Jazz Finland Live

Pepa Päivinen is a Finnish jazz musician and wood wind instrumentalist. Good Romans equals Ilari Filander and Jussi Miettola; free improvisational music since 2008. These gifted, youthful gents join forces at restaurant Allotria this Saturday. We are in for space waste, howling of foghorns and clanging of frying pans. Why? - Because the one who is afraid of making a mistake has tied his own hands!

Pepa Päivinen: woodwinds
Ilari Filander: guitar
Jussi Miettola: drums, electronics

RAVINTOLA ALLOTRIA
Tickets: 10 €
Bookings and table reservations: 050 579 1400, info@allotria.fi

http://www.goodromans.com/

Open event

Eero Hämeenniemi Nada plays their 20th anniversary concert at the Kerava Jazz festival, which is apt, as they gave their first ever live performance on the Klondyke stage at Kerava Jazz in 1994. Since that Nada has delighted the festival crowd many times. One of the most memorable climaxes in the festival history is the concert where Nada performed together with an Indian group, Sruthi Laya. Nowadays Eero Hämeenniemi is perhaps the most famous Western composer and musician in Kerala, southern part of India, and his compositions are highly appreciated by Indian musicians and audiences. Last year Hämeenniemi's composition "Yaadum Uuree" for the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and singer Bambay Jayshri was presented in Helsinki. The Turku Music Festival in August will see Hämeenniemi's new composition played by Meta4 quartet with bamboo flutist Shashank Subramaniam.

In the original Nada line-up violin was played by John Storgårds. During the last two decades Storgårds has created a remarkable dual career as a violinist and conductor. Since 2009 he has been working as a Chief Conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, and Principal Guest Conductor of BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. In the Nada anniversary concert he will feature as a special quest and return to free format improvisation in Nada after almost two decades.

In the past years Nada's lineup has not experienced changes. Heikki Nikula is familiar from  many conteporary music and free impovisation groups and is appreciated as one of today's top bassclarinet players in Europe. Drummer Markus Ketola is responsible of keeping the time in Hämeenniemi's rhytmically challenging compositions. Ketola holds the drummer's seat in UMO Jazz Orchestra in addition to leading his own popular fusion band, Ketola Rewired. Contrabassist Sampo Lassila's day job is in Sinfonia Lahti Orchestra but ethnic musics, especially klezmer, is close to his heart. He is the leader of his own Narinkka kletzmer group. Jazz in Nada is represented by saxophonist and flutist Pentti Lahti. His strong improvisations sit with Nada's music perfectly. After retiring from his job as the leader of UMO's saxophone section Lahti has kept himself busy in Riku Niemi Orchesta and in organist Jukka Gustavson's groups.

Eero Hämeenniemi, compositions, piano
Pentti Lahti, saxophones
Heikki Nikula, bassclarinet
Sampo Lassila, bass
Markus Ketola, drums

Special quest: John Storgårds, violin

It was year 2012 when the fierce vibraphone playing of Jason Adasiewiczwas heard previously at the festival. On stage was Starlicker, Rob Mazurek's furious band. Playing loud is Adasiewicz's trademark. However, in his own group, Sun Rooms, "hammering" comes second, as his emphasis is mostly on a melodic, more traditional vibraphone playing. Chicagoan Adasiewicz was voted number one in the Rising Star category in the Down Beat magazine in 2011. In addition to leading his own bands, Adasiewicz performs frequantly with European musicians, particularly as a duo with saxophonist Peter Brötzmann.

Like Adasiewicz, drummer Mike Reed comes from Chicago. Besides leading his two bands Loose Assembly and People, Places and Things, Reed is known as the organizer of many large cultural events in Chicago. A versatile drummer, Reed has collaborated with most Chicago's top musicians. Reed and Adasiewicz are also co-leaders in an interesting group Living By Lanterns, a band playing music based on the legendary Sun Ra's unfinished compositions.

On this tour the bass is in the hands of Norwegian Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, who is familiar to the Finnish audience from Raoul Björkenheim's Scorch Trio. Håker Flaten's bass lines have been heard also in The Thing and Atomic groups in Finland several times. After emigrating to Austin Texas, Håker Flaten has gradually begun to achieve the role of a trusted bassist in many groups. Also, he leads his own group Chicago Sextet among whose members are Dave Rempis and Jason Adasiewicz.

Jason Adasiewicz, vibraphone
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, bass
Mike Reed, drums

Tickets 30 €. Saturday pass 45 € (also includes the concert at 8PM).

Open event

One of the themes of the Kerava Jazz Festival is to form a group from the best Scandinavian musicians to play with a Finnish top league jazz musician. This year the idea was carried out by guitarist Kalle Kalima. Even though Kalima has been a resident of Berlin for many years, he is still present in the scene in Finland through many projects. The most important of these is probably K18, a group formed by prominent Finnish musicians that plays Kalima's compositions inspired by films by a number of notable film directors. K18 won a Finnish Grammy award - Jazz Emma - in 2012 with their album "Out To Lynch", based on the films of David Lynch. Kalima's own internationally known groups are Johnny La Marama and Klima Kalima.

The festival scout happened to pop into Glenn Miller Café in Stockholm some years ago and witnessed the Danish drummer Michala Østergaard-Nielsen leading her own group Østergaard Art Ensemble there. He was impressed by Østergaard-Nielsen's co-operation with the guitarist Marc Ducret. Her reactions to Ducret's innovative runs were fast, articulate and imaginative, skills that make her a perfect choice for the festival group drum seat. Besides leading her own band, Østergaard-Nielsen also plays in an intriguing avant-pop group Midaircondo.

The Swedish saxophonist Jonas Kullhammar was a hoped-for member for the festival group. He performed in Raahe last year in Göran Kajfes's group, joining also the nightly jam sessions playing guitar and bass in addition to saxophones. Until last year Kullhammar was leading his hugely successful quartet, which was granted the best group Jazzkatten award in 2002. Kullhammar won the same award as the best saxophone player in years 2002 and 2003. In addition to his work as a freelance musician Kullhammar also manages his own record company, Moserobie.

The bass player of the festival group, Norwegian Per Zanussi, was a hint from Mikko Innanen, a Finnish saxophone player who has participated in Zanussi's Nordic big band projects. Zanussi is the leader of his own group, Zanussi 5, and collaborates in MZN3 and Tresspass, the latter with the well-known Swedish musicians Martin Kuchen and Raymond Strid. Zanussi also composes music for the Trondheim Jazz Orchesta.

Kalle Kalima, guitar
Jonas Kullhammar, saxophones
Per Zanussi, bass
Michala Østergaard-Nielsen, drums

This working trio is a perfect example of what makes Chicago such a fertile breeding ground for improvised music. Here we have three musicians of different ages, backgrounds, playing experiences, and musical interests joining forces to deliver moments of both sublime beauty and volcanic energy, continually tempered by the seamless narrative momentum that they weave together in a seemingly effortless way. Although the trio has only been existing since autumn 2012, their group dynamic reveals a chemistry that feels much more refined than such a short time might allow - perhaps a result of their shared interest in musical experiences that transcend the every day level, and offer something more elemental to the listener.

With Joshua Abrams doubling on several different string instruments, and Avreeayl Ra on his characteristically wide array of percussion, the music this trio creates together is wide-ranging in nature, drawing upon influences from around the world resulting in a sound which is totally unique within the current milieu of improvised music.

The group released their first recording "Aphelion" in January of 2014 on Aerophonic Records.

David Rempis, saxophones
Joshua Abrams, bass
Avreeayl Ra, drums

Tickets 30 €. Saturday pass 45 € (includes the concert at 4PM).

Open event

A new summer festival, Naantali Jazz Weekend, presents Kaivokatu Swing Band at restaurant Villa Randala.

Tickets 5 €. Bookings at Villa Randala or at the door.

Open event

A new summer festival, Naantali Jazz Weekend, presents Jazz Duo Soft at the church park stage.

Free entry!

Open event

A new summer festival, Naantali Jazz Weekend, presents Tina Harlem Jazz Band at restaurant Seurahuone.

Tickets 10 €. Bookings at the restaurant or at the door.

Open event