Olli Hirvonen – Kielo

Finnish-born, Brooklyn-based virtuoso, the go-to guitarist for acclaimed bandleader Brian Krock, seeks common ground between Tim Berne, Ralph Towner, Deep Purple and other longtime inspirations
On Displace, his latest album and first for Ropeadope, the Finnish-born, Brooklyn-based guitarist Olli Hirvonen introduces a highly personal, pathbreaking vision of guitar heroism. The virtuosic rapid-fire phrasing of Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin and Larry Coryell meet the complex compositional ideas of Tim Berne and Matt Mitchell. The immersive sonics of My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields share space with meditative acoustic soundscapes that call to mind Ralph Towner and Oregon. Postbop and prog influences press up against Hirvonen’s years in a noise-rock outfit.

Olli Hirvonen is a dynamic and virtuosic Finnish-born, New York-based guitarist. Winner of the Socar Montreux Jazz Electric Guitar competition in 2016 (the jury was presided over by John McLaughlin), Olli releases his second album, New Helsinki on Edition Records. New Helsinki is an album that promises to ignite the attention of the international media and fans worldwide with its deft infectious melodies, irresistibly bold grooves and intense inventive soloing. A musician with a big vision and a commanding spirit, Olli Hirvonen is a supremely gifted guitarist and composer. With New Helsinki, Hirvonen has thrown down his calling card and demonstrated the promise that will inevitably thrust his career and profile in an upward trajectory towards international acclaim.

Hailing from Finland but now resident in Brooklyn, New York, Olli Hirvonen won first prize in the 2016 Socar Montreux Jazz Electric Guitar Competition. Significantly, the jury was presided over by John McLaughlin. "Arps" opens with cascades of Robert Fripp-like quick-fire obligato notes, rapidly ascending and descending the fretboard and instantly hooking the listener. The tentative beginning to "Gravity" belies its complexity, first sounding the very essence of McLaughlin's 4th Dimension but by the guitar break Hirvonen's guitar begins to emulate the allegrissimo glissandi so typical of Allan Holdsworth in full flight. There's also some fine tenor work here from Walter Smith III.

New Helsinki is the second album from virtuosic guitarist Olli Hirvonen. Finnish-born but New York based, he was the 2016 Winner of the Socar Montreux Jazz Electric Guitar competition. He is a musician with a grand vision and a commanding spirit, as well as a supremely gifted composer. New Helsinki is filled with infectious melodies, irresistibly bold grooves and inventive soloing.

Fifth Avenue is a modern jazz group formed by five young Finnish musicians. They represent the top-notch of their generation in the Finnish mainstream jazz scene. The sound of the album has been influenced heavily by the spirit of New York City, where it was mixed and mastered by the legendary Dave Darlington at the Bass Hit Studios. New York famously being the ultimate melting pot of different nationalities and cultures, the group Fifth Avenue brings greetings from the Nordic wilderness to the urban atmosphere of the Big Apple. This combination comes beautifully together in their strong debut release “Tales", an unique and intriguing collection of acoustic jazz. It features original compositions by three members of the group, New York based guitarist Olli Hirvonen, pianist Tuomas J. Turunen and saxophonist Ville Vannemaa. The songs are inspired by everyday life, spiced up with interesting instrumental solos as well as inventive accompaniment by the rhythm section.”

Assembled with 19 stellar musicians and fueled by inspiration from eclectic extremes, Big Heart Machine is a musical engine designed to start the listener s heart pounding and blood pumping. Composer, saxophonist and bandleader Brian Krock summons the bracing power of heavy metal, the dizzying precision of progressive rock and the heady abstractions of contemporary classical music, conjuring an exhilaratingly original take on the power and complexity of the modern big band. Their eponymous debut album, Big Heart Machine, was produced by multiple-Grammy-nominated composer Darcy James Argue and conducted by rising-star Miho Hazama.

With his much-anticipated record, Dharma, featuring a brand new lineup, Tarun is determined to deliver another fearless, imaginative and heartfelt set of music. The album will be released by Berthold records at Jazz Ahead Festival, April 2019.