Manuel Dunkel United & Proton String Quartet

The tenor and soprano saxophonist, who last year won the prestigious Georgie-award, has composed and arranged the material especially for his new band and Finland’s most adventurous string quartet. A couple of choice covers may be heard, too. In any case the result is elegantly melodic jazz with touches of improvisation, where the strings play an equal role to the other instruments.
Manuel Dunkel started studying jazz at the Oulunkylä Pop & Jazz Conservatoire and got his MA from the Sibelius Academy’s jazz department, where he now teaches. In the 90’s he rose to the first division of Finnish saxists. Jazz Rhythms has chosen Dunkel thrice “The best tenorist”. He has so far done five albums as a leader, but plays on tens of others, for instance, as a member of the UMO big band, Platybus Ensemble, Quartet Coyote and Jukka Perko’s Hurmio.
The Proton String Quartet has since 2005 extended and electrified the traditional sound and repertoire of string quartets working with the revolutionary accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen’s Cluster (on Uniko and the soundtracks of Jade Warrior and Majak), singer Kirsi Ranto and Sid Hille’s Platybus Ensemble. All members of the quartet also play in the Helsinki City Symphony Orchestra.