Aaltonen, Juhani “Junnu,”
Aaltonen, Juhani “Junnu,”
Aaltonen, Juhani “Junnu,” tenor and alto saxophonist, flutist; b. Kouvola, Finland, Dec. 12, 1935. Aaltonen began as a baritone saxophonist in the late 1950s, working, for example, in Heikki Rosendahl’s group in Inkeroinen. Since moving to Helsinki in 1961 he has become known for his versatility as a studio and jazz musician, appearing in numerous radio broadcasts of dance and jazz bands from at least 1966. He studied flute at the Sibelius Academy and uses piccolo, alto, and bass flute. His work with Heikki Sarmanto and Edward Vesala won him the jazz musician of the year award from the Finnish Jazz Federation in 1968. After studying at the Berkelee Coll. of Music in the early 1970s he continued to work with Vesala, as well as with Arild Andersen in Norway (late 1970s) and The New Music Orchestra in Helsinki (from 1975).
Discography
Prana Live at Groovy (1981); Springbird (with Senegalese drummers; 1978); Etiquette (1974). E. VESALA: Nana (1970).
—Lewis Porter