Amorandom Aki Rissanen

• 1Pulsar08:43
• 2For Rainbows04:41
• 3Paysages pas sages06:18
• 4Aleatoric06:05
• 5Signettes04:49
• 6For Jimmy Giuffre05:03
• 7Eye-opener01:37
• 8Bird Vision05:05
• 9Amorandom07:50
• Total Runtime50:11

Info for Amorandom

Over the last few years Aki has quietly been building a name in the international jazz world both as a leader and as a sideman. With Amorandom, he delivers his most authoritative work to date. There’s a fluidity in his playing and a boldness in his composing that deserves widespread praise and real recognition for one of the finest young European pianists. Described by Downbeat as a ‘rising star around Europe, Amorandom is the work that will introduce Aki Rissanen’s startling new talent to a global audience.

This music takes on a visual identity and is influenced by static minimal music, Western classical impressionism and Nordic lyricism. As Aki explains: ‘The music on this album is based on an animation movie, to which I composed a soundtrack a few years ago, directed by Tuula Leinonen and animated by the “grand old man” of the Finnish scene, Antti Peränne... Although the original music has gone through many stages of transformation, you can still hear a cinematic flavor in it’.

Rissanen maybe best known for his work with the Verneri Pohjola Quartet on Edition Records and ACT Music as well as with Dave Liebman on Ozella Music in Germany, yet he has made this album entirely his own. The quiet humility; the comradeship between long standing partners and friends; the classicism; a lyrical melancholy and distinctive rhythmical drive and finesse in his playing develop into a coherent statement. Amorandom is set to make Aki Rissanen the new European pianist everyone is talking about in 2016.

„Aki is a tremendously musical, passionate and soulful person and has a high energy level. He is one of the best young pianists I have heard in years“. (Dave Liebman)

„A melodic imagination and instinct to bend the familiar into unfamiliar shapes“. (Guardian)

Aki Rissanen, piano
Antti, Lötfönen, bass
Teppo Mäkinen, drums

Aki Rissanen
b. 1980 in Kuopio, Finland, is a Finnish pianist and composer. Although originally classically trained he has always had a heart for improvisation and jazz. His studies include classical piano at the Kuopio Conservatory, Finland (1990-2000); jazz music and education at the Helsinki Polytechnic School Stadia (2000-2002); jazz and improvised music at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique in Paris, France (2005-2006); private lessons in New York, USA and Cologne, Germany (2005-2008) and jazz piano and composition at the Sibelius Academy Jazz Department in Finland (2002-2009), where he received the Master’s degree. His teachers include Jarmo Savolainen, Jukkis Uotila, Kirmo Lintinen, John Taylor, Jim Beard, Anders Jormin, Hervé Sellin, Markku Hyvärinen, Jouni Kuronen, Seppo Kantonen, Frank Carlberg, Pessi Levanto and Mikael Jakobsson. Rissanen has made several extended stays in Paris, Berlin and New York and currently is based in Helsinki, Finland.

Rissanen has released five albums under his own name in USA, France and Finland and has recorded with such names as Dave Liebman, Rick Margitza, Tim Hagans, Magnus Broo, Jim Beard, Robin Verheyen and Verneri Pohjola. He has shared the stage with UMO Jazz Orchestra, Dave Liebman, Rick Margitza, Randy Brecker, Mats Gustafsson, Sten Sandell, Ingrid Jensen, Michael Gibbs, Barry Guy, Daniel Humair, Bill Watrous, Jukka Perko, Jukkis Uotila, Eero Koivistoinen and Ulf Krokfors among others.

Rissanen is the leader of Aki Rissanen Trio with Antti Lötjönen (bass) and Teppo Mäkynen (drums) and a side project of this trio, entitled Amorandom featuring Petri Ruikka on visuals. He co-leads the trio Aleatoric with Robin Verheyen (sax) and Markku Ounaskari (drums); the duo with Verheyen, the quartets featuring sax greats Dave Liebman and Rick Margitza, the “Frozen Gainsbourg” quintet with Mikko Innanen (sax) featuring Swedish Emil Strandberg (trumpet), Norwegian Per Zanussi (bass) and Danish Stefan Pasborg (drums).

German-born composer Sid Hille wrote a piano concert “Motion” for Rissanen in 2012 and the premiere was in the Laulumiehet Concert Hall in Helsinki in October on the same year. With trumpeter Verneri Pohjola Rissanen has worked over 10 years and is member of his quartet which has relased two albums for the prestigious ACT Records in Germany. The duo with Pohjola has seen many concerts, too. Newer groups include Esa Pietilä Liberty Ship, Mikko Hassinen Electro GT, Jori Huhtala 5, Pope Puolitaival United and Jukka Perko’s orchestral productions Bird Lives!, Perko plays Simon and Garfunkel and a orchestral work by Heikki Sarmanto.

Rissanen has earlier worked with, now defunct projects like Warp! with Eeppi Ursin, Verneri Pohjola and Joonas Riippa; White Light Quartet (international cast of members from FIN-FRA-BEL); Belfin Quartet (FIN-BEL); and Thalassa (FIN-GER-NOR). He has performed in most of the European countries, USA, China and North Africa.

This album contains no booklet.