Kari Ikonen Solo (FIN)
KARI IKONEN SOLO
Wednesday, April 3, 8 p.m. at Philly Joe's Jazz Club
Kari Ikonen’s new Kandinsky-inspired solo piano project “Impressions, Improvisations and Compositions” was released worldwide on German label Ozella Music in January 2021. Chosen as the album of the week on ABC Jazz in Australia and on NDR in Germany, album of the month at Bayerischer Rundfunk, and on the Top Jazz list of January on Mezzo TV in France, it was later nominated for the Emma Award, Finland’s Grammy, and made it to "Best of 2021” lists on three continents: Europe Jazz Media Chart, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and New York City Jazz Record!
A bunch of preparatons and special techinques are used, most notably the revolutonary Maqiano - Ikonen’s new creaton, a device that allows him to play the Maqamat (Arabic scales) and other micro-intervals on grand piano! For the last 20 years Ikonen has been into Arabic music, and now finally he’s able to use the maqams in his music, without having to call the piano tuner after each tune!
”Wassily Kandinsky, one of my favorite painters, divided his paintings in three categories: impressions, improvisatons and compositons. ”Improvisatons” were spontaneous expressions of an internal mood or feeling, directly from the artst’s soul. ”Impressions” were improvisatons as well, but with external influences, such as music or the nature. ”Compositons” were also expressions of inner visions, but more consciously designed... What a perfect analogy with my music! Some of the pieces in my solo repertoire are impressions, inspired by a scale/maqam, a paintng or a story. Some pieces are ”pure” improvisatons and some are written compositons.”
The pianist-moogist-composer Kari Ikonen is currently active also with his trio, with Orchestra Nazionale della Luna, Quartet Ajaton and Trio Toffa - and different projects with Louis Sclavis, Bob Moses, Tony Malaby, Jeff Denson, Kalle Kalima and Vincent Courtois.
He has won several interna:onal awards for his composi:ons, and in 2013 he got the Yrjö Award as the Finnish Jazz Musician of the Year.
