Ikonostasis Kari Ikonen Trio

• 1 Toccatina 00:39
• 2 Sinephony 02:07
• 3 Prophètes 03:44
• 4 Biangular 05:43
• 5 Sacrement 04:27
• 6 Trinity 14:35
• 7 Porte de l’Est 03:38
• 8 Catubada de Teheran 01:31
• 9 Cappella nella Luna 03:30
• Total Runtime 39:54

Info for Ikonostasis

Für Ikonostasis hat die finnische Jazz-Sensation Kari Ikonen einige seiner Lieblingskollegen dazu eingeladen, zusammen mit ihm das Grenzgebiet zwischen Experiment und Schönheit zu erforschen. Das dabei entstandene Album kombiniert zehn dieser Kompositionen zu einem ebenso innovativen wie betörenden Werk – und klingt dabei seltsam vertraut und zugleich unvergleichlich.

Vor allem in den Duetten mit Louis Sclavis an der (Bass-)Klarinette entstehen wagemutige utopische Klangwelten irgendwo zwischen P-Funk-Ästhetik und der Avantgarde. Schon mit selbstbewussten Interpretationen komplexer Klassiker wie John Coltrane's »Giant Steps« hat sich Ikonen nicht nur als einer der führenden Vertreter der Szene seines Landes etabliert, sondern den finnischen Jazz als Ganzes in Europa ganz weit nach vorne katapultiert.

Mit »Ikonostasis« wagt er einen noch größeren Schritt. Dies ist Musik ohne Grenzen oder selbstauferlegte Einschränkungen, getrieben von nichts anderem als der reinen Freude am Spielen, ohne Rücksicht auf die Ergebnisse.

”This is a wholly original take on the improvising piano trio.” (Dave Foxall, Jazz Journal, UK)

“Kari Ikonen shows a sparkle and gently questing spirit that engages the listener (…) an aesthetically satisfying album” (Stuart Nicholson, Jazzwise, UK)

Kari Ikonen, Klavier
Olli Rantala, Kontrabass
Markku Ounaskari, Schlagzeug

Kari Ikonen
born 1973, Korpilahti, Finland is a pianist and composer. After having studied piano for four years (1989-1993) in Jyväskylä Institute of Music, Kari Ikonen continued his studies in 1994 in piano and later in composition at the Jazz Music Department of Sibelius Academy, with such teachers as Jarmo Savolainen, Jukkis Uotila, Anders Jormin, Mike Gibbs, Sonny Heinilä and Olli Kortekangas. He also spent a semester of 1996 in Rotterdam Conservatory, where he studied with Rob van Kreevelt. He got his master's degree from Sibelius Academy in 2001.

He has performed with many different groups and musicians, for example Karikko (as a leader), Mr. Fonebone, Quartet Coyote, Ahava, Gnomus, Ingrid Jensen, Henry Lowther, Eero Koivistoinen, Jukkis Uotila, Sonny Heinilä etc. With these artists he has performed at many domestic and international festivals, including Pori Jazz, April Jazz, ITA Festival, Boulder, Colorado and Appleby Jazz Festival, England.

His compositions have been played by various small and large ensembles, such as UMO Jazz Orchestra (Finnish Radio Big Band), which has premiered several his compositions, including "Unia" (1997), "Nosreglo" (1998) and "Luoto" (2000). The last-mentioned won the first prize in the Jazz Orchestra category of the Jazz Composers Alliance/Julius Hemphill Composition Awards in USA, 2000 (he was also among the finalists in Small Group category). Another victory came in August 2002, when Ikonen's composition "Peikkola" (2002) won the first prize in "Scrivere in Jazz" competition in Sardegna, Italy.

He has also worked as a teacher (jazz piano, ensemble, solfege) in Jyväskylä Institute of Music 1993-94, Jyväskylä University music education program 1993 and Sibelius Academy Jazz Music Department since 1998.

Booklet for Ikonostasis