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Kerkko Koskinen’s musical visions have always been ambitious. When he put together what was to become the most popular rock/pop band in Finland in the 1990s, Ultra Bra, the instrumentation of a standard band was just not enough. In addition to four vocalists, the 13-member band included a horn section, two percussionists, and a large-scale string assembly, used in the band’s recordings. Striving to create a “big” sound has always been present in Koskinen’s production, and finally, with Agatha, he has found the orchestra to match his musical vision: a world-class big band, Umo Jazz Orchestra, and a world-class soloist, trumpetist Verneri Pohjola. Koskinen and Pohjola’s musician personas complement each other in a way that inevitably brings to mind one of the most legendary composer-soloist partnerships in the history of jazz: that of Gil Evans and Miles Davis. Just like Davis created a humane, accessible instrumental contact surface to Evans’ architectural arrangements, Koskinen’s rich and full orchestration is balanced by Pohjola’s trumpetism, full of contrast and intimacy. To mention just a few, Pale Horse, And Then There Was One, and Cats And Pigeons are brilliant examples of Koskinen and Pohjola’s fruitful cooperation.
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