iXt -Haarla_Norvio_Rinne

Originally Iro Haarla and Tapani Rinne did IXT as a one-time-only-project for a couple of forward thinking radio programs, but the minimal, spacy, soothing and clearly Scandinavian chamber jazz sounded so good that the project turned into a real band. Here Haarla sticks to piano and Rinne to bass clarinet, while Tuomas Norvio’s subtle electronic manipulations take the acoustic sound to cyber space.

Saxophonist Tapani Rinne has pioneered the contemporary jazz front with his RinneRadio for more than 20 years, combining acoustic melodies with electronic urban rhythms. Norvio joined RinneRadio in the last decade. Haarla, who plays harp as well as all keyboards, came to fame in drum shaman Edward Vesala’s legendary Sound & Fury, but has later run her own groups. The latest of them is her quintet, which recently released an excellent album, Vespers, on ECM.