Coste and Jukka
Coste first met Jukka at a concert in Oslo at Chateu Neuf were both Jukkas band
"Tassavalan Presidenti" and Costes band "Samla Mammas Manna" played.
They became friends and kept contact throug the following years.
1976 Coste left "Samla Mammas Manna" and started to play with other Musicians
when working with a record with English/Finish artist JIm Pembroke Coste
had an opportunity to meet Jukka Tolonen again and was invited by Jukka to
come and Jam at a club were he was playing that night.
The feeling was overwhelming when the 2 guitarists played together
and from that moment they started a seven year long collaboration under
the name JTB, made 7 albums together and about 200 gigs a year around
Europe. Jukkas Band "Tassavalan Presidenti" was one of the few bands from Scandinavia
at that time who had managed to get a reputation in England and they got
great revieus in "Melody Maker" and "New Music Express" in the early 70īs
Jukka was really the first Guitarist to do a succesful and
musically outstanding mix between Jazz and Rock.
It was before the expression fusion came in use, Jukka made his debute
in 1969 only 17 years old and played like no one before also composed very
interesting music for his first band that had a lineup with guitar and Soprano Sax
and Vocals....really competent players all.
Coste and Jukka matched very well as players and the Music that came out of their
meeting was a heavy guitar-based mix between Funk, Rock and Jazz
But among guitar-lovers their acoustic performance and their 2 acoustic Albums
are the most popular they are still waiting for a CD-release of "Blue Rain" and "Touch Wood"
There are still a few other Albums that have not been released on CD yet,
hopefully they will soon be available !