VERNERI POHJOLA trumpet, composer
The thirty six year-old trumpeter and composer from
Helsinki, Finland has been in the international spotlight for the past few
years, and is acknowledged as a jazz star in the making. Having released his
two previous albums on the German ACT label to huge critical acclaim, including
a five star review from The Guardian, he’s now set to fulfil his enormous
creative potential.
Son of the virtuoso bass guitarist Pekka Pohjola, Verneri
first came to prominence as leader of Ilmiliekki Quartet, a band that won
numerous accolades including the prestigious Teosto Award for original
composition. Pohjola soon emerged as a rising star on the Finnish scene,
picking up the coveted gong for Musician of the Year at the 2004 Pori Jazz Festival.
As is the case with many great horn players, Pohjola has a
distinctive tone, which has a deeply affecting purity and lyricism. His highly
melodic improvising is matched by personal compositions marked by memorable and
imaginative themes that steer clear of any hackneyed notion of ‘Nordic jazz.’A
truly progressive artist with a firm grip on popular culture, Verneri Pohjola
is ready to confirm that he is one of the most exciting and original artists of
his generation.
Verneri Pohjola’s new album ‘Bullhorn’ featuring pianist Aki
Rissanen, bassist Antti Lötjönen and drummer Teppo Mäkynen is released in early
2015.
Press quotes on Bullhorn:
“This album takes its place among the truly finest albums of
recent times.”
Jazzwise
“Bullhorn, released by the British label Edition Records,
includes an hour’s worth of the best Pohjola thus far. He’s more confident,
crystallized, focused and also somewhat more mature.”
Helsingin Sanomat
“This album could be one of those top ten desert island
releases from Finland.”
Ilkka newspaper
“Everything is subjective, but as the sounds of the Verneri
Pohjola Quartet enveloped me, I got the feeling that this is the best jazz in
the world.”
Aamulehti (concert review)
“This album makes you love itself.”
suomijazz.com
“This is a beautifully executed, and quietly surprise-packed
set”
The Guardian
“The third album from leading Helsinki-based composer,
bandleader and trumpet player Verneri Pohjola is the one that cements his move
from longtime rising star to international jazz heavyweight.”
London Evening Standard
“While Pohjola’s 2011 album, Aurora, on the ACT label was a
bit of a favourite of mine, this feels a lot more focussed and an even bigger
step up in the jazz league.”
The Jazz Breakfast
“Pohjola has long had the qualities which form a complete
kind of musicianship, but in Bullhorn the vision is clearer than ever before.”
Hufvudstadsbladet
Other quotes:
“The whole remarkable venture combines memorable original
themes with striking ensemble-writing for horns and strings, dramatic brass and
percussion sounds, and a faintly disconsolate beauty that nonetheless avoids
all the usual north-European, windswept-jazz cliches.” The Guardian (UK) on
“Aurora”
“Certainly he draws on Finnish folkloric elements, but in a
very personal way, mixing it with other influences, and these pieces in their
totality (‘Askisto’ and ‘Spirit of S’ are album highlights) produce a vision of
an artist whose exposure on the ACT label should bring long overdue (and
deserved) recognition outside his homeland.” Jazzwise (UK) on “Aurora”
Website: http://www.verneripohjola.com/
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