Mika Luoto "Seventh Wonder"

Hello once again fellow progheads!  So much happening in the prog garden as 2020 continues to unfold, and I will continue bringing it to you from the Concert Closet one artist at a time.  This week the search for all things prog packed some extra hand sanitizer and surgical masks for an extended flight to Finland to check in with Mika Luoto,  a friend I have not followed up with in way too long...

Mika released his latest album, "Seventh Wonder," in October.  Mika has been playing music almost as long as he has been breathing and his catalog is fairly extensive.  Did I mention he also plays every instrument and every note you hear?  This time around the turntable Mika seems to be in a funky jazz groove, so let's settle into a comfortable leather chair and apply the headphones...

The album opens with "Tottoroo" and flows into "Buck is Duck" as smooth as a single malt over ice.  In fact this entire album is as smooth as a snort of Johnny Walker Blue; Mika absolutely found his praxis and fills the headphones with Finnish prog bliss.

Moving further down the track list I discover a tune called "Country Rock Guitar Stuff."  This time  Mika plays as if he's a Roy Clark/Mark Knopfler hybrid; the sultry sounds of a country bar channeled through the AOR styles of an after hours nightclub jam session.

Liner Notes...for those who missed my first review of Mika Luoto way back in 2016, Mika hails from Oulainen, Finland.  He picked up a guitar when he was a teenager and never looked back.  His music catalog runs deep; 14 releases deep to be exact.  He also records music as his alter ego under the name Musarra...a little bit darker and a heavier edged prog metal.  Mika has performed live in large halls, small clubs, and a lot of venues in between.  Today he seems to enjoy doing his own thing while hanging out in his own section of the prog garden.


Mika plays every note and every instrument you hear--he truly is a one man band.  Not the only one I follow, but they seem be a dying breed.  I for one, am glad they still exist; check out Mika's music and you will be too.  You will find "Seventh Wonder" and his other 13 releases at
Mika Luoto Bandcamp.  Mika can also be found on Facebook and Twitter @mikaluoto1.

One last song to peel back the curtain on; "What's in That Bag."  This cut is bit harder than others on the album, although the funk, blended with a few top notes of Dreadnaught,  is alive and well.  Mika might have channeled a bit of Musarra on this cut...nothing wrong with that.

OK; time for the ear candy..."Autumn Vibes."  I chose this song because Mika is deep into that late night jazz mood I spoke about earlier.  I pick up top notes of Les Dudek and Al DiMeola running through my auditory canals; Mika Luoto paints a vivid picture with that guitar.  I get aromatics of Gaillion and the Pat Metheny Group cursing through this album as well; enjoy...


                        

So fellow progheads, another entry for the prog garden sprouting up in the jazz section.  Mika Luoto has been traversing the prog garden for quite some time.  While I listen to much of his catalog, I am impressed with his drive and ambition; his determination to bring a new sound to every album he releases.  The search for all things prog has found a "sleeper" in the midst; hopefully that will change with this release.

Now of course it's time to continue the journey and take the search for all things prog on to new adventures...until next time...