Eero Koivistoinen
Encyclopedia
Eero Koivistoinen is a Finnish
jazz musician and saxophone
player, who started his career in the mid-1960s. Koivistoinen has worked as a musician, composer, arranger, conductor, producer and educator. He first heard jazz from the records his sailor brother had brought in from his travels. As a youngster Koivistoinen studied classical violin, saxophone and also composition at the Sibelius Academy
, and later jazz at Berklee College of Music
in Boston
. His first line-up featured the drummer Edward Vesala
and bassist Pekka Sarmanto
. Koivistoinen was also a member of the seminal Finnish rock band Blues Section
in the years 1967 and 1968. In 1968 he released his first solo album, a "literary record" called Valtakunta which featured songs composed to the texts of such poets as Pentti Saarikoski
, Jarkko Laine
, Tuomas Anhava
and Hannu Mäkelä
; interpreted by the vocalists Vesa-Matti Loiri
, Eero Raittinen and Seija Simola
. Eero Koivistoinen's later solo albums such as Wahoo (1972) enjoy a considerable international reputation. His hip hop
-influenced 2006 album X-Ray features such people as the vocalists Charles Salter and Bina Nkwazi, DJ LBJ (also known as Jonas Verwijnen) and the rap artist Redrama
(also known as Lasse Mellberg).
Eero Koivistoinen was one of the founder members of the UMO Jazz Orchestra where he played from 1975 to 1990 and worked as its artistic director from 1996 to 1998. He has also composed music for radio and theatre. Koivistoinen has received the Yrjö prize of the Finnish Jazz Association in 1967, his quartet won the band competition at Montreux Jazz Festival
in 1969, and Koivistoinen also won in 1981 the prize for the best arrangement with his piece "Ultima Thule" at the Nordring competition of European broadcasting companies, held in Jersey
.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
jazz musician and saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
player, who started his career in the mid-1960s. Koivistoinen has worked as a musician, composer, arranger, conductor, producer and educator. He first heard jazz from the records his sailor brother had brought in from his travels. As a youngster Koivistoinen studied classical violin, saxophone and also composition at the Sibelius Academy
Sibelius Academy
The Sibelius Academy is a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It also has an adult education centre in Järvenpää and a training centre in Seinäjoki. The Academy is the only music university in Finland. It is among the biggest European music universities...
, and later jazz at Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. His first line-up featured the drummer Edward Vesala
Edward Vesala
Edward Vesala , born Martti Vesala, was a Finnish avant-garde jazz composer, bandleader and drummer....
and bassist Pekka Sarmanto
Pekka Sarmanto
Pekka Sarmanto is a Finnish jazz bassist. Heikki Sarmanto is Pekka's brother.Pekka Sarmanto first studied classical violin at the Sibelius Academy from 1958 to 1964 before he switched to upright bass...
. Koivistoinen was also a member of the seminal Finnish rock band Blues Section
Blues Section
Blues Section are a Finnish rock music group. They started in 1967, formed around the vocalist Jim Pembroke, a British expatriate song-writer now living in Finland. The other members of the band were Eero Koivistoinen , Ronnie Österberg , Hasse Walli , and Måns Groundstroem...
in the years 1967 and 1968. In 1968 he released his first solo album, a "literary record" called Valtakunta which featured songs composed to the texts of such poets as Pentti Saarikoski
Pentti Saarikoski
Pentti Saarikoski was one of the most important poets in the literary scene of Finland during the 60's and 70's...
, Jarkko Laine
Jarkko Laine
Jarkko Laine was a Finnish poet and a writer of prose and plays. He also translated American literature to Finnish....
, Tuomas Anhava
Tuomas Anhava
Tuomas Anhava was a Finnish writer and recipient of the Eino Leino Prize in 1989.-References:...
and Hannu Mäkelä
Hannu Mäkelä
Hannu Mäkelä is an author of more than 100 books in Finnish: novels, collections of short stories, edited anthologies and children's books. Hannu Mäkelä is known for his books for children in many countries around the world, especially the popular "Mr. Hoo" series.-External links:*...
; interpreted by the vocalists Vesa-Matti Loiri
Vesa-Matti Loiri
Vesa-Matti "Vesku" Loiri is a Finnish actor, musician and comedian, best known for his role as Uuno Turhapuro, whom he portrayed in a total of 20 movies between the years 1973 and 2004....
, Eero Raittinen and Seija Simola
Seija Simola
Seija Simola is a Finnish singer. She began her career musical in the mid 1960s in the band Eero Seija & Kristian Trio, and her debut solo album was released in 1970: Seija Simola 1 ....
. Eero Koivistoinen's later solo albums such as Wahoo (1972) enjoy a considerable international reputation. His hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
-influenced 2006 album X-Ray features such people as the vocalists Charles Salter and Bina Nkwazi, DJ LBJ (also known as Jonas Verwijnen) and the rap artist Redrama
Redrama
Lasse Mellberg , better known by his stage name Redrama, is a Finland-Swedish rapper. Redrama made a breakthrough in 2003. English occurring Redrama was part of hip-hop group Alien Allies, which also included the Norwegian Paperboys and Madcon...
(also known as Lasse Mellberg).
Eero Koivistoinen was one of the founder members of the UMO Jazz Orchestra where he played from 1975 to 1990 and worked as its artistic director from 1996 to 1998. He has also composed music for radio and theatre. Koivistoinen has received the Yrjö prize of the Finnish Jazz Association in 1967, his quartet won the band competition at Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux Jazz Festival
The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland and one of the most prestigious in Europe; it is held annually in early July in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva...
in 1969, and Koivistoinen also won in 1981 the prize for the best arrangement with his piece "Ultima Thule" at the Nordring competition of European broadcasting companies, held in Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
.
Discography
- Blues Section (1967)Blues SectionBlues Section are a Finnish rock music group. They started in 1967, formed around the vocalist Jim Pembroke, a British expatriate song-writer now living in Finland. The other members of the band were Eero Koivistoinen , Ronnie Österberg , Hasse Walli , and Måns Groundstroem...
- Valtakunta (1968)
- Odysseus (1969)
- For Children (1970)
- Original Sin (1971)
- Muusa ja Ruusa (1971)
- Wahoo! (1972)
- 3rd Version (1973)
- Front Is Breaking (1976)
- Labyrinth (1977)
- Live at Belmont Jazz Club (1977)
- Ultima Thule (1983)
- Picture in Three Colours (1983)
- Sea Suite (1983)
- UMO Plays the Music of Koivistoinen and Linkola (1985)
- Kallista on ja halvalla menee (1988)Kallista on ja halvalla meneeKallista on ja halvalla menee is a 1998 studio album by Eero Koivistoinen. The album consists of Koivistoinen's music to texts from well-known Finnish poets and lyricists...
- Pahan Kukkia (1990)
- Altered Things (1992)
- Dialog (1995)
- Electrifying Miles (1997)
- UMO Jazz Orchestra (1997)
- Senegalese Drums (1998)
- Helium (1999)
- Some Time Ago (1999)
- Zone (1999)
- Mozambique Relief (2000)
- UTU (2001)
- Venancio Mbande Orchestra (2001)
- Timbila (2002)
- Suomalainen (2003)
- Galaxy (2003)
- The Five Corners Quintet (2005)
- X-Ray (2006)