Jazz Finland Live

Free entry

Drummer-composer Kasper Halttunen has assembled a new quintet around him to bring to life his new compositions. This ensemble is comprised of young-generation musicians who are already making versatile careers in the Finnish music scene in numerous different bands. The compositions emphasize beautiful and strong melodies around which the music can evolve and branch out in various directions.

Open event

Tickets: €29, children €15
Pre-bookings: kukkesand@hotmail.com

Finnish klezmer pioneer band Sampo Lassila Narinkka is releasing the follow-up to their Emma-nominated album "Vierailla mailla" ("In Foreign Lands"). The third Narinkka album, titled "Suomiklezmer 2 - East-Helsinki Suite," will be released in the early part of the year. The album consists of modern klezmer pieces depicting contemporary Finland. In contrast, the fine compositions of traditional klezmer music bind the whole and provide a perspective on history.

After playing traditional klezmer music, the folk music of Eastern European Jews, for years, Sampo Lassila began to contemplate what Finnish klezmer could be like. Klezmer, widely spread by Jews to various parts of the world, has taken on strong features of local music cultures in different parts of the world, such as the Balkans, Spain, the USA—even in India. But there simply was no Finnish klezmer. Lassila decided to rectify the situation and started working on the idea of "suomiklezmer." The work began with the Doina Klezmer band, but it wasn't until he formed the Narinkka band in 2010 that his own style began to take shape and evolve. After a couple of years of searching, the lineup settled into a trio with double bass, viola pomposa, and accordion as instruments. Janne Tuomi has been a permanent guest in the band, handling suitcases and percussion instruments.

The band's music is composed by Sampo Lassila, offering new, Finnish, and uniquely folk-jazz-blended urban folk music—Finnish world music, where melodic stories and borderless instrumentality take center stage, all while respecting and drawing from klezmer traditions. Melodies are the driving force in Narinkka's music, carrying the darkly resonant stories of the music. The musicians' personalities and improvisation add salt to the concoction. The contemporary perspective with a touch of retro, Finnish forest mystique, and relaxed windbreaker style blend harmoniously with the dark and spicy musical culture of Europe.

Sampo Lassila: double bass, compositions
Aleksi Trygg: viola pomposa
Markku Lepistö: accordion
Janne Tuomi: suitcases & percussion

Open event