Aviaja

A sparkling encounter
The CD “Aviaja” is a musical meeting between two of Scandinavia’s most prominent jazz musicians: Anders Jormin and Severi Pyysalo. They work all over the world, and are spoken of with respect and admiration by a large audience as well as by critics and fellow musicians. Anders Jormin (Sweden): double bass player, composer and since 2002 professor of improvisation at the Academy of Music and Drama at Göteborg University.

Jormin has recorded and toured with a great many legendary jazz musicians, for example Gilberto Gil, Lee Konitz, Elvin Jones, Don Cherry and Charles Lloyd. He has won a number of prizes and awards, such as the Jan Johansson Prize, and he is a three time winner of the Swedish Grammy Award for best jazz production. Severi Pyysalo (Finland): vibraphonist and composer. One of the world’s leading vibraphonists. During his long career Pyysalo has performed in most European countries, USA, Canada, Asia and Australia. McCoy Tyner, Frank Foster, Zoot Sims and Rick Margitza are but a few of the greats he has played with. Pyysalo has received several prizes and awards, both in Finland and internationally, and he has been voted Jazz Musician of the Year in Finland on a number of occasions. After collaborating a few years the duo recorded the CD ”Aviaja”, a collection of original compositions by Jormin och Pyysalo, and a few of their favourite songs by two of the greatest songwriters in the world: Silvio Rodriguez from Cuba och Vladimir Vysotskyfrom the former Soviet Union.

“In many ways it was inevitable that Jormin and Pyysalo would team up for a duet record, and Aviaja speaks to both artists’ strengths as improvisers, composers and interpreters.
Aviaja is filled with optimism and a sense of joy. Full of meaningful and spontaneous dialogue where memorable melodies are the points of departure, Aviaja remains vivid long after the final song is over.”
John Kelman, All About Jazz