Biography

The jazz-funk group Nassaun Fasaani, founded in 2010, has let their material ripen properly before bringing out an album. However, on 19 September, this will finally happen when the debut, entitled Return, is released by Jazz HUG. Started by drummer Toni Porthén and sax player Joonatan Rautio, Nassaun Fasaani melds different elements of world music with those of jazz and related genres. Arranged with care and taste, the debut fuses softly rolling rhythms with electric funk - the result being nothing short surprising. The album also shows the two leading figures in a slightly new light, displaying Rautio’s talent as a composer and Porthén as a versatile producer.

Nassaun Fasaani is formed by some of the top talents in the Finnish jazz scene. The Kokkola native Porthén's career incorporates collaborations with jazz, funk and rock artists alike. In the field of jazz he is probably best-known from Lenni-Kalle Taipale Group and MP4, however, the general public remembers this virtuoso drummer’s face from singer Anna Abreu’s and rapper Redrama’s live bands. The Yrjö-awarded sax player Joonatan Rautio navigates as effortlessly in the field of music, gospel being one of his preferred genres, but his sovereign skill as a jazz saxophonist never fails to astonish. Pianist Jussi Fredriksson, also an influential producer, wields the Moog and the Rhodes, equipping Nassaun Fasaani with a touch of cool electricity. The rhythm section is complemented by Juho Kivivuori, the number one bass guitarist in Finland, and the percussion wizard Abdissa “Mamba” Assefa.

Tracklist

1. VaillantJoonatan Rautio
2. MajiraJoonatan Rautio
3. WagtailsJoonatan Rautio
4. WanaajiliJoonatan Rautio
5. HiddenJoonatan Rautio
6. TarangireJoonatan Rautio
7. The Return of Fasan de NassauJoonatan Rautio / Toni Porthen