Jarmo Savolainen (b. 24.5.1961) is recognised as being one of the selected members of Finland's jazz piano and keyboard elite. He comes from Central Finland, where he studied classical piano and played in local bands, inspired by the music of Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett. Like many other top Finnish jazz players, he then proceeded to the Berkley College of Music in Boston to continue his studies.
Jarmo Savolainen is a versatile composer and has written jazz works for various line-ups, from solo piano to big band. He has also composed music for the stage, dance groups, TV programmes and the screen. His idiom, while tending towards the modernist tradition, is coloured by a distinctive feel for nuance and an intellectual approach that is far from being academic and dry.
Savolainen the keyboard player is one of the most sought-after musicians in Finland to play anything ranging from rock to modern concert music. One of his great assets is in fact his superb musicianship, which is immediately apparent from his natural, unforced music. And the performer of Savolainen's works must combine a highly sophisticated sense of harmony and analysis with the unfailing instinct of the born musician. As a sign of this, Savolainen received the annual Georgie Award of the Finnish Jazz Federation in 1994.
Jarmo Savolainen has also made a name for himself outside his native Finland. He made his first international solo record in New York with some leading local musicians on the Dutch Timeless label at the beginning of the decade. Since then he has released three international albums on the Dutch A-Records label.
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