Welcome to Samuli's website. Here you will find information about my work, compositions and records, plus some photos for promotional use.
-RECORDINGS (with sound samples)
PROJECTS
7 HENKEÄ
My own ensemble is based on a trio of me, Uffe Krokfors (double bass) and Mika Kallio (drums). Our first record, Korpea kuunnellessa was made in 1998. Since 2001, the band has expanded, first into a quartet including either Sonny Heinilä or Sakari Kukko on saxophones and flutes, and since 2002 into an octet featuring the aforementioned and reedmen Pepa Päivinen , Jorma Tapio and either Juhani Aaltonen or Pentti Lahti.
In 2002, we recorded an octet CD called Samuli Mikkonen & 7 HENKEÄ, and that has become also the name of the band. We focus on playing compositions of mine, or more or less organised improvisation. In November 2003, the concert of 7 HENKEÄ at the Tampere Jazz Happening was recorded and broadcast via the EBU network in European countries. You will find a review of the concert at allaboutjazz.com .
Our newest project is called "Ajan aalloilla" , in which we dig into the musical universe of early 20th century Finnish composers Jean Sibelius, Toivo Kuula, Oskar Merikanto, Ilmari Hannikainen, Yrjö Kilpinen, Leevi Madetoja, Armas Järnefelt and Heino Kaski. The project was premiered in three Finnish summer festivals -06. Our concert in Porvoo's Musica Futura festival will be broadcast in Finnish TV1 in April -06.
Samuli Mikkonen & 7 HENKEÄ will make a tour of Finnish concert halls in late March -06.
Our piano trio with Uffe and Mika has also worked with other musicians. In 2001 we recorded a CD with Sakari Kukko, called Virret - spirituals from the North , in which we explore one of the oldest musical traditions of our country still alive - old Finnish religious songs. We have also collaborated with saxophonist Jone Takamäki , singer Mirja Mäkelä , trombone player Paul Rutherford (UK) and sax player George Haslam (UK).
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INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS
My most important international project is a trio of me, Anders Jormin (b/SWE) and Audun Kleive (drs/NOR). We started in 1998, when we had a tour in Norway, Denmark and Finland, and the Helsinki concert of that tour has been released as a CD: "KOM-LIVE". In spring 2004 we started playing again, having concerts at the Copenhagen Jazz House and in the Nefertiti club of Gothenburg and in Bergen, Norway, at the Nattjazz festival. We also made a new recording, to be released in 2006.
In May 2000 I had the pleasure to perform in London at the Polarjazz - 2000 festival with the legendary trumpetist and composer Kenny Wheeler (UK), Jorma Ojanperä (b) and Markku Ounaskari (drs), plus in the Bath International Music Festival with the Anglo-Finnish BURN - ensemble. Also the Mika Mylläri Quintet played in London, with the strong and poetic saxophonist Ed Jones (UK) as a guest soloist. The radio channel BBC3 recorded and broadcasted some of the concerts.
There has also been short-term projects with other foreign musicians, composer Michael Gibbs, Rob Townsend (sax, UK), Chris Batchelor (trpt, UK) and Wayne Krantz (g, US), to name some.
AS A BAND MEMBER
I have played on a more or less regular basis with the following Finnish bands:
- Jouni Järvelä Group (1993-)
- Lasse Lindgren Brotherhood (2003-)
- Pekka Pylkkäsen Putkipaja ("Pekka's Tube Factory") (1999-)
- Mika Mylläri Quintet (1996-)
- Markus Ketola TILA ensemble (1997-2001)
- Jari Perkiömäki Quartet (1995-98, 2000)
- Esa Pietilä Quintet (1999-2001)
-
Mikko
Innanen
& kumpp. (2001)
-
Wäinämoiset
(1992-2000)
ELECTRIC SOUNDS
Besides my main instrument piano, I have also used synthesized or computer programmed sounds, mainly in three bands so far. Wäinämoiset is a band from my hometown Jyväskylä, and it has worked since 1992. The band released its first CD in June 2000, and it has never played outside of its origin, Central Finland. Another electric band, Jouni Järvelä Group , named after its fine leader and saxophonist, has been around since 1993, and also made one CD, Lento, in 1999. A new live CD, recorded from our April -05 tour, should be coming up in -06. Pekka´s Tube Factory concentrates on playing reedsman Pekka Pylkkänen´s compositions, and with that group I have toured countries as distant as China, Argentina and Peru.
On a commission, a wrote music for Mika Waltari's theatre piece "Akhnaton, auringosta syntynyt" in 1999, in which electroacoustic sound played an important role.
In December 2002 I recorded 6 pieces combining the sonorities of a
grand piano with synthetic, computer processed and concrete sound
textures for YLE, the Finnish broadcasting
company.
