Esa Pietilä

Rank #4 Helsinki, FI Jazz / freejazz / avantgarde

About

Members: Jeff Siegel, Harvey Sorgen, Olavi Louhivuori, Aki Rissanen, Antti Lötjönen, Michael Jefry Stevens, Heiri Kaenzig, John Esposito

Label: Indie

Manager: Esa Pietilä Productions

Bio: Esa´s original style of Freeform jazz and various projects - Trio - "4 Streams" Quartet with ECM artist Iro Haarla - Improvised solo saxophone concerts etc., have stabilized his position performing on the national / international festivals, and have led him to play in Italy, Germany, Spain, Norwa... See Full Bio

More Info

Status

Esa Pietilä has a show on 2013-03-16 at 19:00 @ Turku Jazz Festival in Turku http://www.reverbnation.com/c./poni/185241588 #concert

Press

“Esa Pietilä is a musical visionary and when combined with the percussive onslaught of Jeff Siegel then both Pietilä and Siegel welcome You to the land of harmonic disengagement and the percussive nuance that magically reforms each piece into something new. What is amazing when taken at face value is that Pietilä is without his regular quartet and there was but one rehearsal between Siegel and Pietilä. There are baseless 4tets, piano less trios, and a myriad of ensembles that explore the outer reaches that is the freedom or ground zero of jazz itself. Esa Pietilä and Jeff Siegel and both exemplary artists that could easily stand along side any ECM artist and literally blow their socks off. A master class of what to do and more importantly what not to do. .As close to perfect as you can get if you are looking for that happy place between hard bop and free jazz. A superlative recording.”

— Brent Black, Critical Jazz

“A solo saxophone work from arguable the finest saxophonists from Eastern Europe in Karhea from Esa Pietila.....Pietila clearly shows why his prolific talent has his work revered by the masters of their craft. Karhea is a landmark release for one of the finest saxophone player that I have had the exception to hear. Eg. the tune"Lighting's Surprise" is a master class in the art of the tenor sax. With the exception of Ivo Perleman, Esa Pietila is now hitting his creative genius. Standing the test of time finds Esa Pietila simply aging like fine wine. Pietila gets better and more robust with age. A no brainer for sure... ”

— Brent Black, CriticalJazz

“ About solo saxophone CD "Karhea"....Congrats on the new CD - it's FANTASTIC!”

— AllAboutJazz-New York ( Laurence Donohue-Greene ), AllAboutJazz-New York

““Esa is one of Finland's leading jazz musicians and a dedicated jazz educator. I recommend his albums Direct (Fiasko Records) with Uffe Krokfors on bass and Markku Ounaskari on drums as well as the album Fulica Acra that followed, which show his scope and imagination as a player.””

— Professor Stuart Nicholson, Author, Journalist, Lecturer (UK), Professor Stuart Nicholson

“Pietilä’s trio puts forth its strengths up front that carry it through the album: the group’s engaged absorption in the music, the members’ interest in the infinite potential of the sounds they can create, their openness for free improvisation and the elaboration upon the conventional roles of their instruments. The result is a recording by matured and explorative musicians whose enjoyment in the process of playing jazz comes through in each of the12 tracks. Pietilä injects immediacy and surprise into his playing by going for unplanned gems that like-minded interaction can discover through spontaneous playing. Pietilä doesn’t include any chorded instruments in his trio, and with good reason: His interests are as much about implication—the spaces between the dots he punches out—as about literal adherence to pre-written composition. An always explorative saxophonist, accessible though with a personal perspective toward the music he plays. A jazz artist worth the search. ”

— Don Williamson, Jazzreview.com

“Esa is a wonderfully gifted saxophonist and composer. I can highly recommend Esa as a composer, performer and educator.” ”

— Michael J. Stevens,, member, International Society of Improvised Music

"I have worked with Esa many times in different countries and have always enjoyed the experience. He is a master saxophonist with a unique sound and approach to the music. He is also a well respected educator and a good friend. I hope that you have the opportunity to share this same creative experience with Esa.

— Bill Warfield, composer, trumpeter, band leader, New York, N.Y. USA", Bill Warfield

"i saw a concert with esa in tallinn a few years ago and was deeply impressed of his skills as a performer and composer. highly recommended.

— Jan Bang, composer, producer, Norway, Jan Bang

“Like its predecessors, the Esa Pietilä Trio peels away jazz's conventions to reveal its basic sound elements, but its efforts are leaner and more refined. With a minimum of song structure but a maximum of group interaction, they deliver a visceral gut-punch with both urgency and subtlety. The group does not rigidly define each player's role, thereby freeing them to delve deeper into their instruments' potential. While much free jazz often climaxes in cataclysmic peaks, this trio prefers to let silence and resonance build. A delicious tension emerges ... By putting texture and interaction over harmonic development and song structure, they highlight a larger goal: creating a unified group identity. Direct offers a subtle blend of melodic sketches, rhythmic boldness and intense interaction-a quiet storm of noise.”

— Matthew Wuethrich, All About jazz

"while never resorting to the tired bag of tricks that so few have been able to resist before him"

— Robert Spencer, CADENCE, USA

"Esa Pietilä is an inspired and creative musician and composer. The depth of his commitment and talents made our performances together challenging and joyful. I recommend him wholeheartedly!

— Arthur Kell, bassist, NYC, Arthur Kell

“Esa Pietilä, known as a prowess visionary and improviser””

— FIMIC, FIMIC web magazine

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Recent Blogs

Esa Pietilä´s blog
May 24, 2010
Welcome to my Reverbnation blog with stories, updates info etc. etc. [more]

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Songs

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Play "Jeff Siegel & Esa Pietilä Duo"

Jeff Siegel & Esa P…

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Play ""Lightning´s Surprise" - Solo Saxophone"

"Lightning´s Surpri…

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Play ""Fulica atra" - Esa Pietilä Trio"

"Fulica atra" - Esa…

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Play ""Spark Revolves" - Solo Saxophone"

"Spark Revolves" - …

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Play ""Solio" - Esa Pietilä "4 Streams""

"Solio" - Esa Pieti…

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Videos

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Shows

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Sat
Mar 16

Turku Jazz Festival
Turku, FI | 7:00pm
Turku Jazz Festival
Turku, FI
Sat Mar 16 7:00pm
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Esa Pietilä "Liberty Ship" ( Aki Rissanen, Olavi Louhivuori, Antti Lötjönen & Esa Pietilä)
Sat
Mar 16

Turku Jazz Festival
Turku, FI | 7:00pm
Turku Jazz Festival
Turku, FI
Sat Mar 16 7:00pm
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- Tickets
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Esa Pietilä "Liberty Ship" ( Aki Rissanen, Olavi Louhivuori, Antti Lötjönen & Esa Pietilä)
Thu
Jan 17

KESKI-PORIN KIRKKO
Pori, FI | 7:00pm
KESKI-PORIN KIRKKO
Pori, FI
Thu Jan 17 7:00pm
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Esa Pietilä improvised solo saxophone concert.
2012
May 10

Centre Le Phenix
Fribourg, CH | 7:00pm
Centre Le Phenix
Fribourg, CH
Thu May 10, 2012 7:00pm
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Esa Pietilä Trio Esa Pietilä, sax, Ville Herrala, bass, Mika Kallio, drs
2012
May 6

Alava Church
Kuopio, FI | 6:00pm
Alava Church
Kuopio, FI
Sun May 06, 2012 6:00pm
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Esa Pietilä Improvised Solo Saxophone Concert