Peedu Kass Momentum are a piano trio led by the Estonian bassist Peedu Kass.
Their style is as a contemporary piano trio music, with adventurous rhythms, a clear sound and a dashing stage performance. If you’re looking for a piano trio with a spark, then this is your choice.
Peedu is a sought-after sideman and a prolific musician in the European jazz scene. His tours have taken him to some of the most important venues in the world. Seamus Blake, Django Bates, Tony Allen, Antonio Hart, Hayden Powell - these are just a few artists that he has worked with.
Can you tell us a bit a about the Estonian jazz scene?
The Estonian jazz scene is very lively and diverse. In the past decade we have witnessed a real boom with lots of new, emerging artists and crowd-drawing festivals. Stylistically you could describe it as quite eclectic. The influences come from the Nordic 'ECM' sound, the folk tradition as well as rock and classical music.
The influence of the American hardboppers or NY’s modern mainstream hasn’t been very strong in the past 15 years, which certainly gives it a different sound from the rest of the European scenes. The historical highlight was the 1967 Tallinn Jazz Festival and the performance of Charles Lloyd Quartet (Jarrett, DeJohnette and McLure), which was also released on LP.
Deep in the Soviet time, this was a huge precedent and the performance of the band created an euphoria among local musicians and the audience, which literally spanned on for decades. After this all jazz festivals were forbidden and it wasn’t until the end of '80s when new jazz festivals started to emerge.
What drew you to the bass guitar as your chosen instrument?
The selection of my instrument was fairly random. My fellow peers were forming a punk band and they convinced me that the bass guitar is the easiest instrument on the planet. Later on I got interested in jazz and hence I picked up the double bass.
You were awarded the Elion Young Jazz Talent prize; what does such an accolade mean to you?
I’ve always tried to see music as a non-competitive and subjective art form, but of course it’s always great to get recognition. I must say that the acknowledgment of the audience has always been far more efficient.
For new listeners, how would you describe an evening spent with the Peedu Kass Momentum?
We will take you on a roller coaster ride with short stops at the house of horror, bumper cars and the tunnel of love.
You are headed to Australia for shows including the Brisbane International Jazz Festival… what are you most looking forward to about your visit?
It’s our first time in Australia, so we are really exited about everything. We are really looking forward to meeting the audience and becoming familiar with the Australian lifestyle. I’m also crazy about nature, so I’ll try to sneak into the woods as well.
Peedu Kass Momentum released a debut album last year; plans to record another record?
Certainly. I think this is likely to happen within the next two years.
What did it mean for Peedu Kass Momentum to play Jazzahead! - becoming the first Estonian band to do so?
It felt really great to be selected from hundreds of bands and to be granted the opportunity to perform in front of the industry professionals of the jazz world.
Away from your band, you play with an assortment of other ensembles. Do these other pursuits influence your own band/ music?
Certainly. Lately, I have been working a lot in the local indie pop and post-rock scene, but also performed some Arvo Pärt and Alfred Schnittke just a while ago. The influence is often sub-conscious, you don’t really now what is it doing to you, but you kind of feel the subtle spark in your musical ideas. I kind of love it, although it can drive you crazy once in a while.
Is it nice not to be the front of the band when you are playing with these other ensembles?
Yes, I certainly enjoy both sides and I’m lucky I can engage in both. After some intense frontman gigs you can really feel relaxed and 'shine' as the sideman.
What's been the best moment you can recall you have had while onstage? Why was it so special?
For me it’s those moments when I sort of lose control of 'being in control'. It’s almost like an out-of-body experience where you’re conscious becomes the observer of your body and the instrument, which is operating completely on its own. This rarely happens, but when it does it’s truly magical.
A similar feeling can also occur with the audience, when you literally feel that the crowd starts charging your batteries and you gain the feeling that you’re in this thing together.
As a touring musician you have seen a lot of the world; what trips/ tours have been the most memorable?
My favourites are probably San Francisco, Siberia, Iceland and Switzerland. Nature, people and the vibe of the place is what I observe the most and try to bring a piece of it back home. I’m sure I’ll bring some Brisbane back home as well.
Peedu Kass Momentum play Brisbane International Jazz Festival at Queensland Multicultural Centre 1 June.
