Saxophonist Joonatan Rautio is Jazz Musician of the Year

Finnish Jazz Federation's Georgie Award, given out to Jazz Musician of the Year, has been awarded to saxophonist Joonatan Rautio.

Rautio received this esteemed acknowledgement for his virtuosity and style of playing that serves musical and artistic visions as wholes. Rautio has performed and recorded with many leading names in Finnish jazz and his debut album Commitments (Prophone Finnish Jazz) with a trio under his own name was released earlier this year.

The Georgie Awards, or Yrjö-palkinto as they are known in Finnish, were established in 1967 and have since gone out to 43 accomplished musicians, including names like Eero Koivistoinen, Edward Vesala, Raoul Björkenheim, Iiro Rantala and Pekka Pohjola.

Meira Pappi / Fimic
3 December, 2010