Acclaimed Finnish guitarist, oud player, and composer Jussi Reijonen unveils sayr: salt | thirst, the first installment in his intimate new series of solo string instrument recordings. Available October 24, 2025 via unmusic, this album offers a haunting meditation on finding stillness amid the chaos of motion, inviting listeners into a deeply personal musical world.
Building on the critical acclaim of his ambitious 2022 large ensemble album Three Seconds | Kolme Toista — hailed as “one of the best recordings of 2022” by All About Jazz — Reijonen’s sayr series explores a more introspective and minimalistic approach. sayr: salt | thirst was recorded in a single, fully improvised take at his home studio on a vintage 1940s Gibson LG-2 steel-string acoustic guitar.
The album is divided into two contrasting arcs, “salt” and “thirst,” mirroring the dualities of life, memory, and transformation. Its sound draws from a rich tapestry of string traditions around the world: from the Finnish kantele and Arabic oud to the Moroccan sintir and West African kora. This evocative blend channels influences such as Hamza El Din, Paco de Lucía, Umm Kulthum, and Ali Farka Touré.
The word “sayr,” rooted in Arabic music, means “course” or “motion.” For Reijonen, it represents a musical pathway unfolding through improvisation in a “memory palace” of sonic experiences. The album reflects his lifelong journey across Northern Finland, the Middle East, East Africa, and the United States — intertwining personal history with sound.
Reijonen shares, “I have found myself drawn to solitary reflection, to the small and simple, to roots and branches. The music is an exploration of motion and stillness — a dance captured beautifully by T.S. Eliot’s poetry.” The album’s improvisational nature reveals emotional landscapes that shift between lament, unease, brightening, and transformation.
sayr is the first in a planned series of improvised solo recordings. Reijonen will record the next installment live on steel-string acoustic guitar and Arabic oud during a concert at Helsinki Music Centre on September 19, 2025, kicking off an international solo tour. This performance will be filmed and recorded for future release.
Born in Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle, Jussi Reijonen’s unique artistry is shaped by his multicultural upbringing in Finland, Jordan, Tanzania, Oman, Lebanon, and the U.S. His work traverses jazz, world, and contemporary music, collaborating with luminaries like Jack DeJohnette and Pepe de Lucía. His previous album, Three Seconds | Kolme Toista, received rave reviews and multiple accolades, establishing him as a leading voice in genre-defying music.
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