Genre:Latin Rock
A trumpeter and composer from Helsinki, Finland, Verneri Pohjola has been acknowledged as a jazz star in the making in prestigious publications like Downbeat and Jazzwise. Having released his three previous albums on UK's Edition Records to huge critical acclaim, including a five star review from The Guardian, he’s now set to fulfill his enormous creative potential. Son of the virtuoso bass guitarist Pekka Pohjola (Wigwam), Verneri first came to prominence as leader of Ilmiliekki Quartet. As is the case with many great horn players, Pohjola has a distinctive tone, which has a deeply affecting purity and lyricism. His highly melodic improvising is matched by personal compositions marked by memorable and imaginative themes that steer clear of any hackneyed notion of ‘Nordic jazz.’
Together with Tuomo & Markus, a Nordic Americana sextet founded by Ilmiliekki Quartet's pianist Tuomo Prättälä and Helsinki-based singer/songwriter Markus Nordenstreng, Verneri Pohjola creates cinematic soundscapes and psychedelic musical layers. This unique musical collaboration has already been hailed in Rolling Stone by senior writer David Fricke. The group is currently working a new album.