Alexi Tuomarila is a Finnish jazz pianist and composer..
Biography
Alexi Tuomarila started studying classical piano at the age of 6 at the EspooMusic Academy, Finland. As a teenager he was enthusiastic about rock and grunge music before digging deeper into jazz through his father's record collection. In 1993 Tuomarila was accepted to Oulunkylä pop/jazz Conservatory in Helsinki, Finland, where he studied for a year. He continued his studies under Diederik Wissels and Nathalie Loriers at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels and earned his Master of Music degree in 1999. During his studies he formed his Quartet with Nicolas Kummert, Christophe Devisscher, and Teun Verbruggen. In 1999 his quartet won the award for best band and Tuomarila won the prize for best soloist at the "21st Hoeilaart International Jazz Competition" Belgium. In 2001, he received the first prize at the "3rd International Jazz Soloist Competition" in Monaco, and he won the "10th International Tremplin Jazz Competition" in Avignon with his quartet. The Alexi Tuomarila Quartet also won the first prize at the "5th International Granada Jazz Competition" in Spain 2005. The quartet recorded and released three albums "Voices of Pohjola" for Igloo Records 2001, the Emma Award nominee "02" for Finlandia Records - Warner Music Group 2003, and "Runo X" for Edita Cambeya 2007. Alexi Tuomarila Quartet changed the name of the group into Drifter and welcomed Axel Gilain as a bass player/vocalist. Drifter recorded and released the critically acclaimed "Flow" album for Edition Records, UK in 2015. In 2005 Alexi Tuomarila formed his renowned trio, with Norwegian bassist Mats Eilertsen and Finnish drummer Olavi Louhivuori. The trio has released four critically acclaimed albums: "Constellation" for Jazzaway Records 2006, and "Seven Hills" 2013, "Kingdom" 2017 and "Sphere" 2019 for distinguished British Edition Records. The latest album "Sphere" earned Tuomarila the prestigious Emma award for "Jazz album of the year". British BBC Music Magazine gave the album 5 stars and selected it as the "Jazz album of the month" Alexi Tuomarila played a decade, from 2007 until 2017, with the legendary Polish trumpet playerTomasz Stańko in different kinds of band combinations. Their first concert together was at the 750th anniversary of the city of Kraków. During 2009-2014 Tuomarila played with Tomasz Stanko Quintet toured around the world and also recorded the Tomasz Stanko Dark Eyes for ECM Records, 2010, which reached number 5 in the Polish pop charts. Between 2015-2017 Tuomarila performed and toured with the Tomasz Stanko NY Quartet in Europe, China and Australia with Gerald Cleaver and Reuben Rogers Tuomarila has also shared the stage with i.a. Eric Revis, Thomas Morgan, Reggie Washington, Joey Baron, Kenny Wheeler, Anders Jormin, Kush Abadey, Nelson Veras, Perico Sambeat, UMO Jazz Orchestra, Eero Koivistoinen, Peter Erskine, Bill Evans Anders Bergcrantz, Rick Margitza, Maciej Obara.
Awards
category Jazz Album of the year, Alexi Tuomarila Trio "Sphere" Edition Records, UK, Emma award Nomination, Alexi Tuomarila Quartet "02" Finlandia Records - Warner Music Group 1st Prize at "3rd International Monaco Jazz soloist Competition" 1st Prize at "10th Tremplin International Jazz Competition" Avignon, France, with Alexi Tuomarila Quartet 1st Prize at the "5th International Granada Jazz Competition", Spain, with Alexi Tuomarila Quartet 1st Prize at the "21st Hoeilaart International Jazz Competition" Brussels, Belgium
Discography
Solo Albums
Alexi Tuomarila Trio 2006: Constellation 2013: Seven Hills 2017: Kingdom 2019: Sphere Alexi Tuomarila Quartet 2001: Voices of Pohjola 2003: 02 2007: Runo X Drifter 2015: Flow Alvarado/Koivistoinen/Tuomarila 2019: Alma
Collaborations
Tomasz Stańko Quintet • 2010: Dark Eyes Lithium • 2018: Red Eero KoivistoinenQuartet • 2014: Hati Hati • 2016: Illusions Manuel Dunkel Quartet • 2010: A Step Forward • 2019: Discoveries Lionel Beuvens MOTU • 2013: Trinite • 2017: Earthsong André Fernandes Dream Keeper • 2016: Dream Keeper Mats Eilertsen SkyDive Quintet • 2014: SkyDive Nicolas Kummert Voices • 2014: Liberte Andre Sumelius Quartet • 2010: Victory Songs Tolonen • 2013: Tolonen
