Lars Danielsson
Swedish bassist, cellist, composer and arranger Lars Danielsson is renowned and admired throughout the International jazz world for his lyrical playing and strong groove.
Lars Danielsson, born in 1958,he studied classical cello at the conservatory in Gothenburg, before changing to bass and to jazz. The "Lars Danielsson Quartet" with David Liebman, Bobo Stenson and Jon Christensen has received a lot of recognition and numerous awards during the 18 years of its existence. Danielsson has released ten solo-albums since 1980 with his quartet.
As Composer, producer and arranger, he has worked with Denmark’s Radio Concert Orchestra as well as the JazzBaltica Ensemble as a composer, arranger and producer.
Lars Danielsson has worked with Randy and Michael Brecker, John Scofield, Jack DeJohnette, Mike Stern, Billy Hart, Charles Lloyd, Terri Lyne Carrington and Dave Kikoski. Lars Danielsson has also been a member of the "Trilok Gurtu Group".
In 2007, he received commission for several pieces, like with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra featuring himself as a soloist together with Leszek Moždžer; with the NDR Big Band and Wolfgang Haffner for the JazzBaltica Festival 2007; and for a project with the Symphony Orchestra in St. Petersburg with Bugge Wesseltoft.
The 2008 release of Pasodoble (ACT 9458-2) in Poland was followed by a sales of more than 10,000 CDs and a subsequent Platinum Record Award. In this same year he was a member of the star-studded ensemble on the Vince Mendoza CD “Blauklang” and is nominated for a Grammy.
http://www.larsdanielsson.com/
Iiro Rantala
Finnish pianist Iiro Rantala was born in Helsinki in 1970. He studied piano in the jazz department of Sibelius Academy and classical piano at the Manhattan School of Music. He is one of the best known Finnish jazz pianists, both in Finland and abroad. Rantala is a pianist and composer with Trio Töykeät, a Finnish jazz trio, which was well received when performing in Hong Kong back in 2005. It has performed more than 2000 concerts in 40 countries, before dis-banding in 2008.
Iiro has composed some classical pieces, most notably the Concerto for Piano and Concerto in G♯ΔA♭. In 2008, he released the album Elmo with his new formation, the Iiro Rantala New Trio. The members of the trio are Rantala (piano), Marzi Nyman (guitar) and Felix Zenger (beatbox).
Iiro also maintained the roles as Artistic director for the Sipoo Kalkkijazz, Dubrovnik Jazz Clubin, and the Kapsäkki Jazz Piano Festival, and the Goodwill ambassador for Finnish Unicef since 1994.
www.iirorantala.fi/jl/
Wolfgang Haffner
Wolfgang Haffner started playing drums and piano at the age of six. After finishing school in 1983 he began his career as a professional musician in the German French Jazz Ensemble, conducted by the Jazz legend Albert Mangelsdorff. Haffner later became the drummer in Klaus Doldingers’s “Passport“, with whom he played for 11 years, touring Europe and South Africa. From 1994 to1995 he was the drummer in the Band of one of the greatest female singers of all times, Chaka Khan. In 1994 he joined the US Fusion Superband “METRO” with Chuck Loeb, Mitch Forman and Anthony Jackson.
Haffner worked with many great Jazz Artists including Pat Metheny, Michael & Randy Brecker, Woody Shaw, Roy Hargrove, Johnny Griffin, Cassandra Wilson, Joe Pass, Bob James, Joe Lovano, Clark Terry, McCoy Tyner, Art Farmer, Pee Wee Ellis, Esbjörn Svensson, Joe Sample, Robben Ford... to name a few.
In 2002 Haffner formed the Wolfgang Haffner Band which toured in Europe featuring music of his earlier albums “Music“ & “Urban Life“. When not performing with his own Band he plays with the Nils Landgren Funk Unit, and with Till Brönner. Haffner has played on about 400 Recordings, including ten albums under his own name.
wolfganghaffner.wordpress.com/
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