Combining classical finesse with wit and passion, Finnish jazz pianist Iiro Rantala uniquely blends art and entertainment. His flair for the contrapuntal makes him a perfect reinterpreter of Bach's Goldberg Variations, but he can ragtime, bebop and swing with the best of them. Much of his music eulogises departed heroes—from Scandinavian pianists to British rock stars like David Bowie and John Lennon, whom he honoured with an entire album of deceptive simplicity. His project Iiro Rantala New Trio—piano, electric guitar and beatbox—takes slapstick virtuosity to sublime extremes.