Jazz Finland Live

Aurora Hentunen is a Lappeenranta-born pianist and composer, today based in Amsterdam. As Hentunen is a former resident of Jyväskylä, this concert will be a homecoming of sorts to her. In addition to their leader, the group members have performed  in both the European and American capitals of jazz – Amsterdam and New York – in addition to Finland, so we are talking about a bunch of youngsters who definitely bear comparison to their international colleagues.

Hentunen’s compositions lean heavily on the Scandinavian traditions of jazz and folk music. Her tender touch on the piano gets an interesting counterpart in Ville Luukkonen’s original and partly electronic drumming. The pair’s seamless co-work is complemented by bassist Veli-Matti Silanterä’s versatile, electronically enhanced bass lines and Joona Kilponen’s touching trumpet melodies and bold solos.

Aurora Hentunen - piano
Joona Kilponen - trumpet
Veli-Matti Silanterä - double bass
Ville Luukkonen - drums

In a short time OK:KO have become one of the most sought-after exports of Finnish jazz. Led by drummer Okko Saastamoinen, the quartet represented Finland in last year’s Young Nordic Jazz Comets showcase, and their debut Land E., released by Norwegian AMP Music & Records, has proven a delightful surprise among this year’s jazz albums. Both the album and OK:KO’s shows have been widely praised in jazz media from Scandinavia all the way to the United States. The group was awarded with the prestigious We Jazz Rising Star prize by We Jazz, and besides touring Finland they have given shows around Scandinavia. The concert at the Summer Jazz Club will be a part of a larger tour that saw them, among others, on the main stage of the Pori Jazz Festival.

Okko Saastamoinen - drums
Jarno Tikka - sax
Toomas Keski-Säntti - piano
Mikael Saastamoinen - double bass

Liput 8/5 euroa. Lipunmyynti ovelta 20.30, ennakkoliput Popparista.