Jazz Finland Live

Espoo Big Band (EBB) takes the stage at Sellosali with an energetic and unpredictable concert program, featuring two exceptional soloists and two impressive new works by Marzi Nyman. Both compositions are written specifically for EBB, a band Nyman knows intimately, having served as its conductor since 2012.

The second half of the evening features Portrait of a Friend, a piece Marzi Nyman composed for his close friend, pianist Lenni-Kalle Taipale. Premiered at the 2013 PianoEspoo Festival, this composition captivated both audiences and critics. According to Helsingin Sanomat, the performance was playful, soaring, and gripping – full of folk spirit and unexpected twists. Now this exuberant work returns to the stage. 

The concert opens with a brand-new piece by Nyman, composed for recorder and big band. Soloist Eero Saunamäki – a virtuoso and versatile performer – will guide the audience into fresh soundscapes.

The program promises drama and tenderness, inventive compositions, and charismatic musical personalities. An unforgettable evening awaits!

Lenni-Kalle Taipale is one of Finland’s most recognized rhythm music artists. He has led his own jazz trio since the 1990s and has had a prolific career as both composer and performer. Taipale is also known from several popular Finnish TV shows, including The Voice of Finland, Elämäni biisi, and Bumtsibum.

Eero Saunamäki is an internationally acclaimed recorder player who has performed as a soloist with dozens of symphony orchestras and premiered over 40 works. In addition to playing the recorder, he performs regularly as a saxophonist and singer and teaches at the Sibelius Academy. Many recognize him from Finland’s Independence Day gala broadcasts, where he leads the Kaartin Combo.

Espoo Big Band has been a pioneering force in Finnish jazz for over 40 years and is the resident orchestra of the April Jazz Festival. EBB is known for its distinctive sound, its commitment to supporting Finnish composers, and its collaborations with top domestic and international soloists. The band has performed at festivals as far afield as Australia, Cuba, and the United States.

Lenni-Kalle Taipale, piano
Eero Saunamäki, recorders
Marzi Nyman, conductor
Espoo Big Band

Open event

Tickets 49 €

New Marc Ribot album "Map of a Blue City" 
to be released on May 23, 2025 via New West Records. Nearly 30 years in the making, we are excited to soon share with you the 9-song collection, produced and mixed by Ben Greenberg based on original studio sessions produced by the late Hal Willner, as well as home recordings. While it's not a traditional singer-songwriter album, it is Marc's first to center his plaintive voice quite so prominently throughout.

Map of a Blue City showcases songs colliding disparate traditions: roots, bossa nova, no wave, noise, free jazz, and sounds that have no genre associations (yet). Mostly featuring original compositions, the collection includes Ribot's rendition of the Carter Family's "When the World's on Fire" as well as his treatment of Allen Ginsberg's 1949 poem, "Sometime Jailhouse Blues."

Open event

Open event

Tickets 20/15€

The maverick of Finnish instrumental music delights with a new album. The Malmijazz concert will celebrate the band's latest release by performing songs from the album as well as more recent productions.

Symposium, recorded in Helsinki in June 2017, is the band's first live album, released on 2 May 2025. Formed in 1997 by guitarist Esa Onttonen and saxophonist Mikko Innanen, Gourmet is one of Finland's longest-running jazz bands, whose colourful music includes rautalanka guitar, schlagers, Parisian café vibes, New Orleans blues, waltz, marches and rage beat.

Joining Innanen and Onttonen at Malmisali are fellow original members, accordionist Veli Kujala, trombonist Ilmari Pohjola and drummer Mika Kallio. New to the line-up is tuba player Ville Niemelä. Symposium captures Gourmet's lush live sound on record for the first time.

The album was recorded at the band's concert at G Livelab in Helsinki on 10 June 2017. Symposium features nine live versions of tracks from the successful En garde album (2018), including the swampy rocker Pink Camel, the circus-inspired Love Gone Wrong and the virtuosic What Can We Do When The Sky Falls Down. With the release, Gourmet also pay tribute to their late members, Petri Keskitalo and Janne Antikainen, who passed away in spring 2023.

