biography

Saxophonist Jukka Perko's rapid ascent to international fame began in 1987 when the legendary Dizzy Gillespie recruited the fresh nineteen-year-old into his big band. Perko's dazzling talent was compared to the young Charlie Parker and won him rave reviews. Since the two years spent with Dizzy's band, Perko has had a number of bands and has performed in over forty countries. Perko approaches music from silence and describes his attitude towards playing and composing as balancing between perfectionism and coming to terms with incompleteness. That is perhaps the reason why his notes ring with what some might call grace. Powered by his spectacular playing technique, and by mixing traditional jazz with some distinctly Finnish elements, he has earned his place as one of the most celebrated saxophonists of his entire generation.

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