Riitta Paakki Trio - Characters (2015) [Hi-Res]

Riitta Paakki Trio´s latest release, ” Characters” consists of the music of Wayne Shorter arranged for a piano trio. Paakki´s creativity shines through every track. Her swinging rhythm section with Antti Lötjönen on bass and Jaska Lukkarinen on drums make the music even more meaningful.

Riitta Paakki Trio, formed by the eponymous pianist, bassist Antti Lötjönen and drummer Jaska Lukkarinen – all successful Finnish jazz musicians. "Characters", the new release consists of compositions by the legendary American composer and saxophonist Wayne Shorter (b. 1933). Leader Paakki has focused on the Shorter of the 1960s, having handpicked a number of pieces from his repertoire and rearranged them for piano trio. The album includes a number of faithful renditions, while some of the classic pieces have undergone a more radical face-lift. It is released, exceptionally, on vinyl only; but will be available on the streaming service Spotify on the release date. The album-launching show takes place on the same day at Koko Jazz Club in Helsinki, but the new album's material will surely be heard live later in October, too, when the trio hits the road on tour co-produced by Jazz HUG and the Finnish Jazz Federation.

Characters offers essentially modern interpretations of a selection of Wayne Shorter’s compositions, published originally on the celebrated jazz label Blue Note. True to the monumental composer and to themselves, Riitta Paakki Trio has invested Shorter’s strong melodies, sturdy swing and tender atmospheres with a touch of Finnish melancholy and their own pellucid vision. Indeed, the album title is a reference to the members’ differing personalities and distinctive styles of playing, which meet and mix on the album. “Shorter’s compositions are strong and characteristic works in themselves, and on this album we have thrown in our own individual personas to boot”, says Paakki.

The new album introduces also the new line-up of Paakki’s trio. Bassist Ari-Pekka Anttila and drummer Mikko Hassinen have been replaced by two younger-generation troupers; Jaska Lukkarinen on the drums and Antti Lötjönen on the bass. Riitta Paakki Trio, founded as early as in 1996, released three albums on label Impala with its original crew. The debut RTP was shortlisted for the Jazz Emma Prize fresh from the oven. Characters is the first recording by the regenerated Riitta Paakki Trio.

Riitta Paakki, piano
Jaska Lukkarinen, drums
Antti Lötjönen, bass

01. Riitta Paakki Trio - This Is for Albert (5:11)
02. Riitta Paakki Trio - Yes or No (6:22)
03. Riitta Paakki Trio - Wild Flower (3:43)
04. Riitta Paakki Trio - Speak No Evil (4:13)
05. Riitta Paakki Trio - Infant Eyes (6:09)
06. Riitta Paakki Trio - Pinocchio (6:47)
07. Riitta Paakki Trio - Black Nile (5:14)
08. Riitta Paakki Trio - Miyako (5:53)