Jazz Finland Live

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

Kari Ikonen Trio
Kari Ikonen, piano
Ara Yaralyan, bass
Markku Ounaskari, drums

Program 10 euros

This very special trio cooks with the best European ingredients, the art of Afro-American cuisine and finest Oriental spices.
Chef Kari Ikonen and his team serve up a menu that combines his own creations with fresh interpretations of traditional Armenian dishes and classic recipes from cordons bleus like Coltrane or Shorter.
Also delicious take-away available – the trio’s debut album Bright, released in April 2013 by the respected German label Ozella, has been a success in tastings all over the world. German JAZZTHETIK and American Something Else Reviews chose Bright on their lists of the best jazz albums of 2013.

“Throughout Bright, one gets the sense that freedom runs through three who know each others’ moves instinctively. The music is bright as in light, defying gravity in very musical ways.” -John Ephland, All About Jazz (USA)

“Ikonen has an original approach (…) his work here that suggests the Ozella label have discovered a pianist of considerable potential.” -Stuart Nicholson, JazzWise (UK) June 2013

“Inventive, spright and clever, Bright is not just a good Nordic jazz record, it’s world-class good.” -Something Else Reviews (USA)

“Mit seiner aus jeder Note berstenden Lust aufs Zusammenspiel, durch eine besondere Klangschönheit und Harmoniefülle (…) erzeugt eine CD wie ,,Bright” schon vom ersten Ton an Aufmerksamkeit.” -Jazzthing (DE), April / Mai 2013

“Bright bietet alles, was ein gutes Jazzalbum benötigt. Gute Kompositionen, gut arrangiert und im Kari Ikonen Trio Musiker, die dies auf höchstem technischen Niveau in Musik umsetzten und den Hörer sofort gefangen nehmen. Große Kunst!” -Musik an sich (DE)

“The trio sounds like a jazz trio at its best.” -Finnish Music Quarterly (FIN)

Annamaija Music Company production

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 social 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