Jazz Finland Live

Jazzmuusikot ry: The Generations of Finnish Jazz -jam session is held monday 15.4. at 19-23 at Koko Jazz Club (Hämeentie 3). Jam session is hosted by Nina Mya (voc) and Jazzmuusikot ry house band Umo Helsinki Ensemble with Kirmo Lintinen (piano), Nathan Francis (bass) and Tuukka Dunkel (drums).

Event is organized in co-operation with Finnish Jazz Federation, Koko Jazz Club, UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra, Helsinki Pop&Jazz Conservatory and Sibelius Academy´s jazz program. The event is supported by MES.

Tickets 10 €.

Open event

This concert comprises two master's recitals for the Department of Jazz at the Sibelius Academy.

18.00: Joonas Tuuri Quartet
A group fronted by jazz bass player Joonas Tuuri performing his compositions. Joonas's music is influenced by his greatest role models among jazz composers and bands. Melody and powerful rhythms are the cornerstones of the programme.

Joonas Tuuri, double bass
Ilmari Rönkä, alto sax
Toomas Keski-Säntti, piano
Anssi Tirkkonen, drums

20.00: Riikka Keränen Group
Vocalist Riikka Keränen and her band take the audience on a journey into the world of modern vocal jazz. The programme features moody, compelling and powerful interpretations of jazz pieces by Keränen herself along with carefully chosen covers.

Riikka Keränen, vocals
Juho Valjakka, piano
Jori Huhtala, bass
Anssi Tirkkonen, drums

Black Box, Helsinki Music Centre
Tickets: 17,50/11/6€ (Ticketmaster) 15/10/5€ (Helsinki Music Centre)
Further information: Tiina Halonen, 040 710 4301, tiina.halonen@uniarts.fi

Open event

Mikko Antila Group is an ensemble consisting of a jazz group of 11 musicians and a string quintet. In this particular concert, they will play a 50-minute piece composed by Antila called "Soil". The music can be described as jazz fusion, drawing great influence from different styles of music, such as Romanticism, Folk and Pop. Drawing influences as a composer from the greats of modern jazz, such as Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny, Carla Bley and Ambrose Akinmusire, Mikko also borrows a lot of ideas from modern classical composers such as Morton Feldman, Luigi Nono, and Steve Reich. This gives him a wide palette of sounds and colours, which he uses with good taste. Mikko Antila (b. 1998) is a musician based in Helsinki. Mostly known for his vibraphone and percussion playing, Mikko is also an active drummer and a composer. He is very open to all music genres, ranging from his vibraphone/percussion performances in Sibelius Academy's NYKY Ensemble to playing drums and keyboards in Soul/Techno groups. He is very transformative with any instrument he plays, and always aims to make the whole band sound great.

Mikko Antila: compositions, arrangements, lyrics, vibraphone
Pessi Jouste: violin
Lotus Tinat: violin
Anna-Maria Viksten: viola
Sujari Britt: cello
Akseli Porkkala: contrabass
Maja Mannila: vocals
Iina Johanson: vocals
Kalle Mattila: vocals
Jesse Vilhomaa: alto saxophone
Sami Leponiemi: tenor saxophone
Johannes Granroth: electric guitar
Otto Porkkala: acoustic guitar
Miika Vintturi: piano
Antti Ahoniemi: electric bass
Axel Tuliara: drums

Open event

The long-term collaborative history between UMO and Iro Haarla will see a continuation in Easter time when the big band and the pianist-harpist give a church tour around the Uusimaa region. In addition to the metropolitan area – Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa – the tour reaches to the cities of Porvoo and Askola. It also comprises an afternoon concert at the Helsinki Music Centre on the Holy Thursday.

Entitled Silent Music, the concert gives a cross-section of the compositions that UMO has commissioned from Haarla over her career. Among others, the programme includes the piece Ante Lucem  – ennen päivän koittoa (2005; Eng.Before the Dawn), delving on the events of Easter and the passion of Christ; Kurkien taru (2006; Eng. The Tale of the Cranes) portraying the migration of the majestic birds; and Led by the Wind (2015) – a piece inspired by the might of the wind. The concert will also see the premiere of the title composition, Silent Music (2019), written specifically for the occasion. Many of Haarla’s works initially premiered by UMO have lived on in different arrangements in the repertories of her own ensembles and even on recordings. The Easter concert will be conducted by Mikko Hassinen – already a well-known face at UMO’s helm.

– With my music I aim at bringing some light to the listener, stirring deep feelings and promoting the ability to feel pleasure and pass it on. The main thought behind the concert is finding a quietness within oneself; following the deep sonic textures, the undulating flow of sound, towards the light. Playing with UMO and conductor Mikko Hassinen is an exceptionally interesting chance for me to realise these ideas, Haarla says.

Open event

Manager Charles Gil's Free voices and sounds agency and Jazz Finland have worked together to organize Finnish-French tours in Finland since 2000. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the co-operation, the two touring bands are highly acclaimed quartets in their respective countries: the Finnish Maxxxtet, led by saxophonist Max Zenger, and the French Spring Roll, fronted by flautist-vocalist Sylvaine Hélary. 

Maxxxtet
Max Zenger – saxophone, bass clarinet, Tomi Nikku – trumpet, Teemu Åkerblom – bass, Jonatan Sarikoski – drums

Spring Roll
Sylvaine Hélary – flute, vocals, compositions, Antonin Rayon – piano, Moog, compositions, Hugues Mayot – tenor saxophone, klarinetti, Sylvain Lemêtre – vibraphone, percussion

Free Voices And Sounds Tour 2019:

Maxxxtet
Tue 9.4. Lappeenranta, ravintola Lamppu @ 20.00
Wed 10.4. Savonlinna, Kulttuurikellari @ 19.00
Thu 11.4. Oulainen, Kulmajazz, Kinokulma @ 19.00
Fri 12.4. Seinäjoki, Jazzoikoon! Ravintola Alma @19.00

Spring Roll + Maxxxtet
Sun 14.4. Kuusankoski, Patoklubi @ 18:00
Mon 15.4. Turun seudun musiikkiopisto @ 19.00
Tue 16.4. Raahe, Raahen Teatteri @ 19.00
Wed 17.4. Joensuu, Pakkahuone @ 19.00
Thu 18.4. Helsinki, Malmitalo @ 19.00

The tour is supported by Jazz Finland.

Open event