Jazz Finland Live

Il Mondo di Karri, the touring concert series hosted by Finnish pianist Karri Luhtala, presents Finno-Italian jazz!

Franco Capone - vocals
Karri Luhtala - keys
Paolo Cozzolino - bass
Pasquale De Paola - drums

Open event

Liikemiehet (The Businessmen in English) are a brand new group that dresses impeccably and conveys a general feeling of up-tightness. In addition to playing musical instruments, this concert concept will also take them out of their comfort zone, to the realm of dance, however. How will they pull off playing music andHanna Brotherus’s choreography – will this bunch of professional musicians turn out to be pro at dancing, too? The people on the stage and behind the production are:

Jukka Perko - saxophone and play
Felix Zenger - beatbox and play
Esko Järvelä - violin and play
Jouko Kyhälä - harmonica and play
Oskari Mänttäri - hosting, play and production
Hanna Brotherus - choreography

The show came into being when cultural designer Oskari Mänttäri of Adult Learning Centre Sivis tackled the concept of play and playing and how it could be adapted to adult life. To play is to approach everyday phenomena creatively and to throw oneself into something new without the fear of failure or embarrassment.

“Liikemiehet is a physical concert about disciplined playfulness. From breathing comes singing, which evokes laughter, which will be channelled into dancing and playing music. In this concert, life is movement and being a businessman is being grim – thus, being grim is funny. Acting unconventional and weird is a sort of a game, to which everyone, both children and adults, have a right,” Hanna Brotherus sums up.

The show will see musicians Esko Järvelä, Felix Zenger, Jukka Perko and Jouko Kyhälä playing for us alongside Oskari Mänttäri.

Free entry!

Open event

The one and unique quartet Ajaton create four-dimensional music that frustrates all unnecessary definitions. Bringing together musicians who represent a host of musical styles and periods, Ajaton, ‘timeless’ in English, are true to their name. This quartet, like its instrumentation and repertory, is a sum of intriguing, seemingly incompatible parts: improvised landscapes, reminiscences of folk music, hints to medieval lute ditties and original compositions intertwine seamlessly in their hands.  

Founded in 2013, the outfit is formed by four original, acclaimed artists working in the fields of folk music, jazz and classical. Led by vocalist Mia Simanainen, Ajaton featuresHenrik Sandås on the bandoneon, Mikko Perkola on the viol and Kari Ikonen on the moog. Rather than defining themselves through formal or stylistic attributes, Ajaton is more interested in giving free rein to each member’s creative whims.

Mia Simanainen, vocals
Henrik Sandås, bandoneon
Kari Ikonen, moog
Mikko Perkola, viol

Tickets 15/10 €

Open event

Flame Jazz Messengers release their debut album, Port Arthur, on a tour that stops at Helsinki, Tampere, Turku and Salo. In Salo, the show will be a pre-event for the Salo Jazz Festival, which officially kicks off on 30 September. 

Thematically, the new album draws from the spirit of the old capital, Turku, and the preservation of the Baltic Sea. Their music, written by vibraphonist Severi Pyysalo and drummer Jussi Fredriksson, combines strong melodies, soloistic acrobatics and intense dynamics. “With its groovy atmosphere, the album reflects the jazz boom prevailing in the city,” says Fredriksson, who has also produced the effort.  

In addition to Fredriksson and Pyysalo, the sextet comprises the Swedish tenor saxophonist Karl-Martin Almqvist, and two younger-generation stars alto saxophonist Max Zenger and double bassist Teemu Åkerblom. Mikko "Gunu" Karjalainen will be filling in for Verneri Pohjola, 

Mikko "Gunu" Karjalainen, trumpet
Max Zenger, alto sax
Karl-Martin Almqvist, tenor sax
Severi Pyysalo, vibes
Teemu Åkerblom, bass
Jussi Fredriksson, drums

Tickets 15/10 € 

Open event