Ilmiliekki Quartet is a band of four star-calibre Finnish jazz musicians. The group is a key unit for each of the artists, and one of their original vehicles of creation since its formation in 2002. Trumpet player Verneri Pohjola, pianist Tuomo Prättälä, bassist Antti Lötjönen (of The Five Corners Quintet, Timo Lassy Band, 3TM etc.) and drummer Olavi Louhivuori (of the late Tomasz Stanko Quintet and Oddarrang) return with their new self-titled album on We Jazz Records on 11 February 2022. Ilmiliekki Quartet's music has a song-like melodic quality, which pairs naturally with their often freeform search for new musical landscapes. As testament of Ilmiliekki Quartet being a Band with a capital B, the songs on the new album come from each of the four members. As before, the band also takes a borrowed tune in for a loving rendition, this time tackling "Aila" by the Finnish dream pop group Karina. All in all, there's a deep, moody element to the music, yet at the same time, their sound flows with remarkable ease and lightness of touch. This brings out a wide range of color in their music, which is easy to fall in love with. Ilmiliekki Quartet (which roughly translates as "Quartet Ablaze") were one of the big success stories of the "first wave" of Finnish jazz in the new millennium, and although they never really went away, the band is now back with a vengeance.