Jazz Finland Live

Metropolia Big Band performs at Arabia sali, conducted by Antti Rissanen.

Open event

Bollywood Masala Orchestra combines traditional Bollywood hits and contemporary music in a unique show that will now take over the stage at Savoy theatre.

We are in for a colourful and high-energy show, in which traditional Indian musicians are joined by a horn section, dancers, singers and acrobats. Elaborate costumes and catchy tunes will transport the listener to Indian landscapes.

A horn section has traditionally been absent from Indian music, so Bollywood Masala Orchestra is adding something entirely new to the tradition. Realising this concept was the leader Rahis Bharti's long-term dream. The group was founded in 2012, and they toured extensively in Continental Europe in autumn 2013, visiting France, Belgium and Sweden, for instance. The performers come from all around India.

Tickets: 38/34 € / Lippupalvelu

Open event

Joonas Haavisto - piano

Petri Puolitaival - saxophone

Juho Kivivuori - bass

Ville Pynssi - drums

Tickets 10 e.

Ticket and table reservations: 050 579 1400, info@allotria.fi

Open event

The Panurama club nights' will have a grand finale when two giants of the Finnish jazz scene join vibraphone artist Panu Savolainen at the National Theatre's Lava Club.

Pianist and conductor Olli Ahvenlahti has made a remarkable career and is know for many television shows and collaborations with entertainer Vesa-Matti Loiri. Ahvenlahti's solo albums from the 1970s, "The Poet" and "Bandstand", enjoy a cult status in Finland and have attracted admiration abroad as well.

Guitarist and singer Timo Kämäräinen is familiar to the general audience from Ismo Alanko's and Olavi Uusivirta's bands. Kämäräinen is an experimental and adventurous artist, whose solo albums "Unea" and "Pulpae" were received enthusiastically by critics and audiences alike.

Panu Savolainen belongs to the most sought-after among new generation of Finnish jazzers, known perhaps best from his group HERD, the winner of the European Jazz Competition in 2011. Savolainen is also the artistic director of Sipoo Kalkkiranta Jazz Festival. He was awarded the Artist of the Year prize at the prestigious Pori Jazz Festival in 2010.

Olli Ahvenlahti, keys
Timo Kämäräinen, guitar, vocals
Panu Savolainen, vibraphone

Tickets 10/7 e. In advance from the National Theatre ticket shop (010 733 1331), at the show night at the door.

www.panusavolainen.com

www.facebook.com/panusavolainenvibes

www.ahvenlahti.com

Open event

Aura Flow, formed by five Turku-based jazz musicians, has convinced many with their energy and is an apt reminder of the bourgeoning jazz scene of the old capital. This bunch of rising stars issued their aptly named debut “You’ll Hear From Me”, which will now be heard live at Koko Jazz Club.

Aura Flow performs saxophonist Zenger’s and pianist Mäntylä’s compositions. The grapevine has been effective in spreading the word about their intense live presence, and the group has played to full houses from the start. Jazz is Aura Flow’s mother tongue but there is no denying that the local dialect adds a distinct swing to it. This group’s music is straight-ahead jazz, played with a fresh candidness. Without taking any pressure of being bigger or smaller than they are, Aura Flow succeeds in sounding both strong and balanced.

Max Zenger – alto sax
Henri Mäntylä – piano
Henri Marjamäki – guitar
Teemu Åkerblom – bass
Jussi Fredriksson – drums

Open event

Tri. Tolvanen Organ Treatment plays mostly 60's soul jazz, in the spirit of Groove Holmes, Lonnie Smith and Jimmy Smith. Their repertoire includes original tunes and arrangements of familiar and not-so familiar jazz tunes from bebop to funk!

Ville Tolvanen - Organ

Joonas Anttila - Drums

Heikki Hänninen - Guitar

Tickets 5 e!

Open event

Tickets 15/10€ (with S-Etukortti card 10€)

Jarmo Saari Republic is a new supergroup built on the praised solo project Jarmo Saari Solu and branching out its experimental, lyrical and hypnotic soundscapes. Saari is a musician, composer and producer, and his CV includes shows in more than 30 different countries and appearances on well over 100 albums. Saari dreamed about this dream team for ten years, before it finally came into being in 2012, and it was Tampere Jazz Happening in November 2013 that saw the first gig of these “soldiers of light”.

