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bio: When you learn from the best, there comes a day when the apprentice becomes the master.
Teemu Mattsson has spent his life around the best jazz musicians in Finland - Jari Perkiömäki, Jukkis Uotila, Sonny Heinilä and Jukka Perko - first as a student at the Sibelius Academy jazz department, and then as a hired hand in numerous productions as a freelancer.
It takes a special group of people to produce the 'primitive energy' that Mattsson says you hear on the album. His quintet is a blend of talented young guns and some oldtimers that have been around a block or two.
Teemu Eronen, the drummer, while a relative newcomer, oozes energy in every beat and sound he produces. The same goes for Ville Herrala, bass, who has previously played with the Jukka Perko Quintet, U-Street All Stars and Piirpauke.
Mikael Jakobsson, the keyboardist, is an established figure in the jazz circles. His rock solid touch has blessed, for example, the Five Corners Quintet.
The saxophone virtuoso, Ari Jokelainen, wrote one of the songs on the album. He also plays on two of the tracks. Jokelainen, previously also a Pori Jazz Musician of the Year, is a member of Unit 6.
And then there are the special guests.
The U-Street All Stars' Teemu Viinikainen is one of the most popular Finnish jazz guitarists, another special guest on Teemu Mattsson's album.
Mongo Aaltonen, percussionist, is a versatile musician and sort of a living legend in the Finnish music scene. He is well known for the ability to jump into any song, in any style, and take it to another level. He has shown it is not just plate- and congadrums, cymbal and rattles. it's art. It's music.
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