland.  Becoming proficient in that style, he moved on to explore more modern jazz.  In 2014, he moved to New York City and began building a career here.   He has just released a new album, Comeback, returning to his gypsy-jazz roots. 

JB:  The new album Comeback opens with “Lennie’s Pennies.”  It’s a great tune with a wonderful unison line at the beginning.  Why open the album with it?   

OS:  The new album title ‘Comeback’ refers to my musical comeback to my roots, Gypsy Jazz. The last 5-6 years, I’ve been exploring other styles from Bebop to Brazilian Choro, and I was kind of out of the Django scene for a while. Last year, I felt now would be the right time to record a new album in the style of Django. Also, I felt that by checking out other styles of music, I’ve started to find my own voice within the Django style. I chose to open the album with Tristano’s ‘Lennies Pennies’ since it’s a tune that hasn’t been done as a gypsy jazz version before, and the idea for the record was to pick tunes that haven’t been done before, or are rarely heard, in this style.

JB:  Why follow it with Frank Loesser’s “Slow Boat to China”?

OS:  I follow Lennies Pennie’s with Slow Boat to China since first track has that crazy Tristano head. I made a little arrangement for “Slow Boat” in the 1930s style, a la Django and Stephane. It starts half-time, and after the melody kicks into double time. I always want to have a nice variety of tunes and vibes for my albums/shows.

JB:  I like the rhythmic elements in Jobim’s “O Grande Amor”.”  

OS:  One of my biggest inspirations in Gypsy jazz has been ‘The Rosenberg Trio,’ and they brought in a lot of Latin music into the Django style. That ‘Gypsy bossa’ groove that you hear on O Grande Amor is a Rosenberg trademark, and the rhythm guitarist, Nousche Rosenberg, is the best ever to do it!

JB:  How did you like having Stocheldo Rosenberg and Paulus Schafer each share a tune with you?

OS:  Stochelo Rosenberg is one of my biggest influences in this style, and Paulus Schäfer, also one of the masters of Gypsy guitar, and I have been playing together since 2011, so I wanted to have him on the album as well. 

I knew Stochelo’s beautiful sound and amazing technique would fit perfectly with Jobim’s ‘O Grande Amor’. 

Paulus and I have developed our own unique arranging style for unison lines and shout choruses over the years, which can be heard on Django’s ‘Black & White’. Paulus’s playing is pure fire on that one!

Both of these players are my heroes, and I’m so happy and honored to have them on the album! 

JB:  What drew you to Vernon Duke’s “April in Paris” for this record?

A few years ago, I happened to be playing gigs in Paris during April, so I learned ‘April in Paris’ for those, ha-ha. Then I realized that it also works great in Django style, and again, it hasn’t been done in this style before for some reason.

JB:  Bassist Matheus Nicolaiewsky and guitarist Nousche Rosenberg play superbly.  What do you appreciate most about these two musicians as your rhythm section?

OS:  For me Nousche Rosenberg is the greatest rhythm guitarist in this style and it’s always been a dream of mine to get to play with him. Matheus, I was introduced to him through Paulus Schäfer, and I was instantly blown away by his virtuosity and super-swinging beat! Matheus comes originally from Brazil but he has been living in the Netherlands for a long time. Believe it or not, but it’s the first time Nousche and Matheus play together on the album! Perfect match! 

JB:  I love your rendition of “Recado Bossa Nova.”

OS:  I’ve been playing “Recado Bossa Nova” with a Brazilian guitarist, Cesar Garabini, and I’ve always loved Hank Mobley’s version of it. We did it as a swing instead of bossa for the record, and it works great!

JB:  What is so seductive about the Hot Club Jazz style that led you to focus so seriously on this style?

OS:  I got into guitar through rock and heavy metal, and I was drawn to fast playing and shredders. When I was 14 years oldCD, my guitar teacher at the time gave me a cd of the Rosenberg Trio ‘Live at the North Sea Jazz Festival’. That record changed my interest from heavy metal to gypsy jazz overnight! I couldn’t believe the virtuosity, energy, and intensity these guys were able to play with acoustic instruments! 

JB:  Why do you close the album with Baden Powell’s “Samba Triste”?

OS:  I included ‘Samba Triste’ on the album because I know a groove that only Nousche Rosenberg can do, we call it the ‘Gypsy rhumba’ in the Django scene. I’ve been playing the song with Brazilian musicians before, and I was trying to think of songs that could work with that rhythm, and I started experimenting with it, and it works!

We will be playing the album this summer at the prestigious Django Reinhardt Festival in Fontainebleau, France!

The album is out on CD and vinyl, and it can be ordered directly from me:)

Joe Barth began playing guitar in high school. He stopped playing in his late twenties only to rediscover his love for jazz guitar in his mid-forties. He is an Associate Pastor at Snoqualmie Valley Alliance Church near Seattle. He plays and writes about jazz guitar as a hobby. Before entering the pastorate, Dr. Barth taught church music at Simpson University, Multnomah University, and Crafton Hills College. While serving as a music professor, he was also a music pastor in local churches. Dr. Barth is the author of Voices in Jazz Guitar: Great Performers Tell about Their Approach to Playing (Mel Bay) available at Amazon.com and elsewhere.

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