The first of the three albums is due to be released in Finland in August 2014 and in the German-speaking Europe in January 2015. The American saxophonist Dave Liebman will appear on the album.
Aki Rissanen has entered into a three-album deal with German label, Ozella Music. The first album to be released on Ozella will be entitled "Aki Rissanen // Jussi Lehtonen Quartet with Dave Liebman", on which the group of three Finnish jazzers, Rissanen, drummer Jussi Lehtonen and bassist Jori Huhtala, will be joined by the legendary saxophone player Dave Liebman from the US. The album will be out in Finland on 1 August 2014 and in the German-speaking Europe in January 2015. In Finland the quartet will play two live shows to celebrate the release, on 16 August in Helsinki and on 17 August in Turku, and a tour in Germany, Austria and Switzerland is scheduled for January and February, next year.
“It’s still challenging for a Finnish jazz musician to publish their music abroad”, says Rissanen. “I’ve released my albums before on an American and a French label, but only now, with German Ozella, does it seem that co-operation will open doors to the international jazz scene. I believe that this three-year deal will give me a chance to display my musical vision extensively. On the first of the three recordings, my long-standing dream to record an album with the legendary Dave Liebman came true. His style of expression has had a huge impact on me since I was a student.”
In addition to the record deal with Ozella, Rissanen will publish a solo piano album on Swedish Ilma Records. Other Finns recording on Ozella Music include Kari Ikonen – also a pianist. As the most successful Ozella-artists can be named Norwegians Helge Lien and Gjertrud Lunde, and Swiss Stefan Aeby.
Pianist Aki Rissanen (b. 1980) can be counted among the cream of Finnish jazz pianists. The Kuopio-native belongs to numerous Finnish groups, including Aki Rissanen Trio, Aki Rissanen – Verneri Pohjola Duo, Verneri Pohjola Quartet, Mikko Hassinen Elektro GT and Esa Pietilä Liberty Ship. Rissanen is also a member in such international groups as Aki Rissanen – Robin Verheyen – Markku Ounaskari Aleatoric, White Light Quartet, Belfin Quartet, Thalassa, Frozen Gainsbourg with Mikko Innanen and Röd/Blå with Pekka Tuppurainen. He plays frequently as a sideman with both Finnish and international jazz artists, and has toured in most European countries, plus in the US, China, and on the African continent. Rissanen has already collected a number of trophies and acknowledgements, from Swiss Montreux Jazz Festival, Parisian La Defence Festival and two victories in the Finnish qualifying heat for the inter-Scandinavian Young Nordic Jazz Comets competition, to mention a few. The pianist’s latest album, "Aleatoric", came out on Eclipse Music in spring 2013.
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