Photo: Gampe · CC BY-SA 4.0 · credits
Timeline
20 events▣ Album 17◦ Birth 1★ Debut release 1† Death 1
1940s
1960s
· Debut release
Debut release: Souljumppaa
First documented Album in the MusicBrainz discography.
source: musicbrainz
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
Biography
English biography233 words · 4 sectionssource: wikipedia-en · licence CC BY-SA 4.0 · revision 1366662465
Biography
Edward Vesala (15 February 1945 – 4 December 1999), born Martti Vesala, was a Finnish avant-garde jazz drummer.
Career
Born in Mäntyharju, he began playing jazz and rock in the 1960s, in such bands as Blues Section and Apollo. In the 1970s, he led his own jazz groups, a quartet with Polish trumpet player Tomasz Stańko and sax player Tomasz Szukalski, played with Toto Blanke's Electric Circus, and recorded with Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek. In the 1980s and 1990s, Vesala recorded several albums of his own compositions that combined jazz, classical music, tango, and folk music with his own group Sound & Fury, an ensemble of about ten players made up mostly of Vesala's students. Prominent players in Sound and Fury included saxophonists Jorma Tapio and Pepa Päivinen, guitarists Raoul Björkenheim and Jimi Sumén, and harpist and keyboardist Iro Haarla, who was Vesala's wife.
Vesala died from congestive heart failure in Yläne, Finland at the age of 54.
As leader or co-leader
Nan Madol (ECM, 1974)
Satu (ECM, 1977)
Open (FMP, 1979) with Gerd Dudek and Buschi Niebergall
Heavy Life (Leo, 1980)
Lumi (ECM, 1986)
Ode to the Death of Jazz (ECM, 1989)
Invisible Storm (ECM, 1991)
Nordic Gallery (ECM, 1994)
As sideman
With Jan Garbarek
Triptykon (ECM, 1973)
With Tomasz Stańko
TWET (Polish Jazz vol. 39) (Polskie Nagrania Muza, 1974)
Balladyna (ECM, 1976)
Live at Remont (Helicon, 1976)
Almost Green (Leo, 1978)
With Kenny Wheeler
Around 6 (ECM, 1979)
Discography & profile
Normalised profile
Percentiles are computed over every artist in the database, so a tier-3 artist can still sit in the 95th percentile on a single axis.
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 10 | 58.3th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 17 | 85.9th |
| Studio albums | 17 | 95.5th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 20 | 93.9th |
| Recording span (years) | 30 | 66.1th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Percentiles are computed at render time; missing values mean the artist has no data on that axis.
Discography (17 release groups · 17 studio albums)
Albums · 17
1969 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 20 tracks · 35:30
A1[untitled]1:54A2[untitled]1:17A3[untitled]0:55A4[untitled]2:52A5[untitled]0:18A6[untitled]1:42A7[untitled]1:33A8[untitled]0:40A9[untitled]0:59A10[untitled]1:30A11[untitled]1:53A12[untitled]1:17A13[untitled]1:52A14[untitled]0:49B1[untitled]3:14B2[untitled]3:36B3[untitled]2:00B4[untitled]2:31B5[untitled]2:28B6[untitled]2:101973 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 4 tracks · 46:38
A1After Pam-Pam14:19A2For Deep Deep Finnish Forest Cymbal Govenor2:46A3Kippis6:06B1Hot Lotta23:271974 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 6 tracks · 46:25
A1Nan Madol6:07A2Love for Living3:54A3Call From the Sea2:04A4The Way of...12:14B1Areous Vlor Ta12:44B2The Wind9:221974 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 19 tracks
A1I'm HereA2Ho Ping (Peace)A3M. M. M.A4But We Didn’t Get the FoxA5Natural Rock Formation in the HarborA6ByågzA7One for the RoadA8SinathropusA9For You Who Bring Flowers and Love in My Lonesome Bared NestA10K. WN. V. H.B1Homage to Jan GarbarekB2A Day of LifeB3MinttuB4UhuruB5Palkin kutsuB6Murli ManoharB7WhisperingB8"Tra-Dri, Them-Pa"B9Puro – Rivulet1977 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 5 tracks · 40:03
1Satu14:442Ballade for San6:153Starflight5:454Komba6:125Together7:071977 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 6 tracks · 42:07
A1Lapsellein4:58A2Komba7:23A3Rodina7:48B1Tähden lento3:05B2Satujen satu12:02B3Tahdon laulaa6:511979 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 6 tracks · 48:25
A1H.S.7:58A2Kugel5:08A3Mira10:31B1Manchmal5:37B2Open11:28B3Chain7:431980 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 6 tracks · 35:14
A1Coming of the Nocturnal Sun7:57A2Meating4:43A3High Red Table6:21B1Moonlight Walk of the Soothsayer8:04B2Columbus Circle2:36B3Slambura Road5:331982 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 9 tracks · 40:29
A1Minne olet matkalla (Prologi)4:21A2Tunnetko miten mantereet liikkuvat yössä... (Hymni, Pimeys & Jalanjäljet hiekassa)7:07A3Maailman reuna2:16A4Sateenkaari viidakon yllä2:43A5Lilla svarta Umboda3:06B1Virran jano 1 & 25:55B2Yksinäinen saksofoni5:13B3Yön veljeskunta4:27B4Mau-Mau5:211982 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 7 tracks · 33:03
