Jari Hongisto (b. 1960) is known as a master of imaginative free jazz but the scale of this versatile and hardworking trombonist is wide: he plays often in the trombone section of UMO Jazz Orchestra and has played also classical music and recorded on pop and rock albums. Hongisto started his trombone studies in the late-1970s and then searched for more tuition from England, United States and Germany. During 1980s he quickly became one of the most important names on the field of Finnish free jazz trombonism.

Hongisto found congenial music company from Edward Vesala's Sound & Fury workshops where saxophonist Jorma Tapio also played who later became a co-leader in Hongisto-Tapio Quartet with Hongisto. Hongisto played also in the early version of Raoul Björkenheim's Krakatau and trumpetist Jarmo Sermilä's and drummer Jouni Kesti's projects. During that time he also started a fruitful co-operation with bassist Teppo Hauta-aho.

Hongisto entered the international circles in Quintet Modern with bassist Teppo Hauta-aho and saxophonist Harri Sjöström, featuring also two German top-notch free jazz musicians, Phil Wachsmann and Paul Lovens. Through different workshops Hongisto found new acquaintances and in the beginning of 1990s the trombonist was a active member of the Ultra Music Meeting Happenings of Pori Jazz. Hongisto didn't however totally concentrate on free jazz: the gigs with UMO Jazz Orchestra offered traditional jazz expression and in 1993 he formed a tribute octet for Duke Ellington that performed i.a. in Pori Jazz.

In the late-1990s Sound Kitchen was born, a trio of Hongisto, Dane guitarist Hasse Puolsen and drummer Teppo Hauta-aho. This trio got excellent feedback and performed actively, i.a. on a Free Voices -tour in fall 1999 where the debut album of the trio, Pass Me the Wine, Please (AV-Art Records 2000) was also recorded. Soul Kitchen has performed once in a while in recent years as well and many famous jazzmusicians have featured on the trio's gigs. Recently Hongisto has performed with drummer Olavi Louhivuori's Olavi Trio and saxophonist Mikko Innanen's 11-member orchestra Mikko Innanen 10+.