Home » Jazz Musicians » Jussi Lampela

Jussi Lampela

Majoring in electric guitar, has studied in Musicians Institute (Los Angeles, US), Kungliga Musikhögskolan (Stockholm, Sweden) and Sibelius-Academy jazz department (Helsinki, Finland). Also studies in music composition.
As a freelance musician in many of the best Finnish groups, including:
UMO Jazz Orchestra, Jean S, Markku Johansson group, Sinfonia Lahti, Kuopio City Orchestra, Helsinki Police Band and also major festivals, for example April Jazz, Lahti Jazztori, Kerava Jazz, Imatra Big Band Festival, Jyväskylä Summer Jazz, Ylläsjazz, Pori Jazz and Kaamosjazz.
Performances with leading Finnish musicians and singers, including Emma Salokoski, Johanna Iivanainen, Jenny Robson, Maria Ylipää, Sami Pitkämö, Sami Saari, Marzi Nyman ja Jukka Perko.
Compositions for many TV-productions and documentaries, including documentary ”Lepakkomies ja Rajanvetäjä” with violin performances by Pekka Kuusisto, several documentaries for Mandart Productions, various productions for film houses Broadcasters, Optipari and MTV3.
First soloalbum in 2007 as a guitarist/composer. Second soloalbum to be released in Sep 2010, in the role of a composer, Ricky-Tick records production.

Work on feature films:

-Dark Floors (orchestrator/arranger. Featuring characters from finnish hard rock-band Lordi)
-Sooloilua (sound programming)
-Havukka-Ahon ajattelija (orchestrator/copyist)
-Jos rakastat (arranger on one song)

Compositions, arrangements and orchestrations for:
-Estonian Chamber Orchestra (for singer Maarja-Liis Ilus)
-UMO Jazz Orchestra (Finlands leading professional big band)
-Lahti Sinfonia (for a Joni Mitchell tribute concert)
-London Philharmonia (Finnish singer Jari Sillanpää album “Kuin Elokuvissa”)
-Espoo Youth Symphony orchestra (50 min. childrens musical)
-New Year 2010 TV1 special: Singer Maria Ylipää and Mikko Leppilampi-show
-Trumpeter Jukka Eskola solo album “Walkover” (on Ricky-Tick records)
-”Kuorosota” TV-series, a lot of choir arrangements (a format TV-show, known also as “Battle of the Choirs”)

Tags

From the Tokyo Jazz Notes-blog:

The latest release in the now legendary Finnish label Ricky-Tick sees trumpeter Jukka Eskola team up with composer and arranger Jussi Lampela on a project unlike anything the label have put out before. Taking inspiration from the classic collaboration between Miles Davis and Gil Evans for the landmark Birth of the Cool album, Jussi Lampela has written a series of compositions for a nine-piece band led by Jukka Eskola that bring the cool jazz idiom right into the twenty-first century.

The opening tune Half Lament starts with bowed bass and the some atmospheric brass backing that makes way to a plaintive piano riff over which Eskola delivers a flawless trumpet performance that recalls the high points of the Sketches of Spain album. It's a truly stunning performance that really makes you sit up and concentrate and is definitely one of the most impressive pieces of music of the year to date.

Afternoon in Central Park is an altogether more upbeat piece, with the horn section workin' melodies that interweave to create a great harmony over which Eskola leads with the main riff and solos. While the liner notes play up the Davis-Evans influence, clearly evident on the opener, this second tune, like a couple of others on the album, also at times recalls the arrangements of the Clarke-Boland Big Band.

Way Ahead is a more laid back piece with a walking bassline and some great soloing on piano and trumpet, while with Drivin' And Cruisin' the tempo picks up once more with the brass section again cookin' up some amazing harmonies. Next up Yardpost is another laid back number which allows baritone player Timo Lassy some room to show what he can do in a wonderful solo mid-tune.

Strollin' is another track in the Clarke-Boland mould with some superb piano work form Jukkis Uotila, and is definitely one of the high points on the album. Together We Went is like a carefree stroll in the park in the autumn and features a bass solo from Ville Herrala, and the uplifting mood is maintained in The Different Angle. The Right Nighttime is an atmospheric late night tune perfect for relaxin' to with a drink or a loved one, with more virtuoso trumpet from Eskola and a rather tasty trombone solo from Antti Rissanen.

Those lucky enough to get hold of the Japanese edition will have the benefit of the bonus track Easy Up and Over, a steamin' uptempo toe-tapping number that will leave you all smiles and reaching for the repeat button.

A classy album featuring some really cool compositions, Lampela x Eskola is a bold and yet important statement proving that there is still a place for high quality music that may not translate into instant sales. Highly recommended.

Show less

Primary Instrument

Composer / conductor

Location

Helsinki

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

Teaching the electric guitar in Finland´s top-level schools: Sibelius-Academy jazz department, Helsinki Polytechnic Stadia pop/jazz-department and other various schools around Finland. Over 10 years experience on teaching all levels, from beginner to advanced, with a preference to teach advanced-level students. Currently fully employed, will consider taking more if the offer is really good! I have a master´s degree in jazzmusic from Sibelius-Academy, and I have graduated with vocational honors from Musicians´ Institute, Los Angeles (Guitar Institute of Technology).