Olavi Louhivuori (born 13 July 1981 in

Jyväskylä Jyväskylä () is a city and municipality in Finland in the western part of the Finnish Lakeland. It is located about 150 km north-east from Tampere, the third largest city in Finland; and about 270 km north from Helsinki, the capital of ...

, Finland) is a Finnish

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

drummer and composer, the leader of his own ensemble Oddarrang, and also performer within several other bands. He is married to the singer Emma Salokoski.

Career

Louhivuori was raised in a musical family. His father is professor at the Department of Music

University of Jyväskylä The University of Jyväskylä ( fi, Jyväskylän yliopisto) is a research university in Jyväskylä, Finland. It has its origins in the first Finnish-speaking Teacher Training College (the so-called Teacher Seminary), founded in 1863. Ar ...

and his mother, a violinist and music educator. Each of the five children in his family was taught to play instruments. Louhivuori started to play violin at four, and changed to cello and piano when eight. When he was nine years of age he changed to drums and founded his first band together with classmate Joona Toivanen. While at Cygnaeus high school (1997), he played with the Joona Toivanen Trio, as well as joining gigs at local jam sessions. In 1998 he attended the jazz program at Finnish Music Conservatory, graduating in 2002, and then moved to

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

, and joined the

Sibelius Academy The Sibelius Academy ( fi, Taideyliopiston Sibelius-Akatemia, sv, Sibelius-Akademin vid Konstuniversitetet) is part of the University of the Arts Helsinki and a university-level music school which operates in Helsinki and Kuopio, Finland. It als ...

to study jazz with Jukkis Uotila. In 2005–06, he studied composition under the guidance of Sonny Heinilä. Louhivuori has also composed two works for the Jyväskylä Big Band.

Bands

While a student at the Sibelius Academy, he met pianist Tuomo Prättälä, bassist Antti Lötjönen and trumpeter Verneri Pohjola, with whom he in 2002 founded the band Ilmiliekki Quartet. In 2003 their debut album ''March of the Alpha Males'' appeared, followed in 2006 by ''Take It With Me''. Louhivuori founded the Finnish experimental jazz ensemble Oddarrang in 2003. The band includes trombonist Ilmari Pohjola, cellist Osmo Ikonen, guitarist Lasse Sakara, as well as bassist Lasse Lindgren. Oddarrang's debut album ''Music Illustrated'' (2006), was awarded the Jazz-Emma award in 2006. In 2008 he released his first solo album, ''Inhale Exhale'', on Texicalli Records. This is a solo percussion album, where Louhivuori demonstrates his broad abilities. Louhivuori also plays in the bands Ilmiliekki Quartet, Alexi Tuomarila Trio, Joona Toivanen, Olavi Trio and Sun Trio. He has three times been involved in winning the Nordic Jazz Comets competitions in: Joona Toivanen trio in 2000, Ilmiliekki Quartet in 2002, and Sun Trio in 2006. In addition, he has played with, among others,

UMO Jazz Orchestra 250px, UMO Jazz Orchestra UMO Jazz Orchestra is a Finnish big band. It was founded in 1975 by jazz musicians Heikki Sarmanto and Esko Linnavalli. UMO is an abbreviation of "Uuden Musiikin Orkesteri" (New Musical Orchestra). Since 1984 UMO has bee ...

Tomasz Stanko Tomasz is a Polish given name, the equivalent of Thomas in English. Notable people with the given name include: *Tomasz Adamek (born 1976), Polish heavyweight boxer *Tomasz Arciszewski (1877–1955), Polish socialist politician and Prime Minist ...

Jon Balke Jon Georg Balke (born 7 June 1955) is a Norwegian jazz pianist who leads the Magnetic North Orchestra. He is the younger brother of saxophonist Erik Balke. Career Balke started playing classical piano but switched to blues at 12, though he pe ...

Marilyn Crispell Marilyn Crispell (born March 30, 1947) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Scott Yanow described her as "a powerful player... who has her own way of using space... She is near the top of her field." Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrot ...

, Teppo Hauta-aho, Jukka Perko, Sakari Kukko and M. A. Numminen.

Selected discography

Solo albums

*2008: ''Inhale Exhale'' (Texicalli Records) *2014: ''Existence!'' (Eclipse Music) With Oddarrang *2006: ''Music Illustrated'' (Texicalli Records) *2012: ''Cathedral'' (Texicalli Records) *2013: ''In Cinema'' (

Edition Records Edition Records is an independent record label that was founded in 2008 by pianist Dave Stapleton and photographer Tim Dickeson.Edition Records Edition Records is an independent record label that was founded in 2008 by pianist Dave Stapleton and photographer Tim Dickeson.Edition Records Edition Records is an independent record label that was founded in 2008 by pianist Dave Stapleton and photographer Tim Dickeson.Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical co ...

) With Ilmiliekki Quartet * 2003: ''March of the Alpha Males'' (TUM Records) * 2006: ''Take It With Me'' (TUM Records) With Ilmiliekki Quartet (Tuomo Prättälä, Antti Lötjönen, Verneri Pohjola) * 2003: ''March of the Alpha Males'' (TUM Records) * 2006: ''Take It With Me'' (TUM Records) * 2009: ''Vi Sålde Våra Hemman'' (KHY Suomen Musiikki Oy), with

Emma Salokoski Emma Salokoski (born 28 October 1976 in Helsinki, FinlandOtsamo, KirsikkaEmma Salokoski: Syntynyt lähtemään ''Aamulehti'' 19 September 2008. Accessed on 1 December 2008.) is a Finland, Finnish singer. She sings in the Emma Salokoski Ensemble (a ...

; Alexi Tuomarila Trio (

Mats Eilertsen Mats Eilertsen (born 4 March 1975) is a Norwegian jazz musician and composer. He is known for recording with numerous bands, including the Maria Kannegaard Trio, Ola Kvernberg, Nils Økland, Eldbjørg Raknes, Anders Aarum Trio, Eirik Hegdal, Sve ...

) * 2006: ''Constellation'' ( Jazzaway) *

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

: ''Seven Hills'' (

Edition Records Edition Records is an independent record label that was founded in 2008 by pianist Dave Stapleton and photographer Tim Dickeson.2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

: ''Kingdom'' (

Edition Records Edition Records is an independent record label that was founded in 2008 by pianist Dave Stapleton and photographer Tim Dickeson.Piirpauke Piirpauke is a Finnish musical group combining free jazz, flamenco, mbalax, Arabesque, carnatic, romantic, modern, classical, humppa, impressionist, hindustani, salsa, Amharic, Lappjoik, Tibetan, Balkan, Karelian, Finnish, national romantic ...

*2006: ''Kalabalik'' With Tomasz Stanko Quintet *2009: ''Dark Eyes'' ( ECM) With

*2009: ''Radio Yonder'' ( Hubro), including with

Tore Brunborg Tore Brunborg (born 20 May 1960) is a Norwegian jazz musician and composer who plays saxophone. He was born in Trondheim but grew up in Voss where a jazz environment was flowering. Known from numerous appearances with international greats includ ...

and Thomas T. Dahl *

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

: ''Rubicon'' (ECM), with

Eirik Hegdal Eirik Hegdal (born 3 October 1973 in Gjøvik, Norway) is a Norwegian Jazz musician (saxophone), composer, arranger and music teacher, known from the band Dingobats (1995-2005) and as leader of Trondheim Jazz Orchestra (from 2002). Career After ...

, Thomas T Dahl,

Trygve Seim Trygve Seim (born 25 April 1971) is a Norwegian jazz musician (saxophone) and composer. He started to play the saxophone in 1985 after hearing Jan Garbarek's CD ''Eventyr''. Career Seim was born in Oslo. He studied music at Foss videregåe ...

, and

Harmen Fraanje Harmen Fraanje (born 23 January 1976 in Roosendaal, Netherlands) is a Dutch jazz pianist and composer. He currently lives in Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the ...

(commission for the 2014

Vossajazz Vossajazz or Vossa Jazz (established 19 December 1973) is an international jazz festival in Voss, Norway, which takes place annually during the week before Easter, and which also includes concerts throughout the year. The festival has been led by ...

) With Mark O'Leary *2012: ''Astral Fishing Extended Edition'' (TIB Production Italy), including with Teppa Hauta-aho With

Yelena Eckemoff Yelena Eckemoff is a Russian-born pianist, composer, poet, and visual artist. Her compositions blend classical music with jazz, and feature exploration and improvisation. Music career Eckemoff was born in Moscow, Russia, in the Soviet Union. He ...

* 2017: ''Blooming Tall Phlox'' (L&H Production) * 2021: ''Adventures of the Wildflower'' (L&H Production)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Louhivuori, Olavi Finnish jazz drummers Finnish jazz composers 1981 births Living people 21st-century drummers Edition Records artists