Piano Summit

When the ECHO  "best international jazz pianist 2012" awardee, the ECHO "best national jazz pianist 2010" winner and the British Parliamentary Jazz Awards "Jazz Musician of the Year 2007" laureate and Mercury Prize nominee meet, you can easily speak of a Piano summit.

Iiro Rantala is best known for performing with his Trio Töykeät for more than 18 years until he decided to go solo in 2006. In 2011 he released his debut album on ACT label entitled "Lost Heroes", an homage to his musical heroes, those who inspired him.

Allaboutjazz started its review on Rantala's latest album with these words: "German record label ACT Music is rapidly cornering the market in stylish solo piano albums. With Finnish pianist Iiro Rantala's Lost Heroes, it adds another distinctive and glorious recording to its collection, alongside Gwilym Simcock's Good Days At Schloss Elmau (2011)(...), among others."

The above mentioned album by Gwilym Simcock was nominated for the Mercury Prize 2011, as only jazz artist, alongside other famous musicians like Adele, PJ Harvey or James Blake. If you listen carefully to his music, you'll find some hints of Mozart, Bach, Gershwin or Ligeti, but also of Monk, Evans and, of course, Jarrett. In a way, this is his homage to his musical heroes.

Die Zeit wrote about Michael Wollny : "“Young enough to not have to drag around the burden of jazz history with him and alert enough to re-discover something old everyday”. His music is powerful, modern, emotional an truly independent.

So, three leading pianists, first playing solo then finishing the concert all together on stage of the Grand Autorium. Sounds like a good plan, doesn't it?

Didier