Jyväskylä Big Band - Folkloric Moods (2019)

Folkloric Moods is a collaboration between the composers of the Big Band of Jyväskylä and the soloists of the album Elena Mîndrun and Tuomas J. Turunen. The album combines the compositions of Mîndrun and Turunen with the musical vision of the Big Band of Jyväskylä into a magnificent whole. Some of the material on the album was originally commissioned as part of JBB's First Concert Series. The music has inventively used different spices, combining beautiful Finnish landscapes with Romanian folk music. The combination of the cultural influences of two different countries explores jazz tradition from a contemporary perspective. It tells stories of life, love and humanity. It breaks cultural boundaries and unites souls. The soloists of the album and the Big Band of Jyväskylä have been cooperating for several years. Tuomas J. Turku was first heard as a pianist of the Jyväskylä Big Band in 2014, and shortly thereafter Elena Mîndru was called as a soloist and composer of the Concepts Series. The collaboration is a unique combination of world-class artistry and the ability to produce and compose fine music and a passion for new music with Ilkka Mäkitalo. In 2016, Jyväskylä Big Band, Mîndru and Turunen made a concert tour to Romania, where they drew a lot of inspiration for the August 2017 recording session, which took place at the Jyväskylä Music Campus in Siltasal.