Kaisa's Machine

THE NEW YORK TIMES
"A band of young aces"

DOWNBEAT
"This is a debut record in the sense that all great creative records are debuts.
There will be much more to come." ★★★★

The NYC-based bassist Kaisa Mäensivu formed her ensemble Kaisa’s Machine in Helsinki, Finland in 2015 and made her debut with the group in 2017 on the tight-knit, imaginative In the Key of K. In the midst of this, in 2016, she moved from her native Finland to New York, and thus began a process of artistic growth and transformation. She earned her master’s degree from Manhattan School of Music, studying with the likes of Dave Liebman and Ron Carter. And though she brought new players into her orbit, she kept the Kaisa’s Machine name, landing on Dave Douglas’ prestigious Greenleaf Music label for the follow-up release Taking Shape, her first album as a New Yorker.

Besides touring internationally with her own group, Mäensivu has shared the stage with celebrated artists such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, Dave Kikoski and Tim Hagans. In 2018 she won the first place in the international Riga Jazz Stage contest.

All through her music there’s a sense of story, a sonic richness and surprise. With Kaisa's Machine, Mäensivu has found the ideal platform to realize her vision. The music aims to be relatable in its pureness — sometimes bouncy and groovy, celebrating with you, other times making you ponder all the mysteries and tragedies of life on our planet. Playing bass is Kaisa’s way of dealing with it all.