by JT LindroosTuomo Prättälä (born April 30, 1979, in Helsinki) is a Finnish jazz and soul musician perhaps best known for his contributions to such bands as Quintessence, Q-Continuum, Huba, the Emma Salokoski Ensemble, MP4, and the Ilmiliekki Quartet. Tuomo started playing piano at the age of seven and continued his interest through his studies at the Finnish pop and jazz conservatory. He has composed, arranged, and produced music for the aforementioned bands, as well as performed as a singer and a keyboard player. His singing style has been greatly influenced by Prince, and his other musical influences include Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and Marvin Gaye. Between 2002-2007 he appeared in various roles on over a dozen CDs. During that time he also won two international jazz competitions and was nominated for four Jazz-Emma Awards (the Finnish equivalent of a Grammy) along with other music awards. In January 2007 his first solo album, My Thing, was released by Texicalli Records to great critical and popular success. The Finnish Jazz Society and Sony Finland awarded him the 2007 Sony Jazz Award two months after the release of the CD.