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  • You'll get the Japanese Market Special Edition CD "Trio Hour" and a Download of THIS album.

    Listen: triohour.bluemusicgroup.com

    Includes unlimited streaming of Ball Play via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • You'll get the Northern Sunrise CD and a Download of THIS album. Northern Sunrise features saxophonist Steve Wilson, guitarist Ben Monder, bassist Massimo Biolcati, drummer Mark Ferber, and compositions by pianist Mika Pohjola.

    Listen: northern.bluemusicgroup.com

    Includes unlimited streaming of Ball Play via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • You'll get the classic Announcement CD and a Download of THIS album.
    Announcement features saxophonist Chris Cheek, bassist Matt Penman and drummer Roberto Dani. Compositions by pianist Mika Pohjola.

    Listen: announcement.bluemusicgroup.com

    Includes unlimited streaming of Ball Play via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • High quality Blue Music Group CDs at a clearance price! FREE SHIPPING worldwide. These albums are discounted because of excessive stock, not due to quality reasons. All albums contain pristine music and a production of the highest quality.

    • KAMMARENSEMBLEN: VI (2020) (Double-CD)
    Listen: vi.bluemusicgroup.com
    • PUTTES ÄVENTYR I BLÅBÄRSSKOGEN (2016)
    Listen: putte.bluemusicgroup.com
    • DAS ORCHESTER: CONSORTS (2015)
    Listen: consorts.bluemusicgroup.com
    • JILL SEIFERS WALSH: TWO FOR THE ROAD (2008)
    Listen: broadway.bluemusicgroup.com
    • SONGS OF FINLAND (2007)
    Listen: finland.bluemusicgroup.com
    • LEIVONEN LUMIMYRSKYSSÄ (Tango Music of Toivo Kärki) (2006)
    Listen: leivonen.bluemusicgroup.com
    • MIKA POHJOLA: ANNOUNCEMENT (1998)
    Listen: announcement.bluemusicgroup.com

    Includes unlimited streaming of Ball Play via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ... more
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  • A Special Bundle with 5 CDs by pianist & composer Mika Pohjola:
    • TRIO HOUR (w. Kyle Struve & Dan Loomis)
    Listen: triohour.bluemusicgroup.com
    • NORTHERN SUNRISE (w. Steve Wilson, Ben Monder, Massimo Biolcati & Mark Ferber)
    Listen: northern.bluemusicgroup.com
    • LANDMARK (w. Miguel Zenón, Ben Monder, Fernando Huergo, Roberto Dani & Johanna Grüssner)
    Listen: landmark.bluemusicgroup.com
    • ANNOUNCEMENT (w. Chris Cheek, Matt Penman, Roberto Dani)
    Listen: announcement.bluemusicgroup.com
    • TWO FOR THE ROAD (w. Jill Seifers Walsh)
    Listen: broadway.bluemusicgroup.com

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    Includes unlimited streaming of Ball Play via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • FREE SHIPPING Worldwide.

    • Ivo Nilsson: Tanken skall blåsas ur en gång per skift (2022)
    • Ensemble Ma: Lunaria (2021)
    • Lipparella: Hidden Voices (2021)
    • Sören Hermansson: Horn & Sound (2020)
    • KammarensembleN: VI (2020)
    • Das Orchester: Le Nouvel Amour (2018)
    • KammarensembleN: 4 (2017)
    • Johanna Grüssner & Mika Pohjola: Puttes äventyr i Blåbärsskogen (2016)
    • Das Orchester: Consorts (2015)
    • Mika Pohjola: Trio Hour (2013)
    • Johanna Grüssner: Nu ska vi sjunga (2013)
    • Steve Wilson, Ben Monder etc: Northern Sunrise (2009)
    • Jill Seifers Walsh: Two for the Road (2008)
    • Many Artists: Songs of Finland (2007)
    • Johanna Grüssner: Nu blir sommar (2007)
    • Eeppi Ursin, Mika Pohjola etc: Leivonen Lumimyrskyssä (2006)
    • Rigmor Gustafsson, Eeppi Ursin, Theo Bleckmann etc: Scandinavian Yuletide Voices (2005)
    • Tove Jansson, Johanna Grüssner etc: Moomin Voices (2003)
    • Miguel Zenón, Ben Monder etc: Landmark (2002)
    • Mika Pohjola, Chris Cheek etc: Announcement (1998)
    • Mika Pohjola, Matt Penman etc: Live at the Blue Note (1996)

    Includes unlimited streaming of Ball Play via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ... more
    ships out within 3 days

      €162 EUR or more 

     

  • Full Digital Discography

    Get all 130 Blue Music Group releases available on Bandcamp and save 50%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of Muumilauluja konserttinuotit, Moomin Music, Lilla Mys visa Sheet Music, Mumintrollets visa Sheet Music, Höstvisa Sheet Music, I närbilder - Visor av Fritz Sjöström, The Sound of New England, Vol 2, The Sound of New England, Vol 1, and 122 more. , and , .

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Ball Play 05:34
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Two Pages 10:37
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A Sunny Day 03:38
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Star Dust 04:22
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Jazz Blues 03:57
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Ninghe 04:32
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about

A collaboration with bassist Drew Gress and drummer Mark Ferber, pianist Mika Pohjola offers a follow-up to his Sound of Village duo improvisations. Pohjola features a free jazz vein of the 1960s, known as proprietary territory of Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Paul Bley and Rashied Ali. Coupled with original compositions by Pohjola, Xavier Montsalvatge and Burt Bacharach, Ball Play is a one-hour long enjoyment which naturally spans several decades of musical expression.

Ball Play opens with the title-track ... continues with a more original-spirited Two Pages, which repeats and develops a short motive in the first half, and then gradually moves toward a free flow of thought. The standards, Star Dust, These Foolish Things and the Burt Bacharach original What The World Needs Now Is Love Sweet Love are among the best renditions on the album, and this is where all three musicians are fully engaged in the twisting of the familiar source material. Pohjola's brightest solo contributions can be heard on "Song of Trust" and the strange traditional-oriented Jazz Blues. An oddity on the album is the Catalan composer Xavier Montsalvatge song Ninghe, which is played without alteration from the original.

credits

released March 1, 2003

Mika Pohjola - piano
Drew Gress - bass
Mark Ferber - drums

license

all rights reserved

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about

Blue Music Group Stockholm, Sweden

BMG is the crystallization of Mika Pohjola's artistic vision, spanning composition, performance, and production. Pohjola's musical journey took flight under the wing of the composer legend Gunther Schuller at GM Recordings. Recognized for his exceptional talent, Pohjola became a Steinway artist in 1997. He continues to curate a diverse repertoire, crafting music of unwavering quality. ... more

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