Joonas Haavisto Kestutis Vaiginis

Born in 1982, Joonas Haavisto is a Finnish pianist and composer who is recognized as one of the most exciting young musicians on the Nordic jazz scene. The winner of several international awards, he has performed widely around Europe, North America and Japan with his groups.

Haavisto’s compositions are based on beautiful melodies while the music still explores free elements and multilayered, surprising rhythmic motifs. Joonas Haavisto Trio has been playing together for over ten years and this special relationship and subtly shine through: “…the trio’s real thrill lies in its unique balance and those breathtaking moments in their nuanced playing"

Electric bass player Jukka Haavisto's first self-titled album 'Reflections' will be released in November. The young players of the quartet assembled by Haavisto are the absolute best of their generation in the Finnish jazz scene.

George Antheil called himself a ‘Pianist-Futurist’. A lover of speed, cars and aeroplanes, the American composer settled in the Paris of the Années Folles, where he frequented Picasso and Stravinsky, and composed works such as Sonate sauvage and Jazz Sonata, which caused a scandal: during a concert in Budapest, he even brandished a Chicago gangster-style pistol to restore silence in the hall…

Arto Koskinen is a Finnish composer, pianist and harpsichordist who has devoted his musical life to establishing a dialogue between the Asian, European and Afro-American traditions. In the 1970s, he developed a passion for jazz, then went on to study Indian vocal music at a music and dance school in New Delhi.

Jimi Tenor and Kalle Kalima have made music together for about 10 years and now they are breaking ground in a trio format with Joonas Riippa on drums. The music is dark and jazzy but danceable and suddenly you hear a hounting ballad. Moments later it could be inspired by Sun Ra meeting Kraftwerk.

Kreeta-Maria Kentala, who has recorded several great albums for Alba, is this time accompanied by pianist Joonas Ahonen. There have been a lot of recordings of these Beethoven sonatas, but in this recording something has been achieved that is not present in previous recordings. Joonas and Kreeta-Maria's playing is refreshingly fresh and in good spirits. The recording was made in the Schauman hall in Pietarsaari. Joonas Ahonen's instrument is a Conrad Graf from around 1827, a fortepiano and a baroque violin made by Kreeta-Maria Kentala at the beginning of the 20th century In the booklet, the texts contain a fascinating text written by Minna Lindgren about Beethoven and the birth of the sonatas on the disc.

Of the two large piano sonatas composed by Charles Ives, No. 2 (’the Concord Sonata’) is by far the best-known, overshadowing its sibling. The First Piano Sonata is comparably ambitious, however, and with a playing time of more than 40 minutes, similarly expansive. Like many works by Ives it had a long gestation period, beginning in 1901 with additions and revisions being made well into the 1920s.

Arto Koskinen is a Finnish composer, pianist and harpsichordist who has devoted his musical life to establishing a dialogue between the Asian, European and Afro-American traditions. In the 1970s, he developed a passion for jazz, then went on to study Indian vocal music at a music and dance school in New Delhi.

Arto Koskinen is a Finnish composer, pianist and harpsichordist who has devoted his musical life to establishing a dialogue between the Asian, European and Afro-American traditions. In the 1970s, he developed a passion for jazz, then went on to study Indian vocal music at a music and dance school in New Delhi.