Tuomo

Artist Information

Biography

Tuomo (born as Tuomo Prättälä, 1979). Soul-singer, jazz pianist, composer, lyricist and producer. Tuomo began taking piano lessons at the age of 7.

Nicknamed as "The Duracel Bunny" by Finnish media, Tuomo has contributed in dozen full-length albums in 7 different line-ups during last eight years. Together with his various bands he was nominated for Jazz Emma Award for 4 times, won 2 international jazz contests, received the highly-acclaimed Finnish Teosto Award, was The Young Artist of the Year chosen by Finland Festivals and toured intensively all around the world.

In January 2007 Tuomo released his first solo album titled “My Thing”, which immediatelly hit Finnish Top 10 and received only rave 5-star, 4-star reviews. “My Thing” is singer-songwriter music based strongly on 70s soul heritage and Tuomo's brilliant songwriting and productions skills - not to mention his awesome musicianship - were instantly recognized.

Mr. Gilles Peterson, the most famous and influential DJ and broadcaster in the world, has been a big fan of Tuomo’s since the first single “Don’t take it too hard” saw daylight. The song was included in Gilles’ MySpace player for quite a while. In Gilles' worldwide show "Winners of 2007" Tuomo's "My Thing" was chocen as number 17 in best albums of the year. German Jazzthing magazine put Tuomo on position #4 on their list of best albums in 2007.

The album gave Tuomo Emma Award (Finnish Grammy) for Best R&B Album, Emma Nomination for Best Male Artist, Rhythm Femma (Indie Emma) Award, The Funk Award for Best Album and The Sony Jazz Prize to name but a few. The sales reached gold status in Finland (15,000 copies).

In Japan, the single reached number 5 on J-Wave’s Tokyo Hot 100 Chart and it still continues to be on many radio stations' playlists.

In 2008, Tuomo recorded new material for his second album "Tuomo Reaches Out For You" which was released in Finland in February 2009. The new album took a little step out of the funkiest outfit that was heard on "My Thing". Despite or because of that the album was - again - welcomed with mere amazement. If Tuomo was compared to Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye after "My Thing", now people used more names like Jamiroquai and Lenny Kravitz...

Tuomo's 3rd album "My Own Private Sunday" was released in January 2010. It kind of ends Tuomo's trilogy, as the album includes songs Tuomo was "too embarrased to include on either of the first two". So he takes a more personal approach. In addition to this, Tuomo also played all the instruments himself.

Tuomo's remarkable trilogy of fine albums is now done. The journey has just begun.

Instrumentation

Tuomo Prättälä: vocals, Rhodes, Moog, guitar

(Band)
Aki Haarala: guitar
Heikki Laine: bass
Mikko Kaakkuriniemi: drums
Abdissa "Mamba" Assefa: percussion

(Horns, on selected shows only)
Verneri Pohjola: trumpet, flugelhorn
Ilmari Pohjola: trombone
Antti Hynninen: tenor saxophone

(Backing vocals, on selected shows only)
Emma Salokoski, Johanna Försti, Marika Tuhkala

Discography

ALBUMS:
My Own Private Sunday (Jupiter 2010)
Reaches Out For You (Jupiter 2009)
My Thing (Jupiter 2007)

SINGLES:
Future History (Jupiter 2009)
The Grant (Promo, Jupiter 2009)
Ordinary (Promo, Jupiter 2008)
Don't take it too hard / Ourselves (Jupiter 2007)

COMPILATIONS:
Mojo Club Dancefloor Jazz Vol. 13 (Edel 2008)
Soul Shaker Vol 4 (Record Kicks 2007)
Soul Togetherness (Expansion 2007)
Come on Soul Vol 2 (Lego 2007)
A Night at the Jazz Rooms (Mr. Bongo 2007)
Wicked Jazz Sounds 4 (United Recordings 2007)

Official Website

http://www.tuomomusic.com

Links

• Tuomo's own MySpace

Audio

• Don't Take It Too Hard
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• Ordinary
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• Ballroom Girl
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• My Thing
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• 26
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• True Friend
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Lyrics

• Don't Take It Too Hard
• Ordinary
• Ballroom Girl
• My Thing
• 26
• True Friend

Video

Head Above The Water (LIVE)

Photo Gallery

Press

• Tuomo - My Thing (Jupiter) [+ Show ]
  

  Tuomo could well be the male Nicole Willis. This Helsinki dwelling blue-eyed soul boy is, like Jimi ...Tuomo could well be the male Nicole Willis. This Helsinki dwelling blue-eyed soul boy is, like Jimi Tenor’s missus, paving the way for a burgeoning scene in Finland and beyond! ‘My Thing’ is a classy album that takes its cues from Marvin and Stevie in their prime, but pushes things forward with top notch song writing and hugely original compositions. The title track sees Tuomo showing us what he can do on the keys, and the single ‘Don’t Take It Too Hard’ starts off sounding like a ‘70’s football theme tune, but quickly emerges into one of the finest original pieces of soul music to be released this year - no exaggeration!! Tuomo avoides the clichés of many of his American counterparts, and delivers an album of true depth, heartfelt lyricism and more than dozen future classics. It’s my thing for sure.

• Tuomo - My Thing (Jupiter) [+ Show ]
  

  Tuomo Prattala is a new artist to me and is fairly typical of exactly what is going on, musically, i...Tuomo Prattala is a new artist to me and is fairly typical of exactly what is going on, musically, in other parts of Europe thesedays. Quality Soul Music being reinvented for a modern generation. If you want to track the man down, you'd have to travel to Helsinki in Finland, a place that I was lucky enough to visit some 10 years ago now. Very clean place, not too many folks around, and still daylight at 1 in the morning!
  
  The first point to make about this set is simply how 'song led' 'My Thing' actually is. A 45 doing the rounds, which makes an appearance in the starting line-up here, is namely 'Don't Take It Too Hard'. This song could have been released in 1976. It is so retro and 'Northern' in it's incarnation, that it has become essential already on the more discerning dancefloors. Tuomo drifts through several tempo's, highlighted by the very strong melodies 'Since Or Before', the Stevie-esque 'Puddle Of Love, 'Ballroom Girl', the gorgeous drop dead ballad 'It's You', along with my personal favourite 'True Friend'. I liked the latter song so much, I put it right in at the number two slot in the chart at the site. One of the best of the year so far.
  
  Check Soul Brother or Amazon for copies of this set. Highly recommended.

• Tuomo - Don't Take It Too Hard - 7" (Jupiter) [+ Show ]
  

  Another quality release from Finland's best kept secret Jupiter records. Tuomo Prättälä, the main pr...Another quality release from Finland's best kept secret Jupiter records. Tuomo Prättälä, the main proprietor of respected soul and funk outfits Q-continuum and Quintessence enriches our soul with sensual and passionate music from his debut and forthcoming 'My Thing' CD. Two gorgeous soulful tracks on a very limited collectors 7" give us a taste of the man's inspiration and musical values.
  
  'Don't take it too hard' is a stomping foot shaker in the classic soul sense. Sounding super authentic and true with brilliant production skills bringing this 2007 track back to somewhere in the mid 60's. How many will be caught out by the correct date of Tuomo's production and scintillating arrangement?
  
  'Ourselves' finds Tuomo reminiscing over another mysterious Finnish lover affair while realising that girlfriends come and go, our Stevie Wonder records simply stay with us for ever. Again, check that arrangement.

• Tuomo - My Thing (Jupiter) [+ Show ]
  

  There is nothing remotely original or ground-breaking on Finnish artist Tuomo’s soul & funk inspired...There is nothing remotely original or ground-breaking on Finnish artist Tuomo’s soul & funk inspired debut album My Thing . But for all that, the former backing musician has created something of rare beauty; obviously influenced by the greats of the past, but done with such respect that it ends up sounding utterly unique.
  
  I’m sure that if you were to ask Tuomo whether he listened to a lot of Stevie Wonder during the 3 year period this album took to write and record, he would be quite honest and say yes. And on tracks such as ‘So Surreal’ and ‘Puddle Of Love’ the influence of Wonder’s three-album golden era (Talking Book, Innervisions and Songs In The Key Of Life) are plain. But he uses these influences so delicately that it never seems like the simple laziness of a plagiarist.
  
  In many ways Tuomo’s music has hints of that other former backing musician turned solo artist: Amp Fiddler. But whereas his (very respectable) offerings to date have often been at risk of descending into sub-Prince style jams, Tuomo always keeps it tight. There may be slap bass, organs and all the other essentials for a funky work-out, but Tuomo always resists the temptation, and the album is much stronger for it.
  
  And Tuomo’s vocals deserve mention too. At times they suggest that other modern singer/songwriter looking to make something contemporary from his soulful influences: James Morrison. But whereas Morrison always seems like he’s been ham-stringed by his record label, wary of offending Mondeo Man or Daily Mail Woman with anything too out-there, Tuomo has been left to his own devices, and it’s all the better for it.
  
  I really can’t over-emphasise how great this album is; lush vocals, great tunes and a fantastic band providing the authentic soul sound. It will probably give some idea of how much I’ve taken this album to heart if I say that last night I dreamed about a plot to stop Tuomo achieving the world domination he so obviously deserves. And while you chew on the disturbing psychological connotations of that, I’ll summarise My Thing by Tuomo with a comment from my wife after I played it to her: it’s like Jamiroquai would sound if he hadn’t lost his soul!
  

• "My Thing" Review Quote
  

  Blue-eyed soul comes with no more conviction and understanding than this.

Setlist

Usual set length is 60-90 minutes including only original compositions by Tuomo.

Out of the Q-Continuum (pre-Tuomo era) repertoire the band may play also following Tuomo's compositions:
1) Love (In Fashion)
2) The Spasm
3) Perfect Pair
4) Jelly

Basic Requirements

PDF Rider

Tuomo Sound Rider 2009

Calendar