Ante Lucem for Symphony Orch and Jazz Quintet

Ante Lucem, a powerful suite for jazz quintet and symphony orchestra by Finnish pianist/harpist/composer Iro Haarla, was premiered at the Umeå Jazz Festival in October 2012. It was recorded at the Concert Hall of NorrlandsOperan in Umeå, and the album is drawn both from the premiere concert and from sessions on the following days. Ante Lucem is comprised of four separate yet closely linked pieces which reflect in different ways, the composer says, upon the "struggle between darkness and light". Personnel: Iro Haarla (piano, harp), Hayden Powell (trumpet), Trygve Seim (soprano & tenor saxophones), Ulf Krokfors (double bass), Mika Kallio (drums & percussion), Norrlands Operans Symfoniorkester, Jukka Iisakkila (conductor)