A1Kuin meren hiekkaa4:50A2Laulu joutsenelle4:55A3Aamuun on aikaa3:27A4Neitsytmatka5:23B1Kynnyspuulla6:35B2Ihmisten erämaa4:02B3Jossain loistaa vielä valo3:511985 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 2 tracks · 47:17
AKullervo - osa 121:12BKullervo - osa 226:051985 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 7 tracks · 48:58
A1Song of the Witch Doctors10:59A2Caliban4:55A3Bad Luck, Good Luck8:44B1Bread for Soul8:16B2Noble Man6:38B3Arcilemac5:09B4Out of Mascarade4:171987 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 9 tracks · 44:54
1The Wind9:012Frozen Melody4:203Calypso Bulbosa4:534Third Moon2:545Lumi6:376Camel Walk4:597Fingo3:248Early Messenger2:319Together6:151990 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 8 tracks · 56:24
1Sylvan Swizzle8:372Infinite Express7:583Time to Think7:384Winds of Sahara4:235Watching for the Signal8:176Glimmer of Sepal5:307Mop Mop5:428What? Where? Hum Hum8:192003 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 8 tracks · 55:20
1Det stod en lind7:572Makiki7:513Lill'Lisa6:024Satzmo7:515Canzonetta7:036Marionette3:277Piece #26:298Alabaster8:402018 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 3 tracks · 37:15
A1Spoken Introduction / Hymni Isännöitsijälleni14:17B1Osa13:40B2Bhanki9:182018 · studio album
Search SpotifySearch YouTube Music
Tracklist · 8 tracks · 47:05
A1Painajaisia = Nightmares5:50A2Nuken Itku = A Doll’s Cry6:35A3Lohdutus = Consolation8:15A4Herääminen = Awakening5:50B1Öinen Vaikutelma = Nocturnal Impression6:15B2Aallokko = The Waves2:15B3Myytti Itkee Jälleen = The Myth Is Weeping Again6:05B4Keskiyö = Midnight6:00
Stats & PK
Percentile within all 23,672 published artists.Put Edward Vesala head-to-head →
| Metric | Value | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia language versions | 10 | 58.3th |
| Spotify monthly listeners | — | no data |
| Release groups in DB | 17 | 85.9th |
| Studio albums | 17 | 95.5th |
| Awards recorded | 0 | 0th |
| Timeline events | 20 | 93.9th |
| Recording span (years) | 30 | 66.1th |
| Genres | 3 | 80.4th |
Awards & honours
Line-up
| Name | From | To | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Women(band) | — | present | |
| Edward Vesala Sound & Fury(band) | — | present | |
| Soulset(band) | — | present | |
| Apollo(band) | — | present | |
| Edward Vesala Jazz Band(band) | — | present | original |
| Edward Vesala Trio(band) | — | present | eponymous |
| RinneRadio(band) | — | present | original |
| Blues Section(band) | 1967 | 1967 | |
| Pallilla kuiskaten(band) | 1971 | 1971 | |
| Eero Koivistoinen Music Society(band) | 1972 | 1972 | percussion |
Where this record comes from
portrait—Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edward_Vesala_1984_%28247-75%29.jpgaliases/urls—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/76255a92-1b9b-4b89-bab2-9c03e781a3eddiscography—musicbrainz · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://musicbrainz.org/artist/76255a92-1b9b-4b89-bab2-9c03e781a3edcore—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q719931genre—wikidata · CC0 · retrieved 11 October 2026
https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q719931seed-list—wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Vesalabiography—wikipedia-en · CC BY-SA 4.0 · retrieved 10 October 2026
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Vesala
Why this artist is in the database
- List of Finnish musicians — rank #77
Edward Vesala | 1945 | 1975 | Drummer | Jazz
Tier rule: curated genre/region list
Image: Gampe · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Wikidata: Q719931 · MusicBrainz: 76255a92-1b9b-4b89-bab2-9c03e781a3ed
Similar artists
Browse every Tier 3 artist →Ranked from this record's own data: shared genre tags (rarer tags weigh more), era, home country and comparable fame. Every card lists the signals that placed it — no editorial picks.
Sam Lay
United States · Person
jazz
1 shared genre tag · debut 1969, same year
12 wikis
Aynsley Dunbar
United Kingdom · Person
jazz
1 shared genre tag · debut 1971, 2 years apart
22 wikis
Ellie Greenwich
United States · Person
jazz
1 shared genre tag · debut 1968, 1 year apart
22 wikis
Donny Hathaway
United States · Person
jazz
1 shared genre tag · debut 1969, same year
26 wikis
Charlie Haden
United States · Person
jazz
1 shared genre tag · debut 1970, 1 year apart
32 wikis
Herb Alpert
United States · Person
jazz
1 shared genre tag · debut 1967, 2 years apart
32 wikis
Gil Scott-Heron
United States · Person
jazz
1 shared genre tag · debut 1970, 1 year apart
37 wikis
Jessye Norman
United States · Person
jazz
1 shared genre tag · debut 1972, 3 years apart
44 wikis