Jazz Finland Live

September's Kymppiklubi at Kirjasto 10 (Library 10) invites you to reminisce the legendary drummer-composer and music pedagogue Edward Vesala, one of the key figures of Finnish and, indeed, European jazz.

Martti "Edward" Vesala (15 Feb 1945 Mäntyharju - 4 Dec 1999 Yläne) was an exceptional jazz musician, whose career not only spanned several decades but several genres. Known as an impressionistic drum and percussion artist, he was equally at home in experimental jazz, soul, rock and other projects, such as composing music for poems and performing with dance orchestras. Along with his band mate, Eero Koivistoinen, he entered the stage of the Finnish jazz in the 1960s, and remained there until his death. Having grativated towards free jazz in the 1970s, Vesala became famous for his intensive, impulsive and loud style and preference for an extensive use of cymbals.

Programme:

5.00PM Tribute to Vesala (1st set): Juhani Aaltonen (sax, fl), Ilmari Heikinheimo (dr), Ulf Krokfors (b), Verneri Pohjola (tp)

5.30PM Memories of Eetu: Matti Laipio, Heikki Sarmanto, Teppo Hauta-aho, Asko Mäki, Holle Holopainen, Eero Koivistoinen...

7.00PM Tuohi, the winner of the Montreax Jazz competition (TV1, 1971)

7.30PM Tribute to Vesala (2nd set)

Free entry!

Open event

Ilmavoimien Big Band goes Stravinsky

Conductor: Elias Seppälä

Soloist: Pekka Ahonen, clarinet

Tickets: 15/10 €. Available at the door one hour before showtime.

Age limit 18.

Ilmavoimien Big Band (The Finnish Air Force Big Band) plays Stravinsky! In Aalto III – Ilmavoimien Big Band goes Stravinsky concert the big band interprets Igor Stravinsky’s Ebony Concerto and a selection of modern Finnish big band music by Sampo Haapamäki, Kari Heinilä, Kari Ikonen, Kirmo Lintinen, Jukka Tiensuu and Olli Virtaperko.

What all these composers have in common is an open-mindedness, abandoning of generic pigeonholes and a conscious effort of nearing jazz with contemporary music. Thus, the best of jazz and best of contemporary classical music come together in the concert.

The headlining piece is Russian-born composer Igor Stravinsky’s (1882-1971) Ebony Concerto for clarinet and big band. Ebony Concerto was composed in 1945 for Woody Herman’s orchestra, and the piece represents Stravinsky's, who is perhaps most associated with high-brow classical music, fling with jazz. Despite being typically Stravinskyan in the rhythm and the harmony, influences of jazz, melancholic blues vibes and a robust 1940s big band swing play a significant role in the piece. Pekka Ahonen, clarinet player and senior lecturer in woodwind instruments at Tampere University of Applied Sciences, features as a soloist for Ilmavoimien Big Band.

Due to the reform of the Finnish Defence Forces, only six military bands remain active as of the beginning of 2014. One of these is the Ilmavoimien Big Band in Tikkakoski, specialised in jazz, big band and popular music. As the director and senior composer acts Major Tomi Väisänen. Responsible for the activity of all Finnish military bands is lieutenant colonel Elias Seppälä, who appears as conductor for Ilmavoimien Big Band for the first time in this concert.

Light contemporary classical or serious jazz? You are welcome to come and hear for yourself.

Interviews:

The conductor, the head of the Finnish Defence Forces' bands and the soloists are available for interviews on Thu 25 Sep 2014 at 9.30AM-2.00PM.

Ilmavoimien soittokunta, Immolantie 10, 41160 Tikkakoski

Contact:

Senior conductor Elias Seppälä puh. 0299 500 702

Head of the Defence Forces' bands Tomi Väisänen puh. 0299 258　500

Publicist Merja Kokko puh. 0299 258　505

Open event

UMO and Club For Five will step in the swinging shoes of big band legend Glenn Miller and vocal group The Modernaires. This nostalgic concert features such classics as Jukebox Saturday Night, Tuxedo Junction and Blues in the Night. The Modernaires performed intensively with the Glenn Miller Orchestra from the beginning of 40’s until the tragic disappearance of the conductor. The collaboration resulted in many hits and the first-ever gold record with over a million copies sold. Conductor Antti Rissanen.

Tickets available at Lippupalvelu from 33 € / 28 € / 18 € including service fee (Normal 30,50 €, pensioners 25,50 €, unemployed, students and children 15,50 € + service fee from 2,50 €).  Concert duration: 120 min, incl. intermission.

Open event

Sanni Orasmaa in a solo performance. The programme features less performed jewels from Johnny Mandell and Milton Nascimento among other composers.

Open event

The Finnish-Swiss-Icelandic trio Equally Stupid will go on a second Finnish tour this autumn to celebrate their debut album. The group will give five live shows around Finland, the fourth of which will take place at Telakka in Tampere. Equally Stupid released their debut, entitled Exploding Head, in February this year, and the energetic live performances the trio gave in the wake of the release were much praised by critics. September’s tour is a continuation of that of February’s .

Equally Stupid is a vigorous and spirited jazz group, whose music can be characterised as melodic and rich in rhythmical layers. This group’s unapologetic, muscular groove holds the listener in its grip live and pulses strongly on the Eclipse Music –released debut album, as well. Despite their relatively short history as a band, each member’s career as an international jazz musician spans several years. Saxophone player Pauli Lyytinen is known from groups Elifantree, DEFEKT and Kauhukakara that lean on the Scandinavian strain of jazz music. The Helsinki-resident Icelander, Sigurdur Rögnvaldsson, melds traits of jazz and rock music in his guitar playing. His distinctive style is a strong presence in such Scandinavian groups as Uinuva, DEFEKT, Fuzz N' Us. Lyytinen and Röngvaldsson have collaborated frequently before the formation of Equally Stupid, for instance by playing together live for more than 150 times with groups DEFEKT and Laser. The third member, drummer David Meier, comes from Switzerland and has been gigging actively in recent years in the Continent with different projects and his own bands Hunter-Gatherer and Schnellertollermeier.

Pauli Lyytinen, sax

Sigurdur Rögnvaldsson, baritone guitar

David Maier, drums

Tickets: starting from 10 €.

Open event

"It is hard to imagine a better choice for a Finnish Ella." - Pentti Ronkanen, Keskisuomalainen

Aili Ikonen & Tribute to Ella plays the songs popularised by the unforgettable jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald. The six-piece interprets the pearls from her long and brilliant career, with the dazzling Aili Ikonen stepping into Ella's boots. The programme includes romantic ballads, up-tempo bebop numbers and Latin rhythms. The renditions are arranged by the group's artistic director Mikko Pellinen.

Vocalist Aili Ikonen has appeared as a soloist for UMO Jazz Orchestra and Norrbotten Big Band. She leads her own group, Aili Ikonen Ensemble, fronts HERD in their collaborative Jazz Bug concerts and is an important presence as vocalist, composer and lyricist in such groups as Kvalda, Korpi Ensemble and Hereä.

Tickets 15/12 €

Open event