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ALEXI TUOMARILA piano
MATS EILERTSEN double bass
OLAVI LOUHIVUORI drums
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For more than 15 years Alexi Tuomarila has been quietly building a considerable reputation as one of the finest pianists of his generation in Europe, described by Jazz Times as ‘…one of the next big deals on jazz piano…’ and selected as one of the New Future Names of International Jazz by distinguished British jazz journalist Stuart Nicholson in the Observer newspaper.
Alexi has built an extensive catalogue both as a leader and as sideman with many groups, including for ECM with the late great trumpeter Tomasz Stanko. With Sphere he has produced his most accomplished album yet featuring his long-term collaborators, bassist Mats Eilertsen and drummer Olavi Louhivuori, and with the addition of guest soloist and Edition artist Verneri Pohjola. Alexi says: ‘’For me Sphere in this context represents the constantly morphing and boiling space, where music is happening… the musical sphere is constantly changing and evolving, as is the musicians’ personal taste and approach towards music. I don’t think it’s possible to reinvent the piano trio, but it’s certainly possible to be influenced and touched by many different cultures and musical styles, and to integrate what has been learned into one’s music and playing.” Alexi demonstrates by his musical progression on his albums for Edition – 2017’s Kingdom, 2013’s Seven Hills and his album with Drifter – Flow from 2015 – that he is not only influenced by the music and the situations around him, but that like the artist he is, he is able to mold and shape these influences into something new and exciting.
The almost eerily intuitive playing of the trio stems from Alexi, Olavi and Mats’ long relationship – not just in this trio but in a host of other musical situations: “We have played together for 15 years as a trio and also in multiple other contexts, so we have grown into a strong unit. Besides having played so much together, we also all compose and play each other’s songs. So each of us contributes ideas equally to the music.
”The addition of the superb young Finnish trumpeter Verneri Pohjola to the mix (surely one of the brightest talents in the jazz world today) enriches the trio sound and brings out new elements in the trio’s compositions. “We all have been working together with Verneri in different combinations, so having Verneri playing and interpreting the songs felt really natural and made a lot of sense. He really was able to bring life to the songs.”
Sphere is simply quite brilliant, bringing together strong melodic, driving, rhythmical soloing, Finnish melancholia and some of the finest musicianship to emerge from any Nordic small ensemble. It has a wonderful freedom within the structure of its memorable compositions. The disc has that ‘classic album’ feel: it will be listened to again and again, studied by musicians and admired by many.
This is music that captivates, moving all with its strong melodies and driving improvisations. Listen to the moment in the opening track when Alexi Tuomarila fluidly transitions into his improvisation. The energy is pure and uplifting.
Booking:
alexituomarila@gmail.com
Record Label:
Dave Stapleton
Edition Records
dave@editionrecords.com
Press & PR:
Mike Gavin, Worldwide
mike@editionrecords.com
Download Edition Records press release for Sphere.
Sphere // Press release »
Download Alexi Tuomarila, Alexi Tuomarila Trio and Sphere images.
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Alexi Tuomarila Trio Shapeshifter (Sphere, 2019)
Alexi Tuomarila Trio Vagabond (Kingdom, 2017)
Alexi Tuomarila Trio The Elegist Live @ April Jazz Festival, Finland
Alexi Tuomarila Seven Hills
Alexi Tuomarila Trio Boklöv (Sphere, 2019) Live snippet @ Pori Jazz 2019
Alexi Tuomarila Trio Proloque
Alexi Tuomarila Origins
Alexi Tuomarila Trio Shadows (Kingdom, 2017) @ Turner Sims, UK
Alexi Tuomarila Trio @ Kalisz Piano Festival, Poland
Press coverage for Sphere (2019)
“The jazz trio is brought to dizzying life in the hands of Alexi Tuomarila and friends.”
– Barry Witherdon, BBC Music Magazine, UK ***** (5 Stars), Album of the Month
Full review »
“With his fourth release – Sphere – the trio has fulfilled its promise.”
– Harri Uusitorppa, Helsingin Sanomat, FI ***** (5 Stars)
Full review »
“…the album is also over run with some great free flowing improvisation and interaction between the musicians is tight, strong and maintained throughout. The structures are sound yet within them is freedom and improvisation, centred but also given energy and drive. A great album, delivered with style and panache.”
