NOOR EESTI
You can say that Noor Eesti is one of the most unique bands among Estonian progressive rock projects; you can go further and say Noor Eesti is one of the most unique bands in prog in general. This short-lived band, created as a reaction against the "domination" of guitars, opens up new ground in some very interesting areas. Though again the band lived for only less than two years and recorded less than a dozen tracks, it left a large footprint in the psyche of Estonian prog musicians.
In many ways Noor Eesti can be considered the first "supergroup" of Estonian prog, bringing together top musicians from some of the other great prog bands of the early/mid 1970s. In 1977, keyboard whiz Rein Rannap put Noor Eesti together, and insisted on having no guitars. Rannap left Ruja, a band he helped co-found, a year earlier, to pursue his own project. He brought into Noor Eesti some fabulous musicians, like bassist Tõnu Tormis from the popular rock band Ornament (yes, this top contemporary photographer in Estonia is indeed the son of world-famous composer Veljo Tormis), drummer Ivar Sipra from the symphonic prog giant Mess, vocalist Tajo Kadajas from the proggy hard rock band Meie, and -- the most unique of all members -- bassoonist Heitti Riismäe.
The latter two individuals brought some of the most unique sounds to the band. Riismäe and his bassoon -- not the most traditional instrument in prog rock -- added some fabulous bits into songs that made them instant classics. The voice of Tajo Kadajas must be seen as the most unique and recognisable feature of Noor Eesti. His power and emotion, with an inflection that is unique to Kadajas, brings out the music to a new dimension. Bassist Tormis also provides some aggressive playing, including a few melodic solos.
The keyboard-driven music featured both piano (electric and acoustic) and organ, which Rannap worked magically. The twin attack created some of the finest keyboard-driven prog pieces in Estonian prog history. As talented as Rannap is, he could not pull off all the parts live, so he recruited the organist Andres Uibo to take the organ parts during concerts. Uibo, today known as one of the best church organists in the world, helped bring Noor Eesti's complex keyboard parts to a live audience.
However, the band's existence was extremely difficult, surviving just over a year. The name of the band itself, Noor Eesti, means "Young Estonia" in Estonian. The name has a very strong connotation, since it was the movement of young writers in the latter half of the 1800s fighting to create a high literary culture for Estonia. During the Soviet occupation terms like "Noor Eesti" was considered much too nationalistic and self-expressive, so the band could not go publicly under the Noor Eesti name.
The band did gig successfully during that turbulent period, often playing on the same bill as other large prog bands like Ruja. The band did record a handful of songs during that time -- five, to be exact. The best known of the five is the classic rock ballad "Ühes väikses linnas" that is still on the playlist for many radio stations. The anthem featured vocalist Kadajas at his delicate best and most powerful, backed up by a wonderful solo section with bassist Tormis and organist Rannap.
However, their other songs featured more aggressive progressive rock. For example "Edasijõudnud inimine" brings the bassoon of Riismäe into the forefront, backed up by the dual keyboard -- piano and organ -- attack. Tormis plays a very Chris Squire-like bass in the background, while Sipra pulls off some fabulous drum breaks. "Perspektiiv" features a classic electric piano solo by Rannap, as well as some fun singing by Kadajas in his trademark style. The ambitious lengthy "Lendav järv" features some fabulous piano sections with intricate composition -- and a really fitting bassoon solo by Riismäe. Awesome stuff. Finally, "Sünd" is probably their best prog piece, going full-force ELP-like at times. The use of layered vocals and creative changes throughout the piece gives it an adventurous spirit, making it a true Estonian prog classic.
Sadly, there's not much more to say about Noor Eesti than this. Rein Rannap soon left to pursue further studies at the Moscow Conservatorium, and the band was essentially dead. The remaining musicians went to pursue their own careers -- in and out of music. Bassist Tõnu Tormis is today one of the best photographers in the country, while Andres Uibo is among the world's best church organists and the organiser of a major church organ festival in Estonia each year. Rannap continued his career when he returned from Moscow, playing in the "third" version of Ruja and in various solo projects to this day.
Sadly, none of the recordings have made it to release. Though "Ühes väikses linnas" is still heard on the radio often, it's still hard to find. There are some CD-R floating around, semi-official since it came from members, it is not to be found in stores. However, it could change soon. That aforementioned classic is due to be included in a compilation disc featuring Tajo Kadajas, to be released later in 2001. The other songs could also be released if all the parties work out a deal -- though that could be still far away. Let's hope they do, since the music is truly classic and a major part of Estonia's progressive rock heritage.
