Andrew Neesley hits us up every now and then, and it’s always with a great new artist that he’s been collaborating with in some form. And so, Andy’s Picks is the natural result; this time he has introduced us to Finnish Born and Brooklyn based guitar virtuoso Olli Hirvonen. After classical guitar training, his personal starting point was dedication to Ritchie Blackmore, but rather than following in any lane he spent his time learning from them all - Tim Berne, Ralph Towner, Grant Green, Nels Cline, Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo and more. Downbeat comments on Hirvonen’s style in his role with Brian Krock and liddle:

“Hirvonen again adds outsized blasts of electric guitar, lending no-wave flair”

Olli’s new album - Displace - is a document of a still-rising generation of young, forward-leaning New York-based musicians invested in jazz, metal, new music and more—a clique of artists “who aren’t afraid to combine things and take risks,” as the guitarist puts it. Displace hit the airwaves on August 30, 2019, and remains a gem to be carefully discovered.