Jazz Finland Live

he Portuguese Ana Moura has quickly garnered a strong international following, fascinated by her skilful exploration of other musical types while staying true to the deep soulfulness of fado, the traditional music of her native country. Moura last performed at April Jazz in 2009 to a sold-out audience. The upcoming SHOW will mark her first visit to Finland with an ensemble expanded from the traditional acoustic fado trio with keyboards, bass and drums.

Open event

Anna-Mari Kähärä Orchestra

The Anna-Mari Kähärä Orchestra, who will celebrate the release of their second album at April Jazz, is a true all-star lineup of musicians. In addition to singer Anna-Mari Kähärä, the band features the talents of three top-tier musicians: guitarists Marzi Nyman and Jarmo Saari, alongside percussionist Zarkus Poussa. The core synergy between the members stems from FREE, no-holds-barred improvisation. It is no surprise that the band’s unpredictable and virtuosic performances have gained a cult status.

Manuel Dunkel Quartet feat. Anders Bergcrantz

The concert is opened by, saxophonist Manuel Dunkel, who has been among the most prominent musicians in Finnish jazz since the mid-1990s. In 2011, Dunkel received the Yrjö prize, which is the most highly-regarded jazz accolade in Finland. The quartet led by Dunkel also includes pianist Alexi Tuomarila, bassist Antti Lötjönen and drummer Teppo Mäkynen. The concert will feature music from the band’s third album, which will be released this spring. One of the most distinguished jazz musicians in Sweden, Anders Bergcrantz, who also PLAYS on the album, will make a guest appearance at the concert.

Open event

Open event

Over the last forty years, many of the most respected jazz musicians in Finland have played with UMO. Jukkis Uotila, a drummer, pianist and teacher, is one of them.

The third concert in UMO’s anniversary concert series concentrates on Uotila’s own recent big band arrangements and compositions. Most of the material is from the The Music Of Jukkis Uotila album, which he recorded with the Stockholm Jazz Orchestra in 2013.

– I’ve composed a lot of music, but I hadn’t written anything for a large orchestra in a couple of decades. The Music Of Jukkis Uotila is the first record I’ve made that consists solely of my own big band pieces, Uotila explains.

Uotila started playing in big bands at the age of 14, when he was a founding member of the Oulunkylä Pop & Jazz Conservatory’s orchestra. Since then he has played with big bands at home and abroad, from UMO and the Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Taback big band to several radio orchestras in Central Europe.

Uotila’s versatile background and his long career in music are both apparent in his compositions. He writes music that draws heavily from his personal esthetics, independent of musical trends and fashion. Uotila’s music is a kind of antithesis to the broad, painterly strokes used by most European big bands at the moment.

– The songs and arrangements are based on the traditions of jazz, but the sound is all mine: strong melodies underscored by polymorphous harmonies backed by groovy rhythms.

Open event