Porvoo Jazz Festivali Ry’s collaboration with the chamber orchestra Avanti’s Suvisoitto festival continues! This time, Porvoo Jazz Club will visit the Suvisoitto festival in the form of a magical concert by Mika Kallio Gong Odyssey, which conjures up a unique soundscape with gongs and percussion.
The band’s sound soothes the mind and soul, bringing the listener a sense of presence and the opportunity to observe virtuoso control of the instruments. The concert content is based on the music from percussionist Mika Kallio’s fourth solo album GONG ODYSSEY (Eclipse Music 2022). Kallio, known as a jazz drummer for his band that bears the album’s name, has gathered a diverse and creative group around him, who, in addition to his main instruments, also master the art of playing gongs. The compositions, in accordance with the nature of the gongs, hover between ambient and improvised music. Through the project, Kallio has also explored the various sonority possibilities of metal instruments and analog synthesizers. The artistically exceptional concept has been enthusiastically received and has also aroused interest internationally.
“The listeners talked a lot about calming down, about traveling somewhere away from everyday life, and about the peace and feeling of well-being brought by the vibration of the gongs,” says Kallio.
“Kallio conjures up a sound space with gongs and percussion, in which the synthesizer also plays creatively. Only on the very celestial closing track does pianist Jussi Fredriksson make a guest appearance, but even there, at least, the piano is not recognizably heard. The impression is completely unique: fascinating and calming. If you start to feel cramped in your head, this will quickly make room for you, as long as you surrender to the trip Kallio leads with an open mind and presence.”
-Jussi Niemi / Soundi
Photo: Aleks Talve