Jazz Finland Live

Jukka Perko - sax

Teemu Viinikainen - guitar & many pedals:

Jarmo Saari - guitar and more pedals

Lyrically captivating, melodic and unique. These terms, among others, have been applied to trumpeter Verneri Pohjola’s music. The sound of “the Miles Davis of the North” has something extraordinarily human to it, evading the pitfall of technical bravado which some of his colleagues sometimes are swallowed by. The son of the legendary composer of jazz fusion, Pekka Pohjola, Verneri Pohjola has boldly treaded his own path, which has gained him a place among the most acclaimed European jazz musicians.

The audience of the National Theatre will be the first in Finland to experience Pohjola’s latest recording, Bullhorn, live. Both on the recording and at the concert, the trumpeter is backed by his trusted quartet, consisting of pianist Aki Rissanen, bassist Antti Lötjönen and drummer Teppo Mäkynen.

“Intimate improvisation that I hold dear, raw energy and thorough writing – it has all the elements that I want my music to have,” Pohjola describes his new album.

Bullhorn is to be released by the renowned English label Edition Records, having released two recordings on the German label ACT. Pohjola and his quartet have also performed on the English soil recently – and not on any occasion – but at the London Jazz Festival and Forge Arts Centre.

Initially, Pohjola made his breakthrough ten years ago when the group Ilmiliekki Quartet released their debut, the Emma-nominated and Teosto-awarded March of the Alpha Males. This led to the group being chosen as the Finland Festivals Artist of the Year. Pohjola himself was selected as the Pori Jazz Artist of the Year and as the Trumpeter of the Year by the jazz magazine Jazzrytmit. The rest is Finnish jazz history!

'Affecting and atmospheric…memorable original themes’ – The Guardian, UK *****
’Verneri Pohjola has got what it takes to become an international jazz star’ – All About Jazz

Tickets: 25/15 €.

Open event