The quartet formed by guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Jarmo Saari and three top-notch drummers bring light to the darkness of the modern world. Soldiers of Light comes out on the 1st of March and is supported with album release concerts in Helsinki, Porvoo and Turku.
Jarmo Saari Republic, led by Jarmo Saari who is known as unprejudiced and board-minded musician, releases their new album on the 1st of March. Soldier of Odin, released by German Membran record label, is the sophomore album of the band and follows the Helsinki Mavericks EP, which was released digital in summer 2018. In February and March the ensemble celebrates the new album release with concerts at G Livelab in Helsinki, at Porvoo Jazz Club and Turku Jazz Festival.
Overall, Soldiers of Light is a peg serious compared to the rich and lyrical Jarmo Saari Republic debut (2014) or to the Helsinki Mavericks, which presented more jazzy side of the multi-edged ensemble. However, the album is far from being gloomy as on the background the listener can hear the glowing hope.
Jarmo Saari Republic: Soldiers of Light
CD / Digi (JSR02), release date 1.3.2019 (German and the world 29.3.)
Label and distributor: Membran
Distributor in Finland: Playground Music
1. The Wunderers (J. Saari) / 2. Compassion (J. Saari / C. Chaplin) / 3. Organism (J. Saari) / 4. Polarized Flow I (A. Assefa, S. Kuoppamäki, O. Louhivuori, J. Saari) / 5. My Kinda Woman (J. Saari / N. Saikkonen & J. Saari) / 6. Radio Mammalia (J. Saari) / 7. Saffron Tears (Dragomir) (J. Saari) / 8. Polarized Flow II (A. Assefa, S. Kuoppamäki, O. Louhivuori, J. Saari) / 9. Aura (R. Eskelinen, J. Saari, A. Assefa, A-M Kähärä, Z. Poussa)
Recorded, produced and mixed by Abdissa Assefa & Jarmo Saari
Jarmo Saari Republic
Jarmo Saari: guitars, vocals, taurus-pedal, theremin, keyboards, trombone, bass, percussion, viola da gamba, samples, kantele, glass harp, chromaharp, omnichord
Abdissa Assefa: drums, acoustic and electronic percussion
Sami Kuoppamäki: drums and percussion
Olavi Louhivuori, drums and percussion
+ Saima Saari, vocals (1. & 3.) / Jukkis Kiviniemi, bass (3.) / Anna-Mari Kähärä, vocals (9.)
Jarmo Saari Republic record release concerts
Thu 28.2. Helsinki, G Livelab
Fri 1.3. Porvoo Jazz Club, Vanha 123, WSOY-talo
Sat 9.3. Turku Jazz Festival, Logomo, Teatro hall feat. Timo Lassy
Mikko Kaakkurinniemi replaces Sami Kuoppamäki on live performances of Jarmo Saari Republic in 2019. More concerts are released later.