Having released her third album, the boldly intimate Closure, in July, Nina Mya hits the road on a Finnish Jazz Federation tour on 21 September – 1 October. Along with the new disc, the charismatic and adventurous vocalist presented her new band, comprising such A-listing names as Jukka Eskola, Jori Huhtala, Henri Mäntylä, Petri Puolitaival and Tuomas Timonen.
Nina Mya, one of the freshest voices of the rising generation of Finnish jazz vocalists, issued her third album on 1 July on Fredriksson Music. Entitled Closure, the disc is a mature effort that draws from gospel and soul and adds a new strong chapter to Mya’s already-convincing CV. The album launch show took place at the Pori Jazz Festival, and Mya also performed at the Finnish Jazz Federation’s mini-festival, Jazzjatkot, in Helsinki and at Turku’s Turku Jazz Festival earlier this summer. On the upcoming tour, her personal, emotion-charged pieces will, no doubt, have reached a new level of effortlessness and style.
“Closure is already my third album but no doubt the most significant one so far,” Nina Mya says. “With this album I feel, for the very first time, that there is nothing I would be at odds with or would have wanted to do differently. While nodding to such idols as Aretha Franklin and John Coltrane, the album pays homage to American vocal jazz on a more general level – including its strong undercurrent of gospel. This tradition can be heard in my influences Dinah Washington, Nancy Wilson and Gregory Porter.” The lyrics for the album are by the leading lady, while in writing she has been assisted by saxophonist Petri Puolitaival. In addition to original material, the album features a few well-known jazz classics.
Nina Mya (b. 1989) is a Finnish jazz vocalist, composer and voice teacher. She was selected as the Pori Jazz Artist of the Year 2012. The newly-released Closure was preceded by two other albums: the 2012 Flying Solo and the 2014 Our Time.
Nina Mya - vocals / Jukka Eskola - trumpet, flugelhorn / Petri Puolitaival - saxophone, alto flute / Henri Mäntylä - piano / Jori Huhtala - bass / Tuomas Timonen - drums
Nina Mya on FJF Tour:
Wed 21.9. Tornio, Musiikkitalo at 7.00, tickets 25/15€
Thu 22.9. Oulu, Ravintola Vänmanni at 8.00, tickets 15/10€
Fri 23.9. Raahe, Raahen Hovi at 9.30, tickets 10€
Sat 24.9. Turku, Flame Jazz Cruise, departure at 8.55
Fri 30.9. Kuopio, Musiikkikeskus, Jazzklubi NB! Venue changed!
Sat 1.10. Joensuu, Kerubin sali (Jazzkerho -76's 40-year anniversary) at 7.00, tickets 25/20/12€
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Sat 29.10. Helsinki, Savoy–teatteri at 7.00, tickets from 36€
www.ninamya.com