Bringing together an all-star cast of musicians from the vibrant Helsinki jazz scene the Finnish jazz supergroup Mortality releases its self titled debut on November 2019.
The concept album dealing thematically with the limits of human existence was the brainchild of the group’s producer Tapio Ylinen, who wrote the bulk of the compositions after the tragic death of his wife in 2015. For the album, each member of the ensemble took on the task of arranging the pieces of music to create a cohesive piece of art under a unified theme.
Mortality combines the conceptual aesthetics of progressive rock with the harmonic and tonal soundscapes of jazz and jazz improvisation. Despite the heavy subject matter the music on the album is delicate, melodic and hopeful. Each member gives their own, distinctive interpretation of the topic in their pieces, while Ylinen’s melodic language keeps the overall piece coherent as a whole. The cover art by graphic artist Aarni Ylinen gives the final touch to the album as a conceptual piece of art.
MORTALITY
Verneri Pohjola – trumpet
Pauli Lyytinen – Saxophones
Aki Rissanen – piano, Rhodes
Jori Huhtala – bass
Mika Kallio – drums
Jere Haakana – guitar
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Teemu Viinikainen – guitar
Tapio Ylinen – compositions