Dalindèo

(FIN)

Composer-guitarist Valtteri Pöyhönen’s smaller combo (he also leads Ricky-Tick Big Band) performed a true miracle last winter: its third album Kallio hit number 13 on the Official Finnish Chart (meaning all records). That’s incredible from a jazz band! But then again Dalindèo succeeded in creating a really rare thing. Namely jazz with a distinctly Finnish character, which couldn’t have been made anywhere else. At the same time the band, just like its parallel in rock, The Agents, draw influence from the outside world. You can taste Duke Ellington, movie soundtracks, ska, surf, Balkan and ethio-jazz in the gloriously tasty mix.

Dalindèo’s debut album Open Scenes (2007) was immediately recognized internationally for its driving bossa nova -flavored dance jazz, while the second album, Soundtrack For The Sound Eye (2010), mirrored especially the visually dramatic soundscapes of European movies from the 50’s and 60’s. Inspired by its namesake, the bohemian-infested Helsinki neighbourhood, Kallio echoes both the bright and shadowy side of that place with music that throbs with color and energy, just like life there does. We’re talking about a solid classic here.