Moving with supple grace between jazzy originals, soulful traditional tunes, and slinky Latin-tinged numbers, spiced with lightning-rapid improvisations, the Maria Kalaniemi Trio grabs their audience by the ears and won't let go until the very last note. Pianist Timo Alakotila and guitarist Olli Varis join Maria to form a trio known for its quick wit, extraordinary technique, and vivid musical imagination. Often seeming more like a chamber ensemble than a folk group, with its original compositions and intricate arrangements, the trio ranges from soulful to eerie to playful, and always powerfully compelling.

A master of the free-bass chromatic button accordion (in which the instrument's range is extended to over 7 octaves), Maria, Finland's "Queen of the Accordion," has been a leader of the "New Finnish Folk Movement" since the early 1980s. She helped found groundbreaking groups like Niekku and Aldargaz, which also features Timo and Olli. A graduate of the famed Sibelius Academy Folk Music Department, Maria is also a powerful composer, with pieces that stylistically touch numerous areas, but feature her own personality as the driving force. Her most recent American release is Ahma (Northside).

Visit Maria's website - English

Visit Maria's website - Finnish