Biography

Essence is the debut album of Kasperi Sarikoski & Nuance, led by the eponymous trombonist.

Despite his young age, trombonist Kasperi Sarikoski (b. 1988) has been at the vanguard of Finnish jazz for a while, and indeed, it is no surprise that maturity and strong vision characterise the debut album, Essence, of his group Nuance. The quintet incorporates influences from a wide spectrum of musical genres from indie rock to electronic music, and the result is electronic jazz where today’s musical rhythms and expression shake hands with traditions of jazz.

As to genre fusion, the group’s approach is very much today. “Our influences range from Brad Mehldau to Radiohead, but pursuing what is fashionable in the music world today is not an end in itself. We simply aim at a strong and distinctive sound of our own. In the end, it is up to the audience to decide whether we have succeeded”, Sarikoski says.

In spite of the fact that all material is composed by Sarikoski, Nuance counts on ensemble-centered thinking. “We work as a band, first and foremost, when it comes to creating music. In fact, in this way Nuance resembles a short-term project,” says the trombonist.

Similarly to their leader, the rest of the band is composed of young but experienced musicians: guitarist Jere Haakana (b. 1983), pianist Artturi Rönkä (b. 1990), bassist Vesa Ojaniemi (b. 1987) and drummer Jonatan Sarikoski (b. 1990).

Tracklist

1. The PaymentKasperi Sarikoski
2. EssenceKasperi Sarikoski
3. GreenwoodKasperi & Jonatan Sarikoski
4. Introduction to It's Autumn AgainKasperi Sarikoski
5. PredatorKasperi Sarikoski
6. First Day of SummerKasperi Sarikoski
7. Are You Going? Kasperi Sarikoski
8. I Don't KnowKasperi Sarikoski
9. Triad Song