Markku Renko

Markku started playing the trumpet in his hometown Heinola at the age of 13. He practised orchestral playing in a local wind orchestra and the Heinola Big Band, which he was invited to conduct at the age of 16. As it happens, the Heinola Big Band was also the band with which Markku played his first ever gig in a famous Helsinki jazz club, Groovy, when he was only 14. He took lessons from local musicians Ensio Nokelainen and Markku Johansson, and he was also taught by Esa Koponen and Touko Lundell in summercamps arranged by the Finnish Amateur Musicians' Association, Sulasol. Local bands and school orchestras provided many opportunities to arrange music, and Markku was surrounded by talented musicians such as Markku Johansson, Heikki Keskinen, Jukka Tuovinen, Markku Tabell, Klaus Suonsaari and his own brother Olli Renko.

Between 1982 and 1987 Markku passed the general subjects of the School of Music of Lahti Conservatory and took trumpet lessons from Juha Pulkki, Jouko Perälä and Kari Karjalainen. The conservatory offered Markku more ensemble playing in a symphony orchestra, wind orchestras, different brass bands and the Lahti Big Band.

In 1991 it was time to serve in the military, and Markku actually managed to negotiate his way through this compulsory service in the Conscript Band of the Finnish Defence Forces. During this time Markku made history by winning the Defence Forces' contest for solo players and playing in a brilliant jazz band with artists such as Manuel Dunkel, Vesa-Matti Mattson, Jarmo Saari, Arttu Takalo, Janne Maarala, Timo Mynttinen and Juha Salonen. He also collaborated with Mika Huusari's bands.

Between 1987 and 2001 Markku's trumpet teacher was Olavi Koskela, and during this time Markku also studied in the teacher education program of the Helsinki Pop & Jazz Conservatory (1992-1997) and took a post-graduate degree in 2001. In the Helsinki Pop & Jazz Conservatory his teachers were Raimo Korhonen, Jarmo Hoegendijk, Anders Bergcrantz, Simo Salminen, Pentti Lahti, Ingrid Jensen, Eric Vloiemans and Kurt Weiss among others.

Throughout his student days Markku was employed by the television, radio and record industry (approximately 500 recordings), musicals of the Helsinki City Theatre (Piukat Paikat, Mambo Kings, West Side Story, Sound of Music, Les Miserables, Cabaret) and a bunch of Finnish top bands such as UMO Jazz Orchestra, Espoo Big Band, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Suurlähettiläät, Maarit, Salsamania, Antti Sarpila Classic Jazz Orchestra, Mestarit Areenalla, Mamba, Oiling Boiling, Pepe Ahlqvist, Danny, Tapani Kansa, Niko Ahvonen, Julio Romero and the Kallio Horns. On top of this Markku was busy teaching in the Helsinki Pop & Jazz Conservatory, in the music schools of Vantaa, Hyvinkää and Riihimäki, and in the Helsinki Polytechnic Stadia. The 1990's seemed to fly by pretty fast...

The thought of making music of his own grew in Markku's mind during a study trip to New York in the year 2000. Trumpet player Marvin Stamm encouraged Markku to make his own record, and Markku received great help from a world-famous trumpet pedagog Laurie Frink and composer Edgar Grana. After returning to Finland, Markku founded a band called the Markku Renko Septet (now called Rengon Keinu), which plays Markku's music only. They recorded a demo and started playing gigs. The debut album "Soul Searching" was released in 2002.

Working freelance has since given way to teaching and composing music. Nowadays Markku lives in Mikkeli with his family and works as a lecturer in Finnish Music Campus in Jyväskylä. Markku's duties also include developing the education program of popular music and conducting orchestras (Markku has studied conducting with Petri Sakari, Atso Almila, Rauno Tikkanen, Ilpo Mansnerus, Toby Hoffman and Jorma Panula). At the Campus Markku conducts Puhuri -and Desipeliitat orchestras and the AO Jazz Orchestra.

During the years Markku has been some kind of an odd-jobber of music (to support himself) working as a musician, composer, arranger, teacher, producer and a conductor in very different contexts. On the classical side his employers have been the Hyvinkää Orchestra (also as a soloist), Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Jyväskylä Chamber Orchestra and Riihimäki Orchestra, which Markku conducted between 2001 and 2003. However, jazz has always made Markku's heart throb with joy, and he is very pleased with his current situation in which he can share his knowledge with his students and concentrate on making music of his own.

Rengon Keinu

Rengon Keinu (Renko's Swing, meaning the gallows pole...) plays music, which is composed and arranged by the Finnish trumpeter Markku Renko. The band was founded in 2000 and its debut album "Soul Searching" was released in 2002. The music is based on improvisation and, in addition to having national features, it also has ethnic influences and features deriving from the classical Blue Note tradition. The ensemble has performed in the Arabian Kevät festival, Mänttä Art Festival, Tiistaijazz concert series of the Helsinki Pop & Jazz Conservatory, Saimaa Jazz Festival, Juttutupa Rhythm Club, Korppoo Sea Jazz Festival, Oulun Elojazz & Blues Festival and in the Jazz-Espa. The band is recording their next album in February of 2009.

Samples

Rengon Keinu live at Juttutupa Rhythm Club, Helsinki 7.3.2007
Click the links below to listen to samples in mp3 format.

1. Introduction & Blues

2. Tribute To The Baby

The Musicians