Jazz Finland Live

The Helsinki-based duo Good Romans will host a new club series once in August and twice in September in the capital. The club will focus on improvised music and feature a guest artist each time. The Free Club takes place at Ravintola Allotria on Friday the 15th in August and Friday the 5th and the 19th in September. Good Romans will be joined by pianist Kari Ikonen, drummer Mika Kallio and trombonist Jari Hongisto, respectively. Expect intriguing, distorted musical images and sporadic visions from the future and the dark side of the mind.

On the second night the duo's guest will be Mika Kallio

Good Romans feat. Mika Kallio

Ilari Filander – guitar / Jussi Miettola - drums, electronics

Mika Kallio - drums

Tickets 10 €.

Open event

tuOKio is a concert series with a message. The concert series is produced by the OK Study Centre that invites a different group each year to write music around a certain theme and go on a tour. This year’s theme is “make a change!” and the persuasive group to spread the word is a quartet consisting of the punk-jazz trio Mopo and singer-songwriter Ville Leinonen.

Leinonen and the members of Mopo were not acquainted before, but after the suggestion was made by the Study Centre they were very eager to get involved and to collaborate with each other. That punk is far from being dead is hardly a surprise, but the fact that its attitude has found a new proponent from the field of jazz may be. Mopo is a trio formed by three gifted young musicians, and the group lists jazz, the 70s punk rock and the Finnish nature as their sources of inspiration. Each member has their say in the process of making music, which makes the trio a fine example of a tiny democracy. Surprise is an essential element of Mopo’s philosophy. Ville Leinonen is a versatile artist who has shed his skin many times during his career. He started out in his youth in the group Valumo and has moved from the popular song of the 70s to Slavic folk songs and stage musical, from avant-garde to psychedelic rock and the project Camp Crystal Lake in which the soundscapes of the Holocaust met those of horror films. Who would be better to take a stand for a perpetually current theme in a democratic state – that of civic engagement and grass-root action?

Free entry!

Open event

Kemijärvi VPK (Volunteer Fire Department) building serves as the venue for tonight's swing dance. 

Pentti Lasenen Big Swing feat. Minna Lasanen

The grand old man of jazz Pentti Lasanen leads his nine-piece Big Swing orchestra with a special guest Minna Lasanen on vocals.

Big Swing Orchestra: Pentti Lasanen (dir. cl, altsax, trp), Arto Lehtola (cl, altsax, brsax), Jarmo Rouvinen (tensax), Risto Salmi (tensax, cl), Sami Pöyhönen (trp), Raimo Näätänen (trb), Petri Krzywacki (g), Pekka Sarmanto (b), Rami Eskelinen (dr), Minna Lasanen (voc).

Tanssiorkesteri Jeepers Creepers

Dance orchestra Jeepers Creepers is tailored especially for the occasion. The members are local veteran musicians, with experience from a wide variety of genres.

Marko Pasma (dr & voc), Jukka Haavisto (g), Risto Tuovinen (b), and Jarkko Kotilainen (acc & kb).

Tickets 15 €.

Open event

AR Quartet (formerly known as Artturi Rönkä Quartet) is a band of four young musicians from Helsinki, Finland. The group’s music is characterized by dynamic and energetic interplay and refined compositions, mostly written by Artturi Rönkä. In May 2012, the band won the first prize in the Finnish final of “Young Nordic Jazz Comets” competition and represented Finland in the international showcase in Copenhagen, Denmark. In September 2012, AR Quartet won the second prize in international “Jazz Hoeilaart” competition for jazz groups in Belgium. Jazz HUG record label released the band’s debut album in March 2014.

The 23-year-old pianist-composer Artturi Rönkä is Pori Jazz’s Artist of the Year in 2013 and had the honour of being the first Rising Star of We Jazz Festival 2013. Rönkä has also been successful in composing competitions. Highlights so far include the first prizes in both Finnish “Esko Linnavalli” (2011, organized by UMO Jazz Orchestra) and international “Jazzverk” (2012 Luleå, Sweden, organized by Norrbotten Big Band) big band composition contests.

The first two weeks, 3 - 13, of September AR Quartet will be touring around Finland for eight concerts. This tour, produced together with Jazz HUG and Finnish Jazz Federation, will take the young jazz lions to perform around Finland, e.g. in Kuopio, Tampere and Turku.

Sampo Kasurinen – soprano & tenor saxophones
Eero Seppä – bass
Artturi Rönkä – piano
Jonatan Sarikoski – drums

Wed 3.9. Tampere, AMC-klubi, Telakka
Thu 4.9. Kajaani, Koutasali, Kaukametsän kulttuurikeskus
Fri 5.9. Kuopio, Jazzklubi, Musiikkikeskus
Sat 6.9. Tallinna, Philly Joe's Jazz Club
Wed 10.9. Turku, Sibelius-museo
Thu 11.9. Helsinki, Malmisali, Malmitalo
Fri 12.9. Savonlinna, Wanha Kasino
Sat 13.9. Oulu, Pikisali, Kaupunginteatteri

Open event

Bright young jazzers from Oulu Conservatory's Jazz & Pop Department perform at night club Karhu. 

Tickets 10 €. 

Open event

Students of the Pop & Jazz department of Oulu Conservatory perfrom at Café Loimu.

Swing lunch (10 €) is served with Piccolo sparkling wine (7 €) during the concert.

Free entry!

www.cafeloimu.fi

ravintola@cafeloimu.fi

Open event

Jukka Kuoppamäki has released a recording "Joutukaa sielut", which consists of religious pieces performed in a jazz mode. He performs music from the album at Revontulikappeli. 

Tickets 20 €. 

www.kairosmaja.fi 
kairosmaja@sana.fi 

Open event

9.00-10.15PM Antti Sarpila Swing Band

10.30–11.45PM Jani Jalkanen ja Hänen orkesterinsa (and his orchestra), Ile Vainio, Kulkuriveljeni Jami

00.00-01.15AM Wristshakers

Tickets: 25 €

After-party at Bistro

Open event

Pieni liikkuva orkesteri is a versatile miniature orchestra, formed in 2012 by two pop/jazz musicians, Maija Sipiläinen and Jari Erma.

Tickets 8 €.

ravintola@tsokka.fi
www.tsokka.fi

Open event

Charlotta Kerbs is a talented singer-songwriter. She won the 2013 Estonia and Pärnu Ballaad International song contest.

Clark Jakobsson (tenor sax), Mikael Jakobsson (piano), Marcus Söderström (double bass), Stefan Brokvist (drums), Charlotta Kerbs (vocals).

Free entry!

Open event