Duration: 1 hour 15 min

Open event

Free entry

Performers:

Arto Ikävalko – piano
Joonas Tuuri – bass
Ville Luukkonen – drum

Open event

Celebrating its 50th anniversary, the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestraperforms at the Topelius-sali of Sipoo in October 2025. During its anniversary season, the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra brings jazz to the Finnish-Swedish regions of the country with the support of the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland.

What makes UMO of today into UMO? This concert gives voice to those who are part of the everyday life of UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra and who contribute to the current sound of the orchestra. We focus on UMO’s current musicians as well as the composers writing the music that the orchestra plays, namely the visionary big band arrangers and composers of today. The concert programme reflects the identity of the current UMO and the uniquely high calibre of the orchestra’s soloists. Mikko Hassinen conducts the concert, guiding UMO and the fabulous soloists from the orchestra, whose compositions are premiered this evening in arrangements commissioned for the club night. The concert opens the door to UMO’s inner circle and casts the spotlight on the faces and voices making UMO exactly what it is – a living, breathing and constantly evolving nexus of jazz power.

The concert is part of UMO’s 50th anniversary season. Duration 2 hours, including an intermission.

UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra – The Greatest Feats since 1975. Get ready to groove as we mark 50 years of achievements and mastery in jazz! UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra celebrates its 50th anniversary season from summer 2025 to spring 2026. Throughout these decades, the orchestra has been at the forefront of Finnish jazz. Over the years, UMO has recorded over 60 albums, received Yrjö and Emma prizes, and even a Grammy nomination. The orchestra has shared the stage with international jazz stars as well as Finnish artists. One thing remains constant: the core of UMO is in new music. Join us for our anniversary season to look back on the past and celebrate our achievements, all while keeping our eyes firmly on the exciting future ahead. Come and celebrate together with the UMO! www.umohelsinki.fi 

Open event

Nana Rashid is one of the brightest rising stars on the Scandinavian jazz scene. The Danish-Zanzibari-Omani vocalist was awarded Best New Jazz Artist of the Year at the Danish Music Awards 2023 for her stunning debut album Music for Betty—a release also nominated for Best Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.

With a voice that channels the raw emotional power of Nina Simone and the elegance of Scandinavian jazz, Nana Rashid offers a strikingly original take on modern vocal jazz. Music for Betty is a deeply personal and emotionally resonant album that blends Nordic melancholy with shades of neo-soul, blues, and poetic storytelling. The title references her original song “Poor Blue Betty” — an ode to the parts of ourselves we often hide, but which ultimately make us whole.

The debut received wide critical acclaim:
“One of the absolute best Danish vocal jazz debut albums in several years.” – ★★★★★ Gaffa DK
“A superb debut album.” – Jazz Journal
“A smouldering intensity… sets the tone for the entire album.” – ★★★★★ Jazzwise (Editor’s Choice)

Nana Rashid has performed more than 50 concerts across Denmark and internationally, captivating audiences with her heartfelt performances and commanding presence. Her concerts are defined by a raw sincerity and emotional depth, drawing listeners into intimate stories of belonging, identity, and the human experience.

Now entering a new creative phase, Nana is introducing her upcoming compositions on stage before heading into the studio. For her, the live experience is essential to the music’s development:
“The songs are shaped in dialogue with the audience and the atmosphere of the room. Jazz is about connection — it’s alive, and it’s made together.”

Her new body of work continues her mission: to use music as a bridge — to bring people closer through shared emotion, vulnerability, and storytelling.

Performing with Nana Rashid are Lasse Jacobsen (drums), Martin Brunbjerg Rasmussen (double bass) and Benjamin Nørholm Jacobsen (piano).

Open event