Composer and guitarist from Helsinki, Finland.
01 March 2020
Back in 2001 I composed the work Noin viisi kappaletta saksofonille ja big bandille (About Five Pieces for Saxophone and Big Band). The 40-minute work will be played by Sointi Jazz Orchestra (SJO) with the original soloist Mikko Innanen at Musiikkiteatteri Kapsäkki, Helsinki on March 4, 2020.
After the premiere by UMO Jazz Orchestra the work has been played in its entirety only by Jyväskylä Big Band in 2004. Although individual movements have been played later with some (ir)regularity, the SJO concert marks the third time the work receives a full performance.
There are differences, though. The brass section of Sointi Jazz Orchestra includes a French horn and a tuba which required adapting the work for a slightly different instrumentation. Additionally, the original soloist part was written for soprano, alto and baritone saxophones whereas the SJO version is played without soprano.
Read more (in Finnish): SJO:n ensimmäinen klubi-ilta Musiikkiteatteri Kapsäkissä tuo yhteen merkittävät suomalaiset big band -teokset ja loistavat saksofonisolistit.
Edit June 27, 2020: Here’s a video clip of the 3rd movement from the concert: