Anni Kiviniemi Trio

Finnish pianist Anni Kiviniemi's debut with bassist Eero Tikkanen and Supersonic Orchestra's Hans Hulbaekmo on drums is a moody, jazz-rooted set that pulls on classical music, Norwegian folk and North African styles.

A keen improviser, Kiviniemi wanted to extend the invitation to her collaborators when they recorded 'Eir', that she named after her daughter, who was born while the album was recorded. Kiviniemi told Tikkanen and Hukbaekmo to interpret the music how they see fit with complete freedom - she wanted to feel surprised by the sounds they made, not tailor something to her own expectations. So the album is relatively spiky; Kiviniemi's piano rests at the core, but the rhythm section snake and wind around her notes, deviating from the usual jazz norms. "I'd say the album is 95% improvised," she says, but listening to how well it flows, you'd never guess.