Jari Perkiomaki
(b. 13 April 1961) began his musical studies in 1981, playing the classical clarinet at the Helsinki Conservatory. In 1983 he entered the Sibelius Academy Jazz Department, where his main subject was the saxophone. Six years later he was the first in Finland to obtain a degree in jazz.
Perkiomaki's career as a musician had, however, begun years before this, in the late 1970s, with the Pori Big Band, in which he was both lead alto saxophonist and Artistic Director. He has played with the best Finnish big bands, including the UMO Jazz Orchestra and the Espoo Big Band. Since the early 1980s he has led groups of his own varying from a trio to a sextet.
In 1985 Perkiomaki released his first album as a leader (the Jari Perkiomaki Quartet). Since then he has performed as a sideman in several Finnish jazz albums. Internationally he has worked with Reggie Workman, Andrew Cyrille, Freddie Redd, Don Preston, Ake Johansson, Dag Arnesen and Mike Nock, to mention just a few. A versatile musician, Perkiomaki is constantly searching for new means of expression while never losing his vital touch with tradition. The album "Shades" released in 1997 and consisting mainly of Perkiomaki's own works has received excellent reviews the world over.
In 1985 Perkiomaki was awarded the Pekka Pfyry Prize for a talented young Finnish saxophonist. In that same year readers of the Finnish jazz magazine "Rytmi" also voted him "Jazz Musician of the Year". In 1991 he was the only Scandinavian to reach the semifinals of the Thelonius Monk Saxophone Competition in Washington D.C..
In addition to performing and composing, Perkiomaki has taught at various music institutes, including the Sibelius Academy Jazz Department. In 1996 he was one of the founder members and the first chairman of the Finnish Jazz Musicians' Association.
Sunday, 5.03.2006
Jari Perkiomaki - Δήμος Δημητριάδης Quintet
Jari Perkiomaki : alto sax
Δήμος Δημητριάδης : alto & tenor sax
Δημήτρης Καλαντζής : piano
Γιώργος Γεωργιάδης : bass
Γιώργος Πολυχρονάκος : drums
O Jari Perkiomaki ένας απο τους καλύτερους σαξοφωνίστες της φιλλανδίας, διευθυντής του Jazz Department της Sibelius Academy του Helsinki, έρχεται για πρώτη φορά στην Ελλάδα χάρη στη συνεργασία με τον τομέα τζαζ στο Ιόνιο Πανεπιστήμιο.
website : Jari Perkiomaki