Saxophonist/composer Pekka Pylkkänen has worked with many orchestras and groups during his career and has appeared either as a leader or as a sideman with for example Vince Mendoza, Odean Pope, Dave Liebman, Gene Jackson, Sal La Rocca, Jukkis Uotila, Eric Ineke, etc.
As a leader, he has performed in more than 50 countries (Finland, Denmark, Norway, USA, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Uruguay, Peru, Korea, China and Japan, France, Switzerland, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa etc.) He has appeared as a leader/soloist in around 2000 concerts during the last 20 years, most of them outside Finland.
His appearances range from clubs to concert halls and major festivals, such as Hong Kong Jazz Festival, Beijing Jazz Festival, Trondheim Jazz Festival, National Arts Festival (South Africa), Lima Jazz, Providencia Festival de Jazz (Santiago, Chile), Yokohama Jazz Promenade, Yarasum Jazz Festival, Beijing Concert Hall, The Spring Hall (Seoul/Korea), Daegu Cultural Center/Korea, La Pavillion Blanco (Cordoba, Argentina), Beijing Music Festival, Copenhagen Jazz Festival, La Plaza Festival de Jazz (Havana, Cuba).
His first two CDs were released by Naxos Jazz, with a worldwide distribution. The third release, entitled 'Listen!' was released as CD on LUMINO RECORDS label and digitally through Blue Music Group, later also licensed to China on Starsing Records. His next album, ‘Global Unit’ will be released in of 2019, followed by ‘Nu ‘Talian Quartet’ which will be released globally in April 2020 by Challenge Records.
Awards
Jazz Emma prize 1996, Finland (as the producer of 'Big Bad Family' -CD)
The official IAJE Award NYC, USA; January 2007
Diploma from the Cultural Ministry of Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2009
Diploma from the Mayor of La Paz, Bolivia, 2005
MOODS Jazz and Blues Awards, Zurich, Switzerland, 2013
Gear
A Vandoren artist.
A Ken Okutsu Mouthpiece Artist.
A Keilwerth Endorser.
Keilwerth SX 90 R Silver Nickel alto saxophone
Yanagisawa Solid Silver soprano saxophone
Keilwerth SX -90 R Black tenor saxophone
Ken Okutsu Mouthpieces
Marmaduke Music accessories
Muramatsu AD-D flute
Trevor James alto flute
Yamaha wooden piccolo with a hand -made headjoint
Selmer 10 G clarinet
Selmer bass clarinet
"The music on this CD is simply great, and I am very happy to see and hear that Pekka has grown into the
musician that he is today. He’s created compositions with an elegant complexity that showcases his
saxophone playing in a unique and personal way. "
Excerpt from liner notes for 'Listen!' by Bob Mintzer, December 2008
"Bro. Catching up and just listened to your CD 'Listen'. Your sound is KILLING!!! Great work!" Dave
Liebman, July 2011
" I would like to highly recommend Pekka Pylkkanen for your consideration. He is a world class
improviser on the saxophone. His artistry had a big impact on me the first time I heard him. Pekka is able
to play on a high level in many musical settings.. his compositional skills are personal and very unique...
his understanding of music and his technical ability on the saxophone.. it is obvious that Pekka has spent
a lifetime of hard work and dedication to have accomplished so much! " Bob Sheppard, Saxophonist,
Recording Artist, Professor at USC
Read more
"The music on this CD is simply great, and I am very happy to see and hear that Pekka has grown into the
musician that he is today. He’s created compositions with an elegant complexity that showcases his
saxophone playing in a unique and personal way. "
Excerpt from liner notes for 'Listen!' by Bob Mintzer, December 2008
"Bro. Catching up and just listened to your CD 'Listen'. Your sound is KILLING!!! Great work!" Dave
Liebman, July 2011
" I would like to highly recommend Pekka Pylkkanen for your consideration. He is a world class
improviser on the saxophone. His artistry had a big impact on me the first time I heard him. Pekka is able
to play on a high level in many musical settings.. his compositional skills are personal and very unique...
his understanding of music and his technical ability on the saxophone.. it is obvious that Pekka has spent
a lifetime of hard work and dedication to have accomplished so much! " Bob Sheppard, Saxophonist,
Recording Artist, Professor at USC
.."in closing, I would rank Mr. Pekka Pylkkanen, in the top five percent of musician/educators I have
encountered throughout my twenty plus years of performing and teaching." Dr. Michael J. Rossi, Professor,
Jazz Artist, University of Cape Town
”Pylkkänen is among the jazz elite in his native Finland. A stalwart member of
the fabled UMO Jazz Orchestra, Pylkkanen shows his crafty wares on his
solo debut for Naxos Jazz.On Pekka’s Tube Factory, the multi-reedman
displays a fine compositional åen, expressive, accomplished technical skilss
and a keen ear for arranging.” - Glenn Astaritawww.
allaboutjazz.com- July 1999
”Neben seinen ausgezeichneten solistischen Leistungen auf verschiedenen
Holzblasinstrumenten, zeigt sich Pekka
Pylkkänen auch als versierter Komponist, der sich fur alle Titel verantwortlich
zeigt.” - JazzLive 125/99
”Taking time off as a member of the UMO Jazz Orchestra, Pekka Pylkkänen
makes his leader debut with a sleek ride.” - C.Michael Baileywww.
allaboutjazz.com. July 1999
” The Finnish wind specialist Pylkkänen leads a tight sextet trough moody,
atmospheric pieces that explore with a purpose...As accomplished a group of
musicians as these are, the human element is always present- a touchstone
on
the mournful but beautiful ”Lumi” and a vivid theme in the intertwined layers
of The Picture of Dorian Gray, an evocative take on the beuty and sadness of
twisted desire.” - Hilarie S.Grey- JazzTimes- May
2002
He certainly maintains a very individual and always interesting sound.” - John
Henry-Audiophile Audition - March 2002
”Pekka Pylkkänen is back with another notable collection of razor sharp
contemporary jazz..
Pylkkänen, once again, blows through his variety of winds on this collection
of mostly his originals.” - C.Michael Bailey - www. allaboutjazz.com
” Kein Wayne Shorter, kein Jaco Pastorius, kein Joe Zavinul spielen hier
ausgelassen (und glucklicherweise auch keine, die sich dafur halten), hier
musiziert eine ferfekt harmonierende Band, die ein wenig nordische
Schwermut in die Kompositionen bringt, ohne diese damit völlig zu
uberfrachten: Besonders hervorzuheben sind das virtuos- gewitzte ”Tom
Cat”,
das hypnotische ”The Picture Of Dorian Gray” und das hinreissend
melancolische ”Black Pearl” - der Schallplattenman Sagt, 3.12.2001
". Pekka send me a copy of his latest recording, and what I
hear is a mature player who has truly come up with a compelling
sound, both as a composer and instrumentalist. The music on this
cd is simply great, and I am very happy to see and hear that Pekka
has grown into the musician that he is today. He’s created
compositions with an elegant complexity that showcases his
saxophone playing in a unique and personal way. "
Excerpt from liner notes by Bob Mintzer, December 2008
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Primary Instrument
Saxophone
Location
Helsinki
Credentials/Background
As an educator Pekka has worked 7 years as a principal lecturer at the Stadia
Helsinki Polytechnic, Pop and Jazz Music Department. Before that, and also while
teaching at the Stadia, he has worked as a clinician at Ingesunds Music College
in Sweden, EMU Education Musical, Escuela De Musica Contemporanea and
Collegium CEIM (all 3 in Argentina), Jazz Peru in Lima, Peru, Shanghai
Conservatory, MIDI School Of Music and Contemporary Music Institute, Institute
for Performing Arts (all 4 in China), PAN School of Music (Tokyo, Japan) among
others. He has also taken part and worked as a teacher on IASJ Jazz Meetings on
2002 in Helsinki and on 2007 in Siena, Italy, as well as performed at the IAJE
Conference in New yYork. He is a member of IAJE and ISIM.
Clinic/Workshop Information
Read more
Primary Instrument
Saxophone
Location
Helsinki
Credentials/Background
As an educator Pekka has worked 7 years as a principal lecturer at the Stadia
Helsinki Polytechnic, Pop and Jazz Music Department. Before that, and also while
teaching at the Stadia, he has worked as a clinician at Ingesunds Music College
in Sweden, EMU Education Musical, Escuela De Musica Contemporanea and
Collegium CEIM (all 3 in Argentina), Jazz Peru in Lima, Peru, Shanghai
Conservatory, MIDI School Of Music and Contemporary Music Institute, Institute
for Performing Arts (all 4 in China), PAN School of Music (Tokyo, Japan) among
others. He has also taken part and worked as a teacher on IASJ Jazz Meetings on
2002 in Helsinki and on 2007 in Siena, Italy, as well as performed at the IAJE
Conference in New yYork. He is a member of IAJE and ISIM.
Clinic/Workshop Information
1) A CLINIC/CONCERT (length about 2- 3 hours)
On this clinic I would perform with my group for about 45 minutes- 1 hour.
After the concert I would present some of the compositions we played, how I
wrote those tunes, some topics over those tunes and finally how did we
approach improvising on those tunes. Students would be welcomed to ask
questions as well.
2) JAZZ WORKSHOP (with my group) (length about 3 hours OR 2 times 3 hour
sessions)
1) Jazz Improvisation:
How to develop your harmony, your lines and your time.
2) Group Playing:
How to create a "band sound"- how to communicate musically
3) Repertoire:
Learning Standards- how, which tunes and why
In case this would be for the same group of people, I would most likely like to
combine these things. But they could be taught separately as well.
I would be using mostly basic jazz material, blues, rhythm changes,
standards etc. and concentrate first on, for example: keeping time, basic
harmonic movement, eigth-note lines, rhythmic expression, etc.
For the rhythm section I would bring exercises for comping (comping a horn
soloist,comping a bass soloist etc.). Also I would work on the interaction
between the drums and the piano and so on.
Some of my favorite things in working with a student group would include
concrete working on the group playing with some exercises I have developed
and some exercises I have learned from some very well- known jazz
educators.
3) INDIVIDUAL CLINICS AND MASTER CLASSES:
A CLINIC 'ON TRANSCRIBING'- HOW TO DO TRANSCRIPTIONS, HOW TO
PRACTISE THEM, HOW TO ANALYSE, HOW TO USE THE MATERIAL FROM
TRANSCRIPTIONS
A CLINIC ON COMPOSITION: HOW TO USE DIFFERENT MATERIALS, HOW TO
DEVELOP YOUR IDEAS, HOW TO FIND THE RIGHT CHARACTERS FOR A TUNE
AND GET ‘A SOUND’ OR ‘COLOR’ ON A TUNE.
A SAXOPHONE MASTER CLASS: ON THIS MASTER CLASS I WOULD
CONCENTRATE ON SAXOPHONE TONE PRODUCTION, INTONATION,
PRACTISING ROUTINES AND DEVELOPING A PERSONAL SAXOPHONE SOUND.
A JAZZ MASTER CLASS ON IMPROVISING: ON THIS MASTER CLASS I WOULD
BRING SOME JAZZ CLASSICS TO WORK ON, I WOULD PLAY WITH A STUDENT
GROUP, WE WOULD BE LISTENING TO THE ORIGINAL RECORDINGS AND
TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT WAYS TO PLAY THOSE TUNES AND HOW TO
PRACTISE THEM INDIVIDUALLY. WE WOULD ALSO REHEARSE A FULL SET OF
MATERIAL FOR A CONCERT, AND IF THERE IS ENOUGH TIME ( a few days) WE
WOULD PLAY A CONCERT WITH THAT MATERIAL.
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