Kerkko Koskinen’s first instrumental recording Agatha, released in 2007, will receive a sequel Agatha 2 in the autumn of 2022.
Agatha 2 is a custom composition for saxophonist Linda Fredriksson and UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra. The album release concert will be held at the Savoy Theater in Helsinki on Wed 28 September, 2022.
When the album Agatha came out in 2007, it was the case of the year. “A soundtrack bigger than Kerkko Koskinen’s life,” as Helsingin Sanomat described. During the week of its release, the album jumped to the top ten of Finland’s official list and sold out its release concert at the Helsinki Festival in a minute.
Where the first Agatha was massive and even heavy, Agatha 2 is melodic, nostalgic and longing.
– Do you know the atmosphere there is at the beach resort after the holiday season? Reminiscent of summer, sad without being anxious, composer Kerkko Koskinen describes.
– I’ve worked closely with Linda Fredriksson, and that’s why I wanted her to be a soloist on this record. Linda’s sound is uniquely intense. In addition, we think in the same way about what music and life in general are all about, says Koskinen.
– I have been listening to Kerkko’s music since I was young and it has been really inspiring to work together. To discuss the music that is already in the composition stage and, of course, to play the compositions of the author I greatly appreciate, Linda Fredriksson continues.
– Because I know both parties well, as a composer I have really diverse possibilities for expression, Koskinen sums up.
Kerkko Koskinen is a composer and musician best known as a founding member, lead character and pianist of the band Ultra Bra. After Ultra Bra, he composed and released solo records every couple of years, until in 2012 he founded Kerkko Koskinen Collective together with Manna, Vuokko Hovatta and Paula Vesala. His first concert with the symphony orchestra premiered in 2017.
Linda Fredriksson is one of Finland’s brightest saxophonists and jazz musicians. Her rich, unique and genre-friendly approach to music has also made Fredriksson the leading name in internationally recognized Finnish jazz. Fredriksson’s first solo album, Juniper, released in the autumn of 2021, has been praised as one of the best Finnish jazz records of the year and is nominated for both the Teosto Prize and the Emma nominee in two different categories. In addition to her solo career, Fredriksson has contributed to notorious ensembles such as Mopo, Superposition and Ricky-Tick Big Band.
UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra is a professional orchestra in the field of jazz and rhythm music, and performs circa a hundred concerts and events each year. Since 1975, UMO Helsinki has released more than 60 albums and performed with international jazz stars in addition to top Finnish names. The orchestra's repertoire ranges from jazz to soul and classical music.
Photo: Tero Ahonen