In Finland he has reached the top and in the rest of Europe pianist Aki Rissanen is considered a rising star. As the title of his recent album Another North implies, he plays new, fresh music that avoids the clichés of Nordic jazz. His compositions refer to his classical training, but also to his interest in contemporary beats and grooves. ‘I have never separated classical, jazz, pop and other influences in my music’, says Rissanen. ‘I just took ideas from different styles by mistake and adopted them to be my own voice and expression.’

‘Advanced ideas with a street-sharp attack. Rissanen’s fine trio is a formidable force, with fresh musical intelligence to match flawless techniques’ (The Guardian).

‘Aki Rissanen proved to be a gifted pianist and natural improviser whose exquisite impressionism, whether in composition or in his improvisations, reflected the influence of classical harmony, particularly French models like Messiaen and Debussy’ (Irish Times).

Aki Rissanen piano, Antti Lötjönen bass, Teppo Mäkynen drums