 "Agatha")
Kerkko Koskinen
On August 15 2007, Ricky-Tick Records released "Agatha", an
album composed by Kerkko Koskinen and performed by trumpeter
Verneri Pohjola and one of Europe's leading big bands, UMO Jazz
Orchestra.
Kerkko Koskinen (b. 1973) is an awarded Finnish
composer, who has previously worked with the chart-topping
leftfield pop ensemble Ultra Bra. "Agatha" is his first
orchestral record.
Verneri Pohjola (b. 1977) is a successful
trumpeter, who is regarded as one of Finland's leading young
jazz musicians. He is best known from his work with Ilmiliekki
Quartet and Quintessence, to name but a few.
UMO Jazz Orchestra consists of the leading
Finnish intsrumentalists in the field of jazz. The group has
significant historical value in Scandinavian jazz, and over the
years it has performed with almost everyone from Dizzy Gillespie
to Bill Evans.
"Agatha" is a unique concept in contemporary jazz. The record is
inspired by Agatha Christie's fiction, which has been a
long-term interest and object of passion for Koskinen. His
fruitful co-operation with Pohjola brings to mind the work of
Miles Davis and Gil Evans, a duo of jazz genuises that was
highly influential for defining the rich dynamics of the big
band sound during the heyday of modern jazz. Lalo Schifrin,
Henry Mancini and even Igor Stravinsky serve as additional
reference points. The record also marks a bold new step in the
ever-expanding catalogue of Ricky-Tick Records, previously known
from their successful endeavours involving a more
dancefloor-friendly approach to jazz.
"The music sounds great, dynamic and wide" 5/5
Ilkka Mattila / HELSINGIN SANOMAT
"Grand melancholy" 5/5
Jyrki Lehtola / ME NAISET