TEEMU VIINIKAINEN "Teemu Viinikainen is one of the top 20 jazz guitarists in the world", says internationally renowned professor, author and critic, Stuart Nicholson. As a supreme instrumentalist and soulful interpreter, the well-known virtuoso from Helsinki has, over the years, played in a number of top groups. Among others, the ensembles of Jukka Perko, Eero Koivistoinen and Jukkis Uotila have assisted in Viinikainen becoming well known by jazz audiences. Within their ranks, he has risen to become a world-class guitarist. This is evidenced by his cooperation with such major overseas artists as Joe Lovano, Tim Hagans and Randy Brecker. Viinikainen has also enjoyed wide acclaim in his home country of Finland and has received, for example, the Finnish Jazz Federation's Yrjo-award and a Sony Jazz Award. In addition, he has also twice been nominated for a Teosto award for his recordings with the Perko-Pyysalo-Viinikainen trio. The most important group at the start of his career was the U-Street All Stars, which rose in popularity during the early 2000s after a victory in Spain's Getxo jazz group competition. The band also recorded two full-length albums on the prestigious Blue Note label. Viinikainen's first solo album Tales of Robert Dickson was released in 2005 and has been followed up with a new release entitled Nyt! on which he is accompanied by bassist, Ville Herrala, and drummer, Mika Kallio. Viinikainen holds a master's degree in music from the jazz department of the Sibelius Academy, where he has also worked as a teacher since 2002. His prowess on the pedagogical side can be seen in his recently published jazz guitar textbook Rytmi elää (The Rhythm Lives). www.teemuviinikainen.com MIKA KALLIO The unique skills of Finnish drummer Mika Kallio have, over the years, provided audiences with a wealth of enjoyment. His striking ability to create novel audio landscapes has proved itself invaluable. Such major Finnish artists as Eero Koivistoinen, Pekka Pohjola, Sakari Kukko and Samuli Mikkonen have all benefited directly from Kallio's skills, and his active involvement in the Finnish record company Fiasco has also been significant with more than ten releases backing, among others, Kalle Kalima and Mikko Innanen. In 2008, Kallio released his first own album, which features his diverse tonal range and bold imagination.VILLE HERRALA Finnish double bassist Ville Herrala is considered an elite performer in his field, both as a soloist and as an ensemble musician. His strong bass lines have supported a large number of significant Finnish groups since the early 2000s; one might mention the U-Street All Stars and Piirpauke. Herrala's unique ability to adapt to a multitude of styles whilst preserving his own personal identity manifests the purest ideal of jazz musicianship. Very much in demand, Herrala can these days be heard, for example, at Jerry Bergonzi and Phil Markovich concerts, and in top Finnish bands like the Plop and the Tokka Trios, and in the Jukka Perko Streamline Jazztet. TEEMU VIINIKAINEN TRIO A successful musician is always embarking on a creative expedition and Teemu Viinikainen is no exception. In the Trio's latest journey of exploration, tonal beauty and inventiveness combine with a veritable inferno of emotions. Each member's contribution plays an important role: Mika Kallio's drum kit (somewhat different from the norm) produces a wide spectrum of tonal colors and dynamics, whilst Ville Herrala's robust double-bass provides a superb foundation. The maestro himself, playing a classic 1940s jazz guitar, conjures up clean and rugged tones. The repertoire consists of material by Teemu which has been freshly assembled for this present line-up, and the key borrowed track is an arrangement of Toivo Kärki's Siks' oon mä suruinen (That's why I'm so sad).
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