Markku Ounaskari

Markku Ounaskari is a jazz drummer from Finland fluent in American and European traditions. He began his professional career playing with legendary Finnish bands Piirpauke and the Pekka Pohjola Group. Between 1998 and 2006 he served in the Jarmo Savolainen Trio, releasing several albums with them. In 1999 he released Tribus with flutist Kari Heinilä and bassist Anders Jormin. In 2007, he joined singer/kantele player Sinikka Langeland's quintet alongside Jormin, trumpeter Arve Henriksen, and saxophonist Trygve Seim. Ounaskari issued his ECM debut Kuára: Psalms and Folk Songs in 2010. He returned to Langeland for 2011's The Land That Is Not, 2015's The Half-Finished Heaven, and 2016's opus The Magical Forest in 2016 with the quintet and Trio Mediaeval. He joined guitarist Raoul Bjorkenheim's eCsTaSy for their eponymous album in 2014, and released his own album, Years. Ounaskari returned to Bjorkenheim's eCsTaSy for 2015's Out of the Blue, and 2017's Doors of Perception. In 2025, the drummer rejoined Seim, Henriksen, and Jormin to issue the collective quartet set Arcanum. Born in 1967, he studied at the Oulunkylä Pop & Jazz Conservatory and the Sibelius Academy and began his career in the '80s playing with Piirpauke on 1987's Algazara and 1989's Zerenade, exposing him to Finland's large jazz audience. He cemented his reputation when he joined the internationally renowned Pekka Pohjola Group for 1992's Changing Waters. Before 1996, the drummer played with all manner of jazz groups at home. In 1997 he joined the trio of jazz pianist Jarmo Savolainen for Another Story, and remained with him for a decade, cutting a handful of acclaimed albums including 1998's John's Sons, 2000's Grand Style, 2002's Times Like These, and 2006's Songs for Trio. During his tenure with the pianist, Ounaskari released Tribus with saxophonist Kari "Sonny" Heinilä, and bassist Anders Jormin. He also worked with traveling American and Canadian jazz stars including Lee Konitz and Kenny Wheeler. In 2007, he appeared as a sideman with Swedish kantele player and vocalist Sinikka Langeland on her Starflowers album; her other session players were Jormin, trumpeter Arve Henriksen, and saxophonist Trygve Seim. Inside and outside their recordings and tour dates with Langeland, they continue to work together in various settings. They also joined her on 2011's The Land That Is Not, 2015's The Half-Finished Heaven (substitute violist Lars Anders Tomter stepped in for Henriksen), and her 2016's opus, The Magical Forest with featured guests Trio Mediaeval. Ounaskari's work on Starflowers impressed ECM label boss Manfred Eicher enough to invite him to record his own album. The resulting Kuára: Psalms and Folk Songs was recorded with pianist Samuli Mikkonen and trumpeter Per Jørgensen. Inspired by the ancient traditional folk music of Finland, it was released in 2010 and won an Emma Award (the "Finnish Grammys") for Finnish jazz album of the year. In addition, the drummer worked with saxophonist Erik Vloeimans (whom he'd first encountered while playing with Savolainen) on Grand Style, and with Otto Donner on Live at Five Corners. During the next few years, Ounaskari remained busy working in the studio with Ira Kaspi on You the Night and the Music (2012), the Kari Ikonen Trio for Bright, Donner's And It Happened..., and the Iro Harla Sextet's Kolibri, all in 2013). 2014's Years (with saxophonist Kari Heinilä, vocalist/violinist Lena Willemark, and bassist Jormin) appeared on Edition, as did Aleatoric (in collaboration with pianist Aki Rissanen and saxophonist Robin Verheyen). Also in 2014, the drummer joined guitarist Raoul Björkenheim's quartet for Ecstasy on Cuneiform. The following year, they became Raoul Björkenheim & Ecstasy and released Out of the Blue, followed by Doors of Perception in 2017. All three albums earned accolades from jazz and rock critics. The following year, Ounaskari appeared on two ECM dates: Seim's Helsinki Songs, and Absence with guitarist Ben Monder, the label debut of pianist/composer Kristjan Randalu. The drummer also returned to Ikonen's trio and recorded Wind, Frost & Radiation. He released three albums in trio with Estonian guitarist Jaak Sooäär and Armenian/Estonian double bassist Ara Yaralyan: A Shooting Star (2018), Goodbye July (2020), and Zula (2023). In 2025, Ounaskari reunited with Seim, Henriksen and Jormin to record the collective series of improvisations that resulted in July 2025's Arcanum on ECM. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi