Juhani Aaltonen

Moving back to Finland, he settled in Helsinki and began working both as a session musician and with fusion groups. Later in the 1960s he formed a duo with Edward Vesala, as well as in the group Eero Koivistoinen for four years. He played with Tasavallan Presidentti in their earlier days, including for their first, eponymous, album. He recorded with Thad Jones and Mel Lewis and with Heikki Sarmanto in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and his first album as a soloist, Etiquette, was released in 1974. In 1975, he became a member of the New Music Orchestra, and worked with the Nordic All Stars, Arild Andersen, and Peter Brötzmann later in the 1970s. The 1980s saw him working with the UFO Big Band, Jan Garbarek, Charlie Mariano, and others. He was granted a 15-year state grant from Finland in the mid-1980s. In 1983 he rejoined Tasavallan Presidentti, and has recorded and toured with them since. He was featured in a profile on composer Graham Collier in the 1985 Channel 4 documentary 'Hoarded Dreams' He led a touring quartet from 1990 to 1992 with Olli Ahvenlahti, Heikki Virtanen and Reino Laine. Aaltonen continues to teach at the annual Nilsiä Music Camp.

Juhani Aaltonen studied at Sibelius Academy and Berklee College of Music. The recorded working language is Finnish. Subjects and genres recorded for the work are jazz. Residence is recorded at Helsinki. Distinctions recorded are Knight First Class of the Order of the Lion of Finland.

• Name — Juhani Aaltonen • Born — 12 December 1935 • Occupation — Saxophonist and flautist • Education — Sibelius Academy, Berklee College of Music

With Arild Andersen • Shimri (ECM, 1976) • Green Shading into Blue (ECM, 1978) With Graham Collier • Hoarded Dreams (Cuneiform, 1983 [2007]) With Edward Vesala • Nan Madol (JAPO, 1974) • Satu (ECM, 1977)