The debut album by vocalist Kadi Vija's newest quartet Key Project comes out on Flame Jazz Records on the 15th of May. The extensive release tour was scheduled to take place in May, but is now postponed to May 2021.
Vocalist-composer Kadi Vija (b. 1985) has her background in vocal jazz improvisation and she defines herself primarily as a vocal instrumentalist. Her uncommon singing approach is influenced by instrumental improvised music, flowing thoughts and abstractness. Estonian-born Vija has studied in several globally leading institutions, such as the Berklee College of Music, and the Conservatory van Amsterdam, and recently she finished her Master's at the Sibelius Academy Jazz Department. Vija's music draws from modernism, jazz and film scores. In her music and performance, she likes to test the limits of her comfort zone, and to do so with utmost sincerity.
She has led her trio and quartet ensembles since 2011, and released one album, Stories, with Kadi Quartet in 2014. More recently, in 2017, she has released Ugly Beauty, a duo album of Thelonius Monk's music with the Canadian pianist Lucas Dann. In late 2018 Vija took a step away from jazz and serious music and taped all 45 of Phoebe Buffay's quirky songs from the TV series Friends.
In the Key Project ensemble Vija is again in her strongest area; creating intriguing rhythmic and melodic tapestries with fellow front-row jazz musicians: Max Zenger on bass clarinet, Tuomo Dahlblom on guitar and Tuomas Timonen behind the drums The quartet's soft, distinctive sound is created by their rare instrumentation of bass clarinet, guitar, drums and Vija's impeccable voice control.
Roaming In The Contemporary Society To Make Peace With It is a memorable album, on which the artist herself has taken a leap to the unknown:
– This album is me in my most honest, both compositionally and instrumentally. For that, I’m proud of myself beyond limits. I hope that people would stop and concentrate on listening to the album, and experience something completely new and fresh, composer and vocalist Vija describes.
Kadi Vija Key Project’s album Roaming In The Contemporary Society To Make Peace With It is the fourth release by the Turku-based Flame Jazz Records. The record release tour that was to visit ten cities in Finland and in Estonia in May 2020, is postponed to May 2021. The tour is produced by Jazz Finland.
Kadi Vija Key Project
Kadi Vija – vocals, Max Zenger – bass clarinet, Tuomo Dahlblom – guitar, Tuomas Timonen – drums
www.kadivija.com
“She is a refreshing, dynamic, thought-provoking, human nightingale with a sense of improvisational prowess that proves well beyond her years” – Jason Palmer
Kadi Vija Key Project: Roaming In The Contemporary Society To Make Peace With It
Release Date: 15.5.2020
Publisher: Flame Jazz Records
Digital Distribution: Playground Music Finland
Physical Distribution: Flame Jazz Records
Formats: digitaalinen, CD ja LP (vinyyli)
Tracks: 1) Standing Still, 2) Blind, 3) Water Dripping Dance, 4) Circles And Falls, 5) Roaming In The Contemporary Society, 6) Between The Lines, 7) Chord Travel
Kadi Vija: vocals / Max Zenger: bass clarinet / Tuomo Dahlblom: guitar / Tuomas Timonen: drums
Compositions: Kadi Vija
Lyrics: Kadi Vija (Between The Lines), Katri Salmenoja (Circles and Falls)
Original Production: YLE, Jyrki Saarinen
Recording: Hannu Perälä / Finnvox Studios, 2019
Mixing: Ville Riippa
Master: Jaakko Viitalähde / Virtalähde Mastering
Photos: Perttu Saksa
Design: Maija Volotinen