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Simo Salminen was an acclaimed Finnish jazz trumpeter. He created an international career and was also a prominent figure in the American jazz movement during the 1970s. During his musical career Salminen played in various big bands, often as a lead trumpeter, but he never released a record under his name or formed his own big band.
Salminen was born at December 16, 1956 in Helsinki, the capital and largest city of Finland. Inspired by his older, musician brother Teemu Salminen, Simo started playing at the age of twelve. He studied at the Espoo Music Institute in Finland, but already started as a professional musician at the age of sixteen. He played at the Finnish Pori Jazz Festival in 1972 with Tapiola Big Band, and his first real band was the popular Pepe & Paradise, named after its singer Pepe Willberg.
In 1975 Salminen joined a group of musicians which eventually became the influential Finnish big band UMO Jazz Orchestra. In the mid-1970s he met the American jazz trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewis and eventually played in their big band in America. During his time in the New York City Salminen also played with several famous bandleaders such as Buddy Rich, Machito, Eddie Palmieri and Lionel Hampton. Salminen also worked as a studio and Broadway musician and toured in Europe with English musician Mike Oldfield in 1979.
Salminen returned to Finland in 1983 and continued to play in UMO Jazz Orchestra. He also worked as a studio musician and music teacher. In the early 1990s his health started to deteriorate and eventually Salminen had to quit his career as a musician. Salminen died at March 3, 2014 in Helsinki. He was 57 years of age.
