Kari Ikonen

Jazz has a way of pushing the envelope among the categories at the Emma Gala. Some nominees uphold the Scandinavian Jazz brand, while others take a reforming approach.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a boom time for freelancers, according to Forbes. But not for freelance musicians.

"Kari Ikonen alternately figure skates, tap dances and prances across the keys, sounding like a jaunty, syncopated one-man band."

When Finnish symphony orchestras whipped up series of chamber music recitals to fill the vacuum amidst coronavirus restrictions, claims of the inflexibility of these publicly funded institutions were thoroughly debunked. Online concerts have proved a godsend for musicians for keeping up their skills and for maintaining contact with audiences. The crisis has also demonstrated that a safe job provides a foundation for creativity. How have musicians experienced working in these extraordinary circumstances?

Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble fuses West African rhythms to an array of jazz, funk and rock for a high-energy sound that appeals to heart, head and feet. Born in Benin in 2009, the band has won fans with high-energy live shows on three continents.

Seamlessly, keyboardist and composer Kari Ikonen spins a distinctive sound of his own that draws on music from around the world, grounded in US jazz and fusion of the ‘60s and ‘70s. On Moog synthesizer, acoustic or electric piano, he plays with ecstasy and a fascination with rhythm.

"I expected a lot from this record, because Ikonen’s style of composing and playing is so original, and he is one of the few Finnish jazz artists, whose gigs are impressive without exception. Ikonen’s style is jagged in a positive way. Even if the composition is founded on melodic thinking, rhythmic variations and surprising changes in the song’s direction are dominant.

"I expected a lot from this record, because Ikonen’s style of composing and playing is so original, and he is one of the few Finnish jazz artists, whose gigs are impressive without exception. Ikonen’s style is jagged in a positive way. Even if the composition is founded on melodic thinking, rhythmic variations and surprising changes in the song’s direction are dominant.

"Pianist Kari Ikonen fuses fresh elements. On this second outing with bassist Ara Yaralyan and drummer Markku Ounaskari, not only Scandinavian and American sounds are heard. As the title reveals, this record has two distinctive sides: beautiful composed pieces and spontaneous collective takes."