COMPOSITIONS
My most extensive compositions are:
Enigma 2005
(2x fl, oboe, cor anglais, 2x cor, 2x flugelhorn, trb, bass trb, 2x vl, vla, vc, piano,
double bass, drs)
premiere: Erasmus Helsinki Orchestra,
Arabia Hall, Helsinki 4/05
Mundus Senescit 2004
(2x vl, vla, vc)
premiere: Zagros string quartet,
Ateneum-sali, Helsinki 10/04
Sataa, taas 2004
(solo trumpet/sopr.sax + big band: 4x trpt, 3x trb, bass trb, 2x alto sax,
2x ten sax, bar sax, piano, guit, double bass, drs)
premiere: Jyväskylä Big Band,
Siltasali, Jyväskylä 5/04
Päijänne 2003
(2x alto sax, 2x flute, bass cl, piano, double bass, perc,
kantele)
premiere: S.M. & 7 HENKEÄ, Tampere
Jazz Happening 11/03
Hiiviskelijä 2003
(solo alto flute, oboe, cl, cor, bsn)
premiere: Vaja -ensemble,
Ateneum-sali, Helsinki 10/03
Port
Rerehatwe 2002
(solo alto sax + big band: 4x trpt, 3x trb, bass trb, alto sax,
2x ten sax, bar sax, piano, guit, el.bass, drs
or
solo alto sax + symphony
orchestra + big band: 2x fl, oboe, cor
anglais, 2x cl, sax ATTB, bsn, 2x cor, 4x trpt, 3x trb, bass trb, 2x vl, vla, vc, double
bass, el. bass, drs)
premiere: Jyväskylä Big Band,
Taulumäen kirkko, Jyväskylä 4/03;
symphony orchestra + big band version
premiered by Erasmus Helsinki Orchestra, Arabia Hall, Helsinki 4/05
Varjot
horisontissa 2002
(alto sax, 2x ten sax, bar sax, piano, double bass, perc)
premiere: S.M. & 7 HENKEÄ, Jumo Jazz
Club, Helsinki 3/03
Taivasalla
2002
(fl, alto
fl, bass fl or 2x vl, vla, ssax)
premiere: Valkoinen Sali, Helsinki
10/02
Vehkeilijä 2001
(fl, piano, double bass, perc)
premiere: S.M. & 3 HENKEÄ, K-P
konservatorio, Kokkola 9/01
Music for Mika
Waltari's play Akhnaton, auringosta syntynyt 1999
(oboe/cor anglais, p,
timpani/marimba/vibraphone/tub.bells,
6 voices and electroacoustic sound
parts)
premiere: Aleksanterin teatteri, Helsinki 9/99
Horjahteleva
maisema 1997
(s.sax, a.sax, t.sax, bar.sax)
premiere: UMO, Ateneum -sali, Helsinki
12/97
Kolme pientä
kappaletta 1994
(cl, p, vibrafoni)
premiere: Universtas -ensemble,
Sibelius
Academy's Concert Hall, Helsinki 5/94
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Samuli Mikkonen & 7 HENKEÄ 2003
Mikkonen/Jormin/Kleive: KOM-LIVE 2000
Samuli Mikkonen: Korpea kuunnellessa 1998
Lasse Lindgren Brotherhood: Sunburst 2005
Jouni Järvelä Group: Lento 1999
Pekka Pylkkänen: Opaque 2001
Markus Ketola: Tila 1998
Jan Simons Band: Answer 1999
Mika Mylläri Quintet: Les Ponts 1997
Jari
Perkiömäki
Quartet: Shades 1996
There has been also some
radio recordings, for BBC3, Sveriges Radio, Danmarks Radio, and most
extensively - 26 radio and 7 tv projects - for the Finnish Radio, YLE.
Translations of Finnish
song
titles
2006
7.3. 9 pm John Zorn: Cobra - UMO Jazz House, Pursimiehenkatu 6, Helsinki21.3. 7 pm
Malmitalo, Helsinki
Samuli Mikkonen & 7
HENKEÄ Ajan aalloilla
Samuli Mikkonen - piano,
goat horn, kantele ao.; Sonny Heinilä - tenor & soprano sax, altto fl;
Sakari Kukko - tenor & soprano sax, fl, wooden flutes; Pentti Lahti -
alto & tenor sax, fl; Pepa Päivinen - baritone sax,
bass clarinet, wooden flutes; Jorma Tapio - alto & tenor sax, bass fl,
bass cl,
ancient instruments; Mika Kallio - drs, kantele; Ulf Krokfors -
double bass
23.3. 7 pm
Salon Taidemuseo
Olli Heinilä
Quartet
28.3. 7 pm
Malmitalo, Helsinki
Finnish saxophone
society, concert
29.3. 7 pm
Samuli Mikkonen, Sonny Heinilä,
Sakari
Kukko, Pentti Lahti, Pepa Päivinen, Jorma Tapio, Mika Kallio, Ulf
Krokfors
30.3. 7 pm
Samuli Mikkonen, Sonny Heinilä,
Sakari
Kukko, Pentti Lahti, Pepa Päivinen, Jorma Tapio, Mika Kallio, Ulf
Krokfors
31.3. 7 pm
Samuli Mikkonen, Sonny Heinilä,
Sakari
Kukko, Pentti Lahti, Pepa Päivinen, Jorma Tapio, Mika Kallio, Ulf
Krokfors
1.4. 4 pm
Samuli Mikkonen, Sonny Heinilä,
Sakari
Kukko, Pentti Lahti, Pepa Päivinen, Jorma Tapio, Mika Kallio, Ulf
Krokfors
15.4. 11 pm
Samuli Mikkonen, Sonny
Heinilä,
Sakari
Kukko, Jorma Tapio, Mika
Kallio, Ulf
Krokfors - broadcast of our concert at Musica Futura festival, August
2005
Worldwide record sales by mail:
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FIN-20500 TURKU
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494 8640
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Promotion:
Finnish Music
Information Centre
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FIN-00200
Helsinki
tel. +358-9-6810 1313
fax +358-9-6820 770
e-mail: info@mic.teosto.fi
The Finnish
Jazz
Federation
PL 54, FIN-00101 Helsinki
tel. +358-9-757 2077, fax +358-9-757 2067
e-mail :
jazzliitto@musicfinland.com
For appearances a.o. :
Samuli
Mikkonen
GSM +358-50-341 2706
e-mail : samuli.mikkonen@siba.fi
