b.1971
Saxophonist Manuel Dunkel (b. 1971) established his position as one of the prominent voices in the Finnish scene around the mid-1990s. He has been a member of UMO Jazz Orchestra since 1994. Dunkel formed his own quartet in 1996, and to date he has released five albums with the group. He has collaborated with such international names as Paul Jackson, Rick Margitza and Kenny Wheeler, and played in several Finnish bands, e.g. in Jukka Perko’s Hurmio and Espoo Big Band. With his own quartet Dunkel has performed e.g. in Belgium and France and as a featured soloist e.g. in Japan, Sweden and Turkey. In 2011 Dunkel received prestigous Yrjö-award from the Finnish Jazz Federation.