“Teemu Viinikainen (b. Stuart Nicholson, an internationally-respected professor, author, and critic, says that Teemu Viinikainen (b. 1975) is one the best jazz guitarists in the entire world. The well-known Helsinki virtuoso has been a great instrumentalist and soulful performer over the years. Viinikainen is well-known by jazz fans thanks to his performances in the ensembles of Jukka Peko, Eero Kiivistoinen, and Jukkis Uotila. He has become a top-tier guitarist within their ranks. His collaboration with major international artists such as Joe Lovano and Tim Hagans is proof of this. Viinikainen also has wide acclaim back home in Finland, where he has been awarded, among others, the Finnish Jazz Federation’s Yrjo award and a Sony Jazz Award. In addition, he has also twice been nominated for a Teosto award for his recordings with the Perko-Pyysalo-Viinikainen trio. His most significant group was the U-Street All Stars. They gained popularity after winning the Getxo jazz competition in Spain in the 2000s. Two full-length albums were also released by the band on the Blue Note label. The first solo album Tales of Robert Dickson by Viinikainen was released in 2005. A new release, Nyt, has followed. He is joined by Ville Herrala, bassist, and Mika Kallio, drummer. Teemu Viinikainen’s second album, Hit It!, was released in early 2014. Viinikainen has a master’s in music from Sibelius Academy’s jazz department. He also taught at Sibelius Academy since 2002. His pedagogical prowess can be seen in his newly published jazz guitar textbook Rytmi elaa and Komppi elaa. from www.teemuviinikainen.com
