piano
„Intelligence, humor, lots of sentiment, unpredictable ideas and finest piano-craftmanship.“ (FAZ) – Finnish pianist Iiro Rantala simply is „a natural phenomenon on the keys.“ (Jazz thing). For almost twenty years he conquered the jazz stages of Europe and beyond with his anarchist „Trio Töykeät“. His following ACT-debut album „Lost Heroes“ marked a turning point in Rantala’s music: The wild, unchecked energy of earlier days made room for more melodic, harmonic and elaborate notes – although Rantala’s wit always shines through. And so do his outstanding, classically trained technical skills. In many ways Rantala succeeds in connecting elements that often seem contradictory: He’s a critically acclaimed artist and has, among others, received highly esteemed awards like the Annual German Record Critics‘ Award, the ECHO Jazz Award and the Finnish EMMA Award – and at the same times manages to wow broad audiences from many different directions. He regularly appears on major jazz festivals and clubs, but at the same time in world-famous classical music halls like the Berlin Philharmonic, Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, The Berlin Konzerthaus or the Cologne Philharmonic – solo, as a leader of various trios – and also with full orchestra. His musical scope ranges from jazz over classical to pop and Scandinavian folk and song tradition. With lots of sentiment and melancholy but also with tons of wit and charm. In short: A true master of modern piano playing without borders.
A a performance full of vitality and dynamism.
Veneziana is eclectic and colourful, and it revels in catchy, fresh, cleverly arranged melodies.
For Veneziana, Iiro Rantala was able to let his imagination run completely free. For his bizarre, funny and charming Venice stories, he combines elements of classical, pop and jazz - and it sounds very natural and organic." Album of the week.
