Mikko Innanen 10+

Mikko Innanen 10+ @ Tampere Jazz Happening 2014 /photo by Maarit Kytöharju

Finnish saxophonist and composer Mikko Innanen realized his long-time dream of leading a large ensemble in November 2012, when his 12-piece Mikko Innanen 10+ played its debut-concert at the Koko Jazz Club in Helsinki. The group comprises his friends, close colleagues and favorite players from the Finnish jazz scene. The music is all composed and arranged by Innanen, ranging from the fast free-bop of “Confessions of a Congressman” to the raging fury of “Song for a New Decade”, the lovely loving of “Looking for Love” and the quirky abruptness of “The Coda of Ornette Coleman’s Blues Connotation and Other Sources of Inspiration”, and most recently to the 45-minute ”Phrygia”, Innanen’s largest composition to date.

In November 2014 Innanen and his troupe played a celebrated concert at the Tampere Jazz Happening, which was followed by two international festival presentations in the Spring of 2015 : Vossa Jazz, Norway and Moers Festival, Germany. This year Mikko Innanen 10+ are playing festivals in Finland and expecting their first record to be released.

Lineup:
Mikko nnanen alto and baritone saxophones
Pauli Lyytinen tenor and soprano saxophones
Jussi Kannaste tenor saxophone
Verneri Pohjola trumpet
Teemu Mattsson trumpet
Jari Hongisto trombone
Juho Viljanen bass trombone
Seppo Kantonen piano
Ville Herrala double bass
Eero Tikkanen double bass
Joonas Riippa drums
Mika Kallio drums

“The gifted multi-reed player Mikko Innanen also makes a strong showing with his large ensemble 10+, blending dense, freewheeling orchestrations with pithy melodic interludes, which again underline the strength of the Finnish jazz scene.”
Kevin Le Gendre / Jazzwise Magazine
“For those not so familiar with the Finnish scene, the appearance of sax man Mikko Innanen’s 10+ ensemble was nothing less than a revelation. The orchestra he gathered with a doubling of all instruments (plus himself as saxophonist) included twelve musicians from among the best of the Finnish jazz scene, offering a broad stylistic range and an energetic dynamism full of quick and surprising turns.”
Henning Bolte / All About Jazz
”Innanen’s 10+ featured all original compositions and creative, fresh yet tight, morphing arrangements by the group’s leader, who also played alto and baritone. His allstar Finnish group featured stellar soloists like Verneri Pohjola (trumpet), Joonas Riippa and Kallio (drums) and Seppo Kantonen (piano).”
Laurence Donahue-Greene / The New York City Jazz Record