Jazz Finland Live

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

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Young and stellar trio HERD has taken their acclaimed club series to Lahden Pikkuteatteri this September, and now the October edition on 11 October will see the Swedish-Turkish singer Anni Elif join the gang. The concert programme has been compiled from the Swedish jazz tunes popularised by vocalist Monica Zetterlund, which will be shaped by HERD and Anni Elif into something new and unique in this concert. Their collaboration project was premiered in Helsinki as early as in spring 2013 and it met with plenty of acclaim. In addition to Lahti,  HERD will yet take the same concert to Helsinki (12 Oct) and Tammisaari (18 Oct).

Anni Elif Egeciouglu grew up in Sweden but has recently settled in Finland. A vocalist, cellist and composer, she is known for her captivating stage presence, which will leave no one unmoved. The Finnish audience remembers her best from the group Elifantree who have released two critically acclaimed albums on Eclipse Music. Elifantree has also been noted by international jazz enthusiasts and media. Anni Elif has collaborated with the Emma-awarded post-jazz phenomenon Oddarrang and the Scandinavian vocal group IKI.

HERD, founded in 2009, has, during their five years of existence, managed to win the renowned European Jazz Competition, perform at nearly every Finnish jazz festival and release two albums. This year they have been touring Finland actively with vocalist Aili Ikonen. Other collaborators include Jukka Perko, Zarkus Poussa and Timo Alakotila. The group is composed of Lahti native, vibraphonist Panu Savolainen, bassist Mikko Pellinen and drummer Tuomas Timonen. The trio first launched their popular HERD club series in September 2012 at Lavaklubi in Helsinki, and expanded in Lahti and Hämeenlinna in autumn 2013. This year the club series has its home in Lahti.

HERD Club with Anni Elif
Sat 11 Oct at 7:00PM
Pikkuteatteri, Lahti (Loviisankatu 8)

Tickets 14/7 €, pre-bookings at Tiketti 13,50/8,50

Anni Elif Egecioglu, vocals
Panu Savolainen, vibraphone
Mikko Pellinen, bass
Tuomas Timonen, drums

Remaining HERD Club concerts at Lahden Pikkuteatteri in autumn 2014:

Sat 8 Nov at 7:00PM with Verneri Pohjola, trumpet
Sat 13 Dec at 7:00 with Aili Ikonen and Vieno Kekkonen, vocals

www.herdtrio.com
www.facebook.com/herdtrio
www.elifantree.com

Further information: Panu Savolainen / info@herdtrio.com / 040 8240 795
Press photos: www.herdtrio.com/press/lahti2014

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Nassaun Fasaani is drummer Toni Porthén’s and saxman Joonatan Rautio’s take on modern, electronic jazzfunk. Fasaani’s music is an intriguing combination of the variety of styles in rhythm and world music. Porthén’s and Rautio’s crossover compositions wrap smoothly over surprising arrangements (which take also the musicians by surprise at times). Aside the various jazz ensembles, the exploding virtuoso Toni Porthén is known for rapper Axl Smith’s and pop/r’n’b star Anna Abreu’s bands. Yrjö awarded Joonatan Rautio mainly works with his trio, and yet continues to come up with new tricks to amaze his audiences with his playing. Pianist Jussi Fredriksson electrifes the band with his Moog paintings and sharp Rhodes solos. The rhythm section is completed with the cornerstone of Finnish electric bass, Juho Kivivuori and ruthlessly groovy percussionist Abdissa “Mamba” Assefa. The band release their debut album for the Finnish Jazz Federation’s tour in November 2014. The record comes out on Helsinki Jazz Underground collective’s label.

Tickets: 10/8/5€

Tour dates:
9.10. Lappeenranta, Restaurant Kolme Lyhtyä
10.10. Turku, Café Tiljan (Svenska Teatern/Swedish Theatre)
11.10. Raahe, 3″ Kuppila
15.10. Kajaani, Kaukametsä Conference Centre, Kouta Hall
16.10. Jyväskylä, Poppari Bar
17.10. Kuopio, Music Centre
18.10. Joensuu, Theatre Restaurant’s Terrace

Toni Porthen – drums
Joonatan Rautio – saxophone
Jussi Fredriksson – keys
Juho Kivivuori – bass
Mamba Assefa – percussion
www.jazzhug.com

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Emma Salokoski is known from her smooth vocals in the fields of jazz and bossa nova, as well as from stage musicals. In recent years she has windened her scope toward the strain of intimate songs in the Finnish language, and the two most recent albums Veden alla and Valoa pimeään have found a place in Finns' hearts and on best-selling albums lists.

Salokoski has fronted several groups during her over ten-year career, singing in Finnish, English, Swedish and Portugese. Despite the wide range of genres, telling stories has always ran as a red thread in her repertoire.

Emma Salokoski's new trio sees guitarist Jarmo Saari and accordionist Niko Kumpuvaara join her. Jarmo Saari, one of the best Finnish instrumentalists, has a rare knack for creating cinematic sonic narratives and magical soundscapes. The newest member, Niko Kumpuvaara, trusts in an energetic style and gives the group's aura just a tiny hint of danger and unpredictability.

Showtime at 10PM, doors at 9:30.

Tickets 15/12 €.

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Olavi Trio is formed by double bass player Teppo Olavi Hauta-aho, trombonist Jari Olavi Hongisto and drummer Niilo Olavi Louhivuori. As you can infer, the group’s name derives from the shared second name, Olavi. Only Louhivuori, this year’s Pori Jazz Artist of the Year uses Olavi as his first name. In French ears “Olavi” comes close to “Oh la vie!”, which, indeed, describes the trio’s surprising material and their constant and open-minded exploration of untrodden musical paths. The debut Triologia came out in 2011 on the quality label TUM Records, and it is TUM that will continue as their label for the second release, due to be published later this autumn.

Olavi Trio
Olavi Louhivuori - drums
Teppo Olavi Hauta-aho – double bass
Jari Olavi Hongisto – trombone

Journal Intime, trio from la France, charmed Finnish audiences already in 2012 at Pori Jazz Ultra Music Nights concert. Now they return to Finland on the Vapaat äänet tour to give eleven gigs, with Olavi Trio joining the French colleagues at eight of them. Trumpeter Sylvain Bardiau, bass sax player Fred Gastard and Matthias Mahler love Jimi Hendrix, and breathe a new and different life into the guitar giant’s classic songs on their second album, Lips on Fire. We are talking about three top players of avant-garde jazz and free improvisation, but not without experience in funk, reggae, salsa and afro.

Journal Intime
Plays Jimi Hendrix “Lips on Fire”
Fred Gastard – bass saxophone
Matthias Mahler – trombone
Sylvain Bardiau – trumpet

Tickets 15 €.

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