Miles Davis and Jimi Hendrix never had a chance to realise their ideas about collaboration, but luckily Jarmo Saari Republic has come forth to prevent such wrongs from occurring in the Finnish scale. The essence of the band lies in its versatile musicians, dynamic communication and unusual instrumentation. Each of the members has been working in the field of Finnish music already for two decades and with an exceptionally wide scope.

Jarmo Saari (b. 1970) is one of the most original guitarists of his generation. His musical visions have found an outlet in both his solo work and the bands Trubamolli, Filmtet, ZataBoo and XL. Saari is known for his visual compositional style and layered sound collages made with guitar and vocals, but also with a number of more unlikely instruments, such as theremin, baroque cello, trombone and glass harp. He has collaborated as a musician and composer with the following artists, for example: Jukka Perko, Tero Saarinen Company, Anna-Mari Kähärä, Trilok Gurtu, The Tapiola Choir, Pekka Kuusisto, Nils Landgren, Emma Salokoski, Felix Zenger, Meta4 String Quartet, UMO Jazz Orchestra, Mika Kaurismäki Pepe Deluxe and Tuomari Nurmio. In 2012, Saari was awarded with a Finland Prize by the Ministry of Education and Culture for artistic activity.

Sami Kuoppamäki, Olavi Louhivuori and Abdissa “Mamba” Assefa have earlier worked with such bands and artists as Kingston Wall, Oddarrang, Giant Robot, Kimmo Pohjonen, Fat Beat Sound System, Ilmiliekki Quartet, Tomasz Stanko, Nuspirit Helsinki, Tuomo, Anssi Tikanmäki’s Film Orchestra and Von Hertzen Brothers.

Why these three drummers, Jarmo Saari? – We have an abundance of skilled drummers in Finland, but it was this dream line-up with whom we finally got to try out the mad concept. I was given a Versoul baritone guitar by a number of friends for my 40th birthday, and I was honoured to hear Kuoppis and Mamba play in two sets in my birthday jam session. It was incredible to see it click between them! The rootsy and virtuosic Kuoppis and the intensely unpredictable Olavi play together with a wonderful flow, while Mamba seasons this soulful cake with earthy spices.

The debut album is due in the spring of 2014 by the label Rockadillo Records, and we will be treated to guest appearances from at least the following three artists: Sam Huber, Tommy Lindgren and the Rolling Stones sax player, Tim Ries.

Open event

The Swedish Norrbotten Big Band takes the stage at Valve hall on Friday 9 May with a special guest, the Danish saxohphonist, composer and conductor, Lars Möller. Möller, who was initially inspired by American jazz, is one of the key figures of today's modern Scandinavian jazz.

In the concert we will hear Möller's compositions that draw upon an interesting source, "The Rite of Spring" by Igor Stravinsky. Möller has the talent to mix the American jazz tradition with African and Indian music and filter them through the Scandinavian melodic tradition.

As an instrumentalist, Möller can be characterised as both deeply expressive and rhythmically compelling. He has collaborated, among others, with Jimmy Cobb Group, Hermeto Pascoal, Jon Balke, Bobo Stensson, Anders Jormin, Martial Solal, Maria Schneider, Jim McNeely, Tom Harrel, Toots Thielmans, Katrine Madsen, Kasper Villaume Quartet, Sound of Choice Ensemble and The Danish Saxophone Quartet. Today, the artistic director of Aarhus Jazz Orchestra, Möller has also featured as a soloist in the Danish Radio Big Band, European Broadcasting Union Big Band, Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra and Athelas Sinfonietta.

Luleå-based Norrbotten Big Band is one of the highest-esteemed big bands of the world. Active since the 1980s, the orchestra had its breaktrough in 1995, with Tim Hagans at the helm. Norrbotten Big Band's collaborations include such giants as David Liebman, Joe Lovano, Randy Brecker, Rufus Reid, Maria Schneider, Carla Bley, Toots Thielemans, Kurt Elling and Dee Dee Bridgewater. The Grammy-winning group has collaborated with the Swedish Broadcast Company on a regular basis since 2000. Currently, saxophonist Joakim Milder acts as the big band's artistic director.

The concert is co-organised with Kulttuuritalo Valve.

Tickets 22/18 e at Valve and Oulu10 shops.

Duration appr. 1 hour, no interval.

Open event

Marten Altrov – klarinetti
Kaspar Uljas – harmonikka
Madis Meister – kitara
Sergei Šegurov – basso
Tõnis Kuusk – rummut

Tickets 8/6€

Doors 20.30

Open event