Panu Savolainen - Kärki konsertissa (2021) Hi-Res

Vibraphonist Panu Savolainen will release his concert album Toivo Kärje on the 106th anniversary of his birth on Friday, December 3, 2021, recorded with his band Toivo and the Helsinki City Orchestra conducted by conductor Jaakko Kuusisto. The ensemble of Kärje's masterpieces was recorded at the Helsinki Music Hall in the composer's 100th anniversary year in November 2015. The first single of the album, which will be released on CD and digitally at the Old Gate, was released on digital services on Friday 22 October.

The album consists of Toivo Kärje's classic tunes, which are interpreted as fresh and surprising jazz-inspired arrangements by Savanu's guitarist Teemu Viinikainen and bassist Jori Huhtala's Panu Savolainen Toivo band together with the Helsinki City Orchestra. Mikko Hassinen, Timo Alakotila and Panu Savolainen. The highly acclaimed concert ensemble was performed at the Kärje 100th anniversary year with a total of five different symphony orchestras conducted by Jaakko Kuusisto.

“The evening with the Toivo ensemble, HKO and Jaako at the Helsinki Music Hall in November 2015 is one of the most important in my own life, and the release of a recording of it has been in my mind for several years. The corona time, with all its cancellations, gave the final spark to bringing the album to life, and it is very happy that this concert ensemble will finally be documented for everyone to hear. I would like to extend my humbest thanks to the musicians involved, the Helsinki City Orchestra and Toivo Kärje's legacy for making the album possible, ”says Panu Savolainen.

In addition to his numerous collaborative projects, Panu Savolainen is known for his Herd trio, which was founded in 2009. In addition to his own bands, Savolainen, who was chosen Pori Jazz Artist of the Year in 2010, has performed in recent years, e.g. With JPP and Vuokko Hovatta Kolmisin. His latest album Soiva was released in February 2021.

The Helsinki City Orchestra, which reaches more than 110,000 listeners annually, has developed into an increasingly internationally influential symphony orchestra during its nearly 140 years of operation, and its recognizable sound is an important part of the Helsinki landscape. Jaakko Kuusisto, a conductor, violinist and composer currently acting as the chief conductor of the Kuopio City Orchestra, is one of the leading names in Finnish music. Orchestras from Minnesota, Sydney and Melbourne.

"A great example from the year ending is the way in which jazz musician Panu Savolainen, together with his band Toivo and the Helsinki City Orchestra, dusted off Toivo Kärje's compositions in honor of the centenary of this birth." - Helsingin Sanomat from the concert 2015.