– Sammy Stein, Free Jazz Collective, US ***** (5 Stars)
Full review »
“Though Glenn Gould and Alexi Tuomarila are two quite different pianists with two different musical outlooks, they do share something in common, two huge talents.”
– Stuart Nicholson, Jazzwise Magazine, UK **** (4 Stars)
“Alexi Tuomarila and his longtime partners Mats Eilertsen and Olavi Louhivuori combine a dreamlike interaction, each of which contributes their own pieces to the repertoire.”
– Berthold Klostermann, Fono Forum Magazine, DE ****(*) (4,5 Stars)
Full review »
“This is a fine and satisfying album where Tuomarila’s trio seems to have coalesced into one articulate, comfortable unit.”
– Roger Farbey, All About Jazz, UK **** (4 Stars)
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“If you like contemporary European Jazz, you’re going to love this.”
– Fred Neighbour, UK Vibe, UK ***** (5 Stars)
Full review »
“Sphere is once again a smashingly good album. One of those albums that indicates that jazz lives like never before. And with this album Alexi Tuomarila proves once more that he is now truly one of the greatest and most important pianists in jazz. And his trio is one that defies categorisation.”
– Dick Hovenga, Written In Music, NL *****(*) (4,5 Stars)
Full review »
“Tuomarila breaks the tension and goes off on a tremendous rhapsodic solo, fully demonstrating why he’s viewed as one of the bright lights on the European jazz scene.”
– Matt Groom, Presto Music, UK // Recording of the week
Full review »
“Alexi Tuomarila Trio is quite simply among the best there is in piano trios nowadays”
– Tor Hammerø, Nettavisen, NO
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“Tuomarila breaks the tension and goes off on a tremendous rhapsodic solo, fully demonstrating why he’s viewed as one of the bright lights on the European jazz scene.”
– Pascal Rozat, Jazz Magazine, FR **** (4 Stars)
“Thanks to the inventive rhythms, the melodic richness and the great playing, this has become a unique and important album, with which the Alexi Tuomarila Trio proves that the modern piano trio can still push its limits.”
– Mathijs van den Berg, Jazzenzo, NL
Full review »
“Thanks to the inventive rhythms, the melodic richness and the great playing, this has become a unique and important album, with which the Alexi Tuomarila Trio proves that the modern piano trio can still push its limits.”
– Jan Hocek, Jazzport, CZ 100%
Full review »
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Press coverage for Kingdom (2017)
“Tuomarila is big in Europe now, and his balance of stomping anthem magnetism and teeming improv fluency, matched by the virtuosity of Norwegian bassist Mats Eilertsen and Finnish percussionist Olavi Louhivuori explain why.”
-The Guardian, UK **** (4 Stars)
Full review »
“This is an album that demands your attention and will repay repeated listening. It almost goes without saying that the recorded sound is second to none. The album is sure to raise the profile of this master pianist still further. Highly recommended.”
-UK VIBE ***** (5 Stars)
Full review »
“Judging by this fully engaging and satisfying album the piano-led power trio is most definitely alive and well.”
– All about Jazz, USA **** (4 stars)
Full review »
“…this recording satisfies the high expectations: Kingdom is one of the best CDs of the Piano trio genre to appear for years.”
-Nordische Musik, DE ****** (6/6 Stars, Album of the month)
“Tuomarila has delivered an absolute masterpiece with Kingdom.”
– Written in Music, NL ****(*) (4,5 stars)
Full review (in Dutch) »
“Kingdom is set to establish Tuomarila as a leading figure in the European jazz scene.”
-The Australian **** (4 Stars)
Full review »
“I believe that this is a future classic modern piano trio album.”
-LIRA Magazine, SWE (LIRA LIKES)
“Kingdom is yet another example of Alexi Tuomarila’s winning formula…it is a trio recording that’s right up there.”
-Nettavisen, NO
Full review (in Norwegian) »
“…the trio’s own melodic material is first class – and in some places even irresistibly lyrical, even without words.”
– Helsingin Sanomat, FI **** (4 stars)
Full review (in Finnish) »
“Alexi Tuomarila Trio introduces the audience really into the Kingdom of Scandinavian jazz of the highest quality”
-Jazzport, CZ (95/100)
Full review (in Czech) »