When
I was growing up my twenties and thirties, way back in the time tunnel
of the 1970's and 80s, my musical hero was a recording artist
called Pekka Pohjola, and I flew to Finland to meet the great man
in 1979. During the 70s and 80s, Pekka was considered
a genius by people in the know in the jazz and instrumental rock world
and although sadly, Pekka tragically passed away at the end of 2008,
his legacy lives on in our memory banks and in the grooves of his
many fine solo albums he left behind for the living to listen to and
contemplate and consider our past memories and a whole slew of what
ifs that come with that. Unknown to me until recently, Pekka has also
influenced and continues to influence a whole new generation of younger
musicians from his native Finlandsome up and coming young guitar/keyboard
geniuses who werent even born when Pekka was recording his early
solo masterpieces on Love Records in the early 70s. Count high
on the list a young guitarist from Finland called Toni Jokinen.
Toni calls himself Tony Riveryman and as Riveryman, Toni
released his solo debut CD in 2009 on the fabled French Musea Records,
with the title Magic World. Not only does Toni write instrumental
music in the spirit of Pekka Pohjolas fascinating work with
guitarist Seppo Tyni (pronounced Tune-E) but Toni also sings, just
like Pohjolas old band mate in Wigwam, Jukka Gustavson. Like
Gustavson was prone to do, Toni goes on a bit in the lyrics department
but clearly his heart and head are in the right place as he sings
his long diatribes in English about the meaning of it all, just like
Jukka used to do in Wigwam. Of course, as you can read below in the
mwe3.com Guitars Center Stage with him, Toni was greatly influenced
by Wigwam album classics like Fairyport, which often espoused
in depth lyrics that often mirrored Gustavsons train of thought
type of thinking. Backed up by his excellent drummer and musical cohort
Pikkis, Tonis guitar work is another fantastic part of
the Riveryman Magic World album. His electric guitar echoes
the work of Pohjolas brilliant guitarists Seppo Tyni and T.T.
Oksala, while also echoing the sound of his Swedish neighbor Roine
Stolt, another Riveryman influence that comes into play on Magic
World. Of course, Pohjolas music was mainly instrumental
rock with heavy jazz and neo-classical influences, and Toni includes
a couple Pohjola-esque instrumentals in the album mix which helps
to balance out his in-depth lyrical excursions. All in all Magic
World is a great introduction to the music of Toni "Riveryman"
Jokinen. I would hope for more a few more Pohjola style instrumentals
on Toni's next album but his voice has a unique sound too, so maybe
combining more instrumentals with shorter songs with a few more meaty
hooks next time would be a suggestion but clearly, Toni's guitar playing
would bring the image of a passing smile to Pekka's face, I'm sure.
Although, as I recall, the last time I suggested to Pekka Pohjola
that he write shorter songs back around 1980, he came back with a
scary retort and told me, No way, Im planning to compose
even longer songs, and of course, he then proceeded to record
and release his 15 minute masterwork New Impressionist
on the Urban Tango album way back in '82. Long live the great
Pekka Pohjola and in doing so, also let us lend an ear to Finlands
musical future and the music of Toni Tony Riveryman" Jokinen.
www.myspace.com/riverymanband
MUSIC
WEB EXPRESS 3000 presents
Toni Tony Riveryman Jokinen
Guitars Center Stage
Guitarists making waves in the music world,
their new recordings and gear!
Musical Background
It
was late in the year 1991 when I was getting interested of guitar
playing. In the year 1992, when I was 13 years old, I started to play
more seriously my brothers acoustic Landola. Later in the same
year my father bought to me my first electric guitar. Now I have played
guitar about 18 years. I started to play bass in the middle of the
90s. First recording where I was singing the clean vocals was
in the year 1998. First song with keyboards I played in the year 1999,
but there was a time after that when I didnt play keyboards
at all. In the year 2005 I bought my first keyboards, after that I
have played also keyboards.
New CD
My debut
album Magic World is also a kind of gospel album too with progressive
elements. Lyrics are mostly spiritual/religious stuff. I gave this
album a name Magic World which is also the name of the
second song in this CD. Magic World tells you about that, what
kind of world this could be to everyone who believe in God. It is
a kind of promised land/paradise that God gives to the human. Magic
World is a kind of personal feeling to everyone. It is a kind
of feeling where God gives to everyone of us our own world, where
we can have our dreams come true. I know that the song Magic
World is maybe too long, but it describes a kind of feeling
that stands long. If God could give you a Magic World
why would it be a feeling that is ending so soon? Thats why
the song stands over 13 minutes. There is difference between the songs
Magic World and Escaping From The Dreams.
Both of them tell you about the dreams that you can have. The song
Magic World tells you about good dreams you can have and
the song Escaping From The Dreams tells you about the
bad dream world and what kind of bad dreams you can have. Still all
of my lyrics has a hope from God. I think you can have both kind of
songs, positive and negative songs, but the main thing is still to
stay positive, cause that always gives you the new ideas.
Magic World was recorded at Undoredo studio in Vaasa. The first
song that was recorded was the track 7, Priest of the World.
It was recorded in the year 2006, but it was mixed later with the
other songs. Other songs were recorded in the years 2007 and early
2008. All the songs were mixed about in the same time together in
the year 2008. I play all the guitars, bass and keyboards of this
album. I also sing all the vocals of this album. My friend Pikkis
plays all the drums of this album. Pikkis have also recorded this
album and we have together mixed this album Magic World.
Here
is a short description about the recording sessions on Magic World.
The recording did happen by using a small track space. We took
a big risk in the drum recordings, because actually they will take
lot of track space. The guitars and synths were recorded at first
with click for the drummer to his drum recordings. After that the
drums were recorded by using 16 tracks of the mixer straight to the
stereo master. We were looking for quite original sounds and we didnt
use any drum tricker. Drums are sounding like they will sound also
in the nature, except of course there is an echo effect. That is how
all the bottom was created to all of the songs. On this bottom everything
was recorded. Guitars were recorded at double, another track was recorded
straight in the line and another track was recorded by using amp and
the microphone. Mixing these sounds we got the guitars sounding especially
in the guitar solo parts. Bass guitar and the keyboards were recorded
by using di-box. The vocals were recorded on double to each vocal
track, cause after that the other tracks we kept clear
and the others we compensated to quite flat and then we added the
effects. Thats how we controlled the dynamics of the vocals
and the effect balance in the mastering. Everything we got fitted
in the 24 tracks so the controlling of the tracks in the mastering
was easier. Many things we learned from that recording session, but
under the circumstances the quality was quite good considering our
technic. Next time we will be always little bit wiser.
We got the album broadly hearing like that, that we expected. Same
thing was in the guitar sound. Many guitars of the album we also recorded
without any amps, straight in the line in the 24-track recorder by
using my Line6 Pod xtLive effect. In the next album we use different
technic and we use my Carvin Legacy amp in the all guitar recordings.
We found from my Carvin Legacy and from my new Carvin guitar better
guitar sounds in the next album.
Favorite
Guitars
My
favorite electric guitars are Fender Stratocasters, I like also Les
Paul and Ibanez guitars. I use and like also Cort guitars. Then I
have this new Carvin guitar which is my favorite. I use this Carvin
in my next album. In the Magic World CD I used two different
Fender Stratocasters and Cort guitar. The amp I used in the Magic
World was Carvin Legacy (Steve Vai model). The effect pedal I
used in the Magic World was Line6 Pod xtLive. Strings I used
were: Elixir-strings, Ernie Balls and GHS-strings.
Musical Influences
My
musical influences come mostly from different progressive rock bands/groups
and also from jazz/fusion/rock bands. The biggest Finnish influence
of mine is Pekka Pohjola. I was 17 years old when I was studying music
in Pop/Jazz Academy in Kauhajoki. In there I met Pekka and I talked
with him. When I was in Kauhajoki I first time listened Pekka's music
and it captured me. Since from there Pekka has always been my biggest
influence in Finnish music genre. I know also that everyone who plays
or listens to Finnish progressive rock should know Pekka Pohjola.
Usually the people who have studied music in the Pop/Jazz Academy
or in the Pop/Jazz Conservatory or in the Sibelius Academy they usually
know who is Pekka Pohjola. Pekka Pohjola was also teaching in the
Sibelius Academy. Pekka Pohjolas music usually influences to
the people who study music, but it can also influence to the normal
people who think the deeper questions of life. I think Pekka Pohjola
has been influencing almost all of the Finnish progressive rock/jazz
fusion/rock bands.
The bands that have influenced in to my music are: Pekka Pohjola,
Genesis, Yes, Rush, Steve Hackett, Spocks Beard, The Flower
Kings, Roine Stolt, Transatlantic, Neal Morse, John Wetton, E.L.P,
King Crimson, UK, Pink Floyd, Pendragon, IQ, Asia, Dream Theater,
Magellan, Arena, Marillion, Frank Zappa, Wigwam, Kingston Wall, Ageness
etc,... there are many,....
My favorite guitarists are: Steve Hackett, Steve Howe, Roine Stolt,
Alan Morse, Neal Morse, Nick Barrett, David Gilmour, Steve Rothery,
Mike Holmes, Daryl Stuermer, Trevor Rabin, John Petrucci, Steve Lukather,
Gary Moore, Neal Schon, Frank Gambale, John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola,
Pat Metheny, Carlos Santana, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Vinnie Moore,
Shawn Lane, Guthrie Govan, Eric Johnson, Al Pitrelli, John Mitchell,
Seppo Tyni, Markku Kanerva, Jukka Tolonen, Rekku Rechardt, Tuppu Orrenmaa,
Petri Walli,... etc there are so many.
My
most influential albums are:
All the Pekka Pohjolas albums especially Visitation, Keesojen
Lehto, Kätkävaaran Lohikäärme, Urban Tango, Space
Waltz, Flight of The Angel, Changing Waters and Heavy Jazz
Live in Helsinki and Tokyo
All the Genesis albums, especially Nursery Crime, Foxtrot, Selling
England By The Pound and A Trick Of The Tail
All the Steve Hackett albums, especially To Watch The Storms
and Genesis Revisited
All the Flower Kings albums especially Retropolis, Flower Power,
Unfold The Future and The Sum Of No Evil
All the Pendragon albums especially Masquerade Overture, Not of
this World and Pure
All the IQ albums especially The Wake and Ever, Seventh
House and Frequency
All the Spocks Beard albums especially The Light, V and
Snow
All the Neal Morse albums especially One, ? and Sola Scriptura
All the Roine Stolt albums especially The Flower King and Hydrophonia
All the Marillion albums especially Script For A Jesters
Tear, Fugazi, Misplaced Childhood and Clutching at Straws
All the Yes albums especially Fragile, Close To The Edge, 90125,
Big Generator, Union and Talk
All the Rush albums especially 2112, Moving Pictures, Grace Under
Pressure, Power Windows, Counterpart, Test for Echo and Snakes
& Arrows
All the UK albums especially U.K.
All the Emerson, Lake & Palmer albums especially Emerson, Lake
& Palmer, Tarkus, In The Hot Seat
All the King Crimson Albums especially In The Court Of The Crimson
King and Red
All the Pink Floyd albums especially Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish
You Were Here, The Wall and The Division Bell
All the Dream Theater albums especially Images And Words, Live
At Marquee, Awake, Metropolis Part 2: Scenes From A
Memory, Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence and Train Of
Thought
All the Toto albums especially The Seventh One, Fahrenheit, Kingdom
Of Desire, Tambu
All the Gary Moore albums especially Corridors of Power, Victims
Of The Future, Run for Cover, Wild Frontier and Still Got The
Blues
All the John Wetton albums especially Battle Lines
All the Phil Collins albums especially Both Sides and Dance
Into The Light
All the Asia albums especially Asia and Aria
All the Fish albums especially Vigil In A Wilderness of Mirrors
and Raingods With Zippos
All the Journey albums especially Escape, Frontiers, Raised On
The Radio, Trial By Fire
All the Eric Johnson albums especially Tones, Ah Via Musicom
and Venus Isle
All the Yngwie Malmsteen albums especially Rising Force
All the Transatlantic albums especially SMPTe and The Whirlwind
All the Kaipa albums especially Mind Revolutions, and Angling
Feelings
All the Arena albums especially Songs From The Lions Cage,
The Visitor
All the Knight Area albums especially Under A New Sign
All the Threshold albums especially Critical Mass
All the Magellan albums especially Impending Ascension, Test
Of Wills and Hundred Year Flood
All the Wigwam albums especially Hard And Horny, Tombstone
Valentine and Fairyport
All the Kingston Wall albums especially Kingston Wall 1 and
Tri Logy
All the Ageness albums especially Rituals, Imageness
Some
of my favorite & most influential jazz fusion & instrumental
albums are: Mahavishnu Orchestras Birds Of Fire, Al Di
Meolas Elegant Gypsy and Electric Rendezvous, Frank
Gambales Live 1989, Passages, Pat Methenys
Secret Story, John McLaughlins The Promise, Greg
Howes Introspection, Allan Holdsworths, Road
Games, Metal Fatique, I.O.U and Sand, Chick
Corea Elektric Bands, Eye Of The Beholder and Beneath
The Mask, Steve Vais Passion and Warfare, Joe Satrianis
Not of this Earth and Surfing with the Alien, Steve Morses The
Introduction, All Seppo Tynis solo albums, All Tuppu Orrenmaas
albums etc...
Upcoming
Plans
We
are recording our second album. It will take some time, cause we want
to do everything more perfectly. We have recorded demos and we have
done fittings to our new songs and we are fitting them all the time.
I will inform then when we get everything ready to our next album.
It will take some time to do all the things ready, and like I said
we want to do everything better in our second album. There is gonna
be quite many songs in our second album, but there are also many songs
which are shorter. The songs are 4 minutes to 12 minutes long in the
second album. We dont have yet any upcoming tours or performances
with the Riveryman. After we have done the second album we will see
what happens. Ill hope that we can do gigs in the future and
of course gigs also in the other countries, not just in here in Finland.
Web Site
My website address is: www.myspace.com/riverymanband
My email is: tonywhitelion@gmail.com
and tonyriveryman@gmail.com