Jazz Finland Live

Guitarist Varre Vartiainen features at the helm of a group formed by top-notch Finnish jazzers at Koko Jazz Club.

"My idea is to draw up the set list from originals and loans that meet one criterion; to help us break free from everyday troubles for a minute. It will be all about gathering together with these wonderful musicians, playing good stuff and having fun! We will start as a quartet with trumpet master Jukka Eskola and our honourable hosts, Jussi Lehtonen on the drums and Timo Hirvonen on the bass. In the second set we will be joined by the gentlemen Mikko Mustonen on the tuba and Jay Kortehisto on the trombone. This is when a parade of elephants is let loose and a ride into the steaming jungle will begin!"

Jussi Lehtonen – drums

Timo Hirvonen – bass

Jay Kortehisto – trombone

Mikko Mustonen – tuba

Jukka Eskola – trumpet

Varre Vartiainen – guitar

Tickets 15/10 €

http://varrevartiainen.com/

Open event

UMO Jazz Orchestra, Timo Lassy and Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen are all landmarks in Finnish jazz and experts in their own fields. Spring 2014 comes with a chance to enjoy their collaboration in two concerts: May 15th at Savoy Theatre, Helsinki and May 16th at Sello Hall, Espoo.

Saxophonist Timo Lassy is known as one of the most brilliant Finnish jazz musicians, whose fanbase and influence reach far beyond the jazz scene. His latest studio recording In With Lassy hit the charts and the live album Live With Lassy sold out in no time. As a soloist Lassy is charismatic, original and always a little dangerous.

Valtteri Laurell Pöyhönen has been one of the most original and successful innovators of Finnish jazz in recent years. The long lasting and on-growing popularity of Dalindèo and huge success of Ricky-Tick Big Band are strong evidences of his work’s quality. Sophisticated elegance and the raw swing of his current hometown Berlin are in perfect harmony in Pöyhönen’s music.

Spring 2014 will see an Event with a capital E, when Pöyhönen composes new music for his trusted soloist Lassy and the number one Finnish big band UMO Jazz Orchestra. With a line up like this, the concert will surely be full of interesting twists and turns and surprising moments.

Lassy and Pöyhönen challenge the traditional concert concept, when they bring elements of beat poetry to the stage. The dialogue of these two groovy jazzmen gives rhythm to the musical experience, which is more than an everyday concert. It’s a deep, complete experience where the highest level of Finnish jazz is crystallized in a rare intersection.

Open event

Jarmo Saari Republic is a new supergroup built on the praised solo project Jarmo Saari Solu and branching out its experimental, lyrical and hypnotic soundscapes. Saari is a musician, composer and producer, and his CV includes shows in more than 30 different countries and appearances on well over 100 albums. Saari dreamed about this dream team for ten years, before it finally came into being in 2012, and it was Tampere Jazz Happening in November 2013 that saw the first gig of these “soldiers of light”.

Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix never had a chance to realise their ideas about collaboration, but luckily Jarmo Saari Republic has come forth to prevent such wrongs from occurring in the Finnish scale. The essence of the band lies in its versatile musicians, dynamic communication and unusual instrumentation. Each of the members has been working in the field of Finnish music already for two decades and with an exceptionally wide scope.

Jarmo Saari (b. 1970) is one of the most original guitarists of his generation. His musical visions have found an outlet in both his solo work and the bands Trubamolli, Filmtet, ZataBoo and XL. Saari is known for his visual compositional style and layered sound collages made with guitar and vocals, but also with a number of more unlikely instruments, such as theremin, baroque cello, trombone and glass harp. He has collaborated as a musician and composer with the following artists, for example: Jukka Perko, Tero Saarinen Company, Anna-Mari Kähärä, Trilok Gurtu, The Tapiola Choir, Pekka Kuusisto, Nils Landgren, Emma Salokoski, Felix Zenger, Meta4 String Quartet, UMO Jazz Orchestra, Mika Kaurismäki Pepe Deluxe and Tuomari Nurmio. In 2012, Saari was awarded with a Finland Prize by the Ministry of Education and Culture for artistic activity.

Sami Kuoppamäki, Olavi Louhivuori and Abdissa “Mamba” Assefa have earlier worked with such bands and artists as Kingston Wall, Oddarrang, Giant Robot, Kimmo Pohjonen, Fat Beat Sound System, Ilmiliekki Quartet, Tomasz Stanko, Nuspirit Helsinki, Tuomo, Anssi Tikanmäki’s Film Orchestra and Von Hertzen Brothers.

Why these three drummers, Jarmo Saari? – We have an abundance of skilled drummers in Finland, but it was this dream line-up with whom we finally got to try out the mad concept. I was given a Versoul baritone guitar by a number of friends for my 40th birthday, and I was honoured to hear Kuoppis and Mamba play in two sets in my birthday jam session. It was incredible to see it click between them! The rootsy and virtuosic Kuoppis and the intensely unpredictable Olavi play together with a wonderful flow, while Mamba seasons this soulful cake with earthy spices.

The debut album is due in the spring of 2014 by the label Rockadillo Records, and we will be treated to guest appearances from at least the following three artists: Sam Huber, Tommy Lindgren and the Rolling Stones sax player, Tim Ries.

Open event

”Piispanen, Hannu, Rauhala, Orpana – Original Compositions”. Musicians familiar from such groups as Black Motor, Olmarin Unioni, Tampere Big Band and Anssi Tikanmäki Orchestra perform at Pyynikinlinna in Tampere.

Arto Piispanen, piano
Lauri Hannu, guitar
Ville Rauhala, double bass
Masa Orpana, saxophone

Duration 1 h.
Tickets 12 € / 10 €. Available at Emil Aaltonen Museum.

Open event