One of Finland's most famous and respected jazz guitarist, Teemu Viinikainen, is publishing a new album, called "Songs of silence", the songs of which are solo arrangements composed by the well-known artists Thelonious Monkin and Charles Mingusin. The album will be available as a CD on November 18th 2022, as a stream at the beginning of 2023 and as vinyl LP in the spring of 2023. Viinikainen, who was recognized with the Finnish Jazz Association's Yriö-Award, with the Sony Award, and nominated for an Emma Award, has been playing in the ranks of numerous topbands over the years. For example, he was part of a collaboration with Jukka Perkon, Eero Koivistoisen and Jukkis Uotilan and he also collaborated with foreigns topnamed artists, like Joe Lovanon, Tim Hagansin and Randy Breckerin.
The album "Songs of silence" features typical elements of a sovereign instrumentalist, soulful interpreter and virtuoso, such as expressiveness, swing and virtuosity. Nevertheless, the overriding sensations of the songs are the strong presence and vulnerability of the artist and the beautiful tone of his guitar. Viinikainen's interpretation of Thelonious Monkin's composition "Ask Me Now" can be heard live. The second streaming single will be released on November 18th.
Viinikainen's exceptional ability in music is confirmed by his long and ambitious attitude and interest in music. He started playing when he was only 7 years old and he performed for the first time at the age of 12. Later, Viinikainen studied at the Helsinki Pop & Jazz Conservatory and then at the jazz department of the Sibelius Academy, from which he obtained his Master's Degree in 2005. In the same year he published his first album "Tales of Robert Dickson". Now Viinikainen is about to release his fifth album. In addition to his own productions, Viikinainen has been one of Finland's most requested studioguitarist for years and he has performed on dozens of recordings, some of which are with Vesa-Matti Loir, Verneri Pohjola, Jukka Perko and numerous other top artists.
The release of Viinikaisen's new, and at the same time first, solo guitar album will be celebrated at Tampere's G Livelab on October 20th.The album's topic is silence, so the album's posters also feature the documentary "Silence... and the birth of sound". The documentary talks about the completion of the guitar built according to Viinikainen's wishes and its handover to him.