Jazz Finland Live

M. A. Numminen is a legendary Finnish artists, whose merits in music, literature and performance arts are undeniable. His jazz quartet, Uusrahvaanomainen jatsiorkesteri, is a vehicle for bringing out the subtle humor of jazz music, which the ensemble does with enough swing and charisma to fill an arena, not to mention an intimate club space.

More international stars to join the line-ups of Turku-based Flame Jazz concert series and Helsinki’s Koko Jazz Club! And we are not talking about any upstart but the legendary Lee Konitz – an 89-year-old veteran who has witnessed the history of jazz from the bebop era to today first hand. While Charlie Parker led the revolution of African-American music in the 1940s, Konitz took the language of jazz to a different direction. A close collaborator of pianist Lenny Tristano’s, Konitz introduced pioneering rhythmic and melodic innovations and was also a key name of the 1950s cool jazz. Indeed, Konitz also appears on the defining classic of cool jazz, Miles Davis’s Birth of the Cool.

Bassist Jeff Denson first started collaborating with Konitz in 2007 and today he also plays in the ranks of the veteran’s New Quartet. A Professor at California Jazz Conservatory, Denson has performed alongside a number of monumental names of jazz, including Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas. Finn Kari Ikonen will be joining the trio in both shows on the piano.

Lee Konitz – alto sax, vocals
Jeff Denson – bass, vocals
Kari Ikonen – piano
Ronen Itzik – drums

 Tickets 33/28 €

Open event