Dance of the Introverts Teemu Kekkonen

• 1 Forest Heart 02:06
• 2 Dance of the Introverts 05:53
• 3 Ballad for Maija 04:56
• 4 Circling 05:10
• 5 Mood Indigo 07:27
• 6 ... 01:26
• 7 Time Bend 06:04
• 8 Let it … 04:28
• 9 … be Beautiful 02:37
• 10 Solace 06:53
• Total Runtime 47:00

Info for Dance of the Introverts

Jazz pianist & composer Teemu Kekkonen creates musical adventures that are like short films. An introvert by nature, Teemu writes songs that blend meditative storytelling with the restless pull of wanderlust.

“Teemu’s compositions and piano playing are a pure delight: adventurous with syncopated surprise.” — Mike Greenblatt, The Aquarian Weekly

Teemu Kekkonen, piano
Bjørk Semey, bass
Eloi Pascual, drums

Teemu Kekkonen
Finnish jazz pianist & composer Teemu Kekkonen is an emerging voice in the European scene. Thoughtfully crafted compositions, cinematic harmonies, captivating grooves and familiar melodies are the cornerstones of his music. As a musician Kekkonen is oriented towards a narrative style and strives to create musical adventures which evoke emotions and diverse moods. As the basis for his improvisations Kekkonen uses the thematic material of the piece at hand, sometimes transforming it to raw and rugged cacophony, at times to a calm and collected contemplation.

Following the release of his 2021 four-track EP Trio Live at Bimhuis, Kekkonen released his debut album Here/There in September 2022 with compatriots Mikael Saastamoinen (bass) and Roope Kantonen (drums). Behind the seven original pieces and the one cover tune are real-life stories from the past ten years. The album cover, designed by Kekkonen, is a rendition of the symbol in infinity which strives to relate his thoughts on creating music.

"In each individual's experience, the past and present together create a unity from which we subconsciously draw ways of thinking and behaving. Creating music is similar for me. I fall into a timeless space where everything is possible and from which you can draw endless joy. From this space the music which I've been drawn to comes out in an intuitive way,” Kekkonen describes.

Raised on his father's record collection, Kekkonen gravitated towards the piano from a young age and spent his early years listening to jazz pianists such as Bill Evans and Oscar Peterson, as well as homegrown heroes such as Iiro Rantala. At 13, after discovering the music of Chick Corea, Kekkonen made the decision to pursue a career in music. Later significant influences were such jazz pianists as Tigran Hamasyan, Cedar Walton and Brad Mehldau, as well as composers Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy and Joe Hisaishi. Kekkonen has always been equally drawn towards the distorted sounds of prog rock and metal acts like Porcupine Tree, Ayreon and Dream Theater. In 2017 Kekkonen created the score for the short film Hetkessä - In the Moment, directed by Niikka Makkonen.

Kekkonen spent the 2010s playing piano in Mikko Sarvanne Hip Company, studying jazz and classical music and composition in Helsinki and Amsterdam Conservatories. During this time he recorded albums with Hip Company and other groups. Significant performances over the years include Oslo Jazz Festival (2014), Pori Jazz Festival (2015), Viapori Jazz (2015) and Bimhuis (2020). Currently Kekkonen composes music for his upcoming album and for the third upcoming album the Nordic jazz band Kama Kollektiv, and plays keyboards in the rock band Gentle Savage.

This album contains no booklet.