“The midnight sun is something everyone should experience once in a lifetime. If only they
did, they too would be able to sing its praises with the same exuberant intensity as Finnish
artist Tuija Komi, translating its glowing brilliance into purest indulgence. It’s a master
class in creating music, applying the charm of experience and blending Nordic swing with
the inspiration delivered by the power of melody. An album you’ll love to smile along to.” (Ralf Dombrowski)
“Hey, Pippi Langstrumpf!“ Wait, what? What’s the bold, brave child heroine from Sweden
with the crazy corkscrew braids doing here? Aren’t we supposed to be in Finland, the
birthplace of long-standing Munich resident Tuija Komi, who’s launching her new album
“Midnight Sun”? Peppi Pitkätossu (spoken as it’s spelt) is the Finnish version of the
celebrated girl’s name – and Tuija Komi elevates the classic children’s song into a veritable jazz anthem. Exploring every nuance, her powerful voice transforms the catchy
generation-spanning earworm, clothing it in a sparkling new musical outfit. Sung in
Finnish, the number incorporates vocal sequences that deliver a new twist on classic scat
singing and clearly signpost the singer’s Finnish origins. Quintessential Tuija Komi!
This individuality, this extremely personal style which permeates the vocals, the music and the arrangements, brings a special glow to the whole album. Pop classics spanning Thank You For The Music (ABBA), You Make Me Feel Brandnew (Simply Red) and It’s Too Late
(Carole King) boldly rub shoulders with Feeling Good, so memorably performed by Nina Simone in 1965. Tuija plunders Finnish pop culture (Suru on kunniavieras), adds the
gorgeously wistful ballad Gabriella’s Song by Swedish composer Stefan Nilsson from the
movie “As It Is in Heaven”, and crafts new lyrics for the Latin-flavoured Samba Tzigane by
trumpet maestro Dusko Goykovich. The album closes with If I Had My Life To Live Over, a
hit for Bob Eberly in 1947 – and opens with her own dew-fresh composition, Land Of The
Midnight Sun. A musical homage to her homeland, it evolved in sun-drenched Italy during a songwriting workshop organized by Berklee College of Music and attended by 200 musicians of all nationalities. “It must have been that special blend of South, sun and internationality, all of which I love, that gently nudged my longing for home and took me back to my Nordic roots”, muses Tuija about this song.
Midnight sun or week-long darkness, brilliant, impassioned ardour or murky, poignantly
melancholy twilight: the one is always present in the other, resonating as an evocative
memory. This is Finland, and Tuija Komi is a child of that monumental, elemental play of
light and shadow. Her delicate touch and rich voice place her personal stamp on every song she chooses – ably supported by Walter Lang (p), Peter Cudek (b) and Martin Kolb (dr), a close-knit band with a sensitivity and assurance that perfectly complement their stunning frontwoman. (And one thing’s for certain: if Tuija had ever met Astrid Lindgren, she’d be the star of her very own story…!)
Tourdates – CD-Release-Concerts:
02.10.2018 Tuija Komi Quartett, Jazzclub Unterfahrt, München
04.10.2018 Tuija Komi Quartett, Die Fabrik, Frankfurt
05.10.2018 Tuija Komi Quartett, Altes Pfandhaus, Köln
08.10.2018 Tuija Komi Quartett, Theaterhaus Stuttgart
14.10.2018 Tuija Komi Quartett, Lindenkeller, Freising
18.10.2018 Art of Duo Tuija Komi & Walter Lang, Kulturbühne NUTS, Traunstein
21.10.2018 Tuija Komi Quartett, Cafe am Huppwald, Oberschleißheim
01.12.2018 Tuija Komi Quartett, Kubiz, Unterhaching
07.12.2018 Tuija Komi Quartett, Kulturforum, Fürth
08.12.2018 Tuija Komi Quartett, Jazzclub Bamberg
12.12.2018 Tuija Komi Quartett, Bürgerhaus, Fürstenried
13.12.2018 Tuija Komi Quartett, Salzstadel, Landshut
16.12.2018 Tuija Komi und Vlad Cojocaru (akk), Gut Sonnenhausen, Glonn
