Finnish jazz pianist Heikki Sarmanto is something of a legend in Scandinavia but not (yet) well known in the USA. The belated American release of COUNTERBALANCE may change that, as it features a warm, harmonious fusion of jazz, rock, and elements of Finnish folk music, using both electric and acoustic instrumentation. Before ECM Records, before the concept of world music, before fusion became a popular concept, Sarmanto was there, with an approach both user-friendly and forward-looking.