The Otto Donner Treatment 1970, 1980

It's so sad when beautiful music is lost completely to history, especially when it is so well written that it could stand a chance to be enjoyed by ordinary folks today, who could appreciate this kind of thoughtful songwriting.


From discogs:

Henrik Otto Donner, Finnish musician, composer and arranger. 
Born on November 16, 1939 in Tampere, Finland, died on June 27, 2013 in Pietarsaari, Finland. 
In 1966 he founded Love Records with Christian Schwindt and Atte Blom. 
He had also worked as a chairman of the Finnish composers' copyright society Teosto.

For us of course he is most memorable for the gorgeous Strings album which he wrote, arranged and produced, with Aaltonen on saxes and flutes.  Remember when I mentioned their contribution to the Jazz Liisa, the tracks were simply new renditions of Strings tracks.  I think most of those artists appear in his group deemed the "Otto Donner Treatment" which made 2 official records separated by a decade.  It reminds me a lot of Esa Helasvuo's Think-Tank-Funk minus some of the free jazz and minus the funk (& that still leaves behind a ton of good and progressive ideas).

First track of 1970 simply blew me away with its at once delicate and progressive female chorus and very educated orchestral arrangement:





When you look at the CD release page, note that there are 2 female vocalists plus Jim Pembroke (from Wigwam of course) and another, as the males.  The pianist here btw is Eero Ojanen, who again I mentioned in connection with the Quartet KOM.

A decade later, the Otto Donner Treatment's 2nd album turns out to be composed entirely by our wonderful and beloved Jukka Linkola, whom I hope all of you remember with fondness.  (I recently reupped his two albums Protofunk and Lady in Green.)   It starts with a homage to Lady Day:





Would be so nice to know what she's saying about her (lyrics by Arto Melleri).  The singer's voice is so full and beautiful, and her name is Eija Ahvo.

And this lovely vocal album closes out with a lullaby-like song called Suuri Meri, simple in its chords (only G, E minor, and C) and structure but, in my opinion, deadly effective at tugging on the heartstrings: