Jazz Finland Live

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Tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana returns to Finland as a soloist of the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra for three concerts in October!

The collaboration between Melissa Aldana and UMO started in summer 2023 at Pori Jazz Festival, where Jim McNeely's arrangements of Aldana's compositions were played with the power of the big band. For the October concert series, the repertoire will be expanded with a couple of new arrangements. The conductor isEd Partyka.

Grammy-nominated tenor saxophonist and composer Melissa Aldana (b. 1988) hailing from Chile and living in the United States, is considered one of the leading jazz voices of her generation. She won the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition as the first female and as the first South American instrumentalist in 2013. Her jazz quartet’s first album Visions was released with rave reviews in 2019, and the second album 12 Stars received an equally glorious reception in 2022. The first reviews of the album Echoes of the Inner Prophet, released in spring 2024, have also been graceful. DownBeat nominated her as the Rising Star Artist of the Year in 2022. Melissa Aldana is known for her smooth harmonies and compositions that respect post-bop traditions. She has already established her name among the jazz musicians such as John Scofield, Joe Lovano, Roy Hargrove, Branford Marsalis and the SFJAZZ Collective. www.melissaaldana.net

Duration at Siltasali and Möysä: about 90 minutes, no intermission.

Duration at Savoy Theatre: about 2 hours with intermission.

The visit is part of the international Jazz Finland Residency in Helsinki launched by the Finnish Jazz Federation, Sibelius Academy Jazz Music Department at Uniarts Helsinki, UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra and the Finnish Musicians' Union. The Residence, coordinated and managed by the Jazz Federation, annually invites two international artist guests to Finland. The residency program includes holding master classes at Sibelius Academy and performing together with UMO. The residence's partners are also Music Finland, Finnish Jazz Musicians association and the HIAP Helsinki International Artist Program. www.jazzfinlandresidency.fi

UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra is the only professional orchestra in Finland specialised in jazz and new rhythm-oