Pianist Riitta Paakki's quartet, featuring guest bassist Kaisa Mäensivu, tours Finland on November 5–16. The tour is the last of the Jazz Finland tours for the fall season 2019.
Pianist Riitta Paakki’s most recent quartet brings together various styles and distictive sounds of four Finnish top musicians. Manuel Dunkel’s tenor sax compliments Paakki’s playing in the most sensitive way, and the heavy-hitting rhythm section of Antti Lötjönen/Kaisa Mäensivu’s bass and Joonas Riippa’s drums gives a solid cornerstone to Paakki’s hard-bop-influenced compositions.
The written music gives plenty of room for interaction between the musicians, and together the band members create an expressive and joyful experience that is best enjoyed live. Occasionally they throw in some rare gems of the 60’s hard-bop era, and play them with some kind of a time-and-space distorting magic. Something old, something new, something American, something blue-and-white.
The quartet recorded its first album Live at Koko Jazz Club in January 2018, and it was released by Koko Records in August 2018.
The Speak No Evil tour covers ten locations in the beginning of November. The band’s regular bassist and bandleader Riitta Paakki’s long-term collaborate Antti Lötjönen will step this one out to go on paternity leave, but his replacement, New York -based bassist Kaisa Mäensivu does not pale in comparison. Paakki is excited about the upcoming change in the touring lineup:
“I have been waiting for a chance to play with Kaisa for a long time, and this opportunity arrived unexpectedly but in just the right time. Kaisa is definitely one of the future international stars in Finnish jazz”, says Paakki.
See the tour dates and venues below. The tour is produced by Jazz Finland.
Riitta Paakki Quartet
Riitta Paakki – piano, Manuel Dunkel – tenor saxophone, Antti Lötjönen – bass, Joonas Riippa – drums
Tour Dates:
Tue 5.11. Seinäjoki, Hotelli Alma
Wed 6.11. Oulu, Vanha Paloasema Bar
Thu 7.11. Tornio, Musiikkitalo
Fri 8.11. Iisalmi, Koko Jazz Club, Raatihuone
Sat 9.11. Joensuu, Botania
Mon 11.11. Kotka, Ravintola Kairo
Wed 13.11. Kuopio, Ravintola Gusto RunIn
Thu 14.11. Helsinki, Koko Jazz Club
Fri 15.11. Porvoo Jazz Festival Club, Vanha 123
Sat 16.11. Turku, Flame Jazz Club, Main Library, Tieto-osasto, 2 krs: Record listening session and concert
Text: Raisa Siivola
Photo: Teemu Mattsson
Press inquiries: Hei Hei Media, press(at)heihei.fi