Saxophonist Mikko Innanen, the Flame Jazz Artist of 2017, blows his horn for the conservation of the Baltic Sea, floating amid the eider statues by artist Reima Nurmikko on Turku’s Aura River on 20 - 22 July. The same weekend will see PLOP, composed of Innanen, bassist Ville Herrala and drummer Joonas Riippa, take the stage at the nearby Bar Ö.
Flame Jazz ventures to new waters! The Turku-based concert series will carry out a new inter-artistic concert concept on Turku’s Aura River to highlight the alarming situation of the Baltic Sea. Combining jazz music, visual art and environmental art, the event takes place on 20-22 July. The pollution of the Baltic Sea concerns Finland intimately and especially during the country’s centenary celebrations it is impossible to overlook the state of the archipelago areas.
Inspired by the conservation of the Baltic Sea, visual artist Reima Nurmikko created bird-themed sculptures in Turku’s Aura River in 2011 – the year when Turku was selected as the European Capital of Culture. The eiders have ever since changed shape to highlight the problems of the Baltic Sea. In summer 2016, the sculpture series went by the name of The Plastic Sea I to draw attention to all the plastic that was being dumped into the sea. This summer, it has been renamed The Plastic Sea II and its means extend to the sphere of music as Jazz City Turku joins in.
The team will build a raft of plastic waste to float amid Nurmikko’s birds – a raft that will host an inter-artistic spectacle: on three consecutive days the Flame Jazz Artist of 2017, saxophonist Mikko Innanen, will step on board to deliver his musical vision of the Baltic Sea and its situation. The duration of the performance is roughly one hour, and it makes a moving and concrete statement through the means of modern marine jazz.
In addition to these solo performances, saxophonist Mikko Innanen takes the stage of Turku’s Bar Ö with his celebrated trio PLOP on 21 July at 19:30. The rhythm section is formed by bassist Ville Herrala and drummer Joonas Riippa, both known for their bursting energy and seamless co-work. With the addition of Innanen we have one of the most innovative and surprising groups that Finnish jazz has to offer today!
The Plastic Sea II
Thu 20 Jul at 17.00
Fri 21 Jul at 17.00
Sat 22 Jul at 14.00
Mikko Innanen – saxophone
Reima Nurmikko – the eiders and the plastic raft
The Eiders of the Aura River, by the Library Bridge
Flame Jazz: PLOP
Fri 21 Jul 2017 at 19.30
Bar Ö
Linnankatu 7
Mikko Innanen – saxophone
Ville Herrala – bass
Joonas Riippa – drums
Tickets: 16,50 € / 13,50 € available on Tiketti.
Ticket sale also at the door after starting from 6:30pm.
www.flamejazz.com
Photo: Elina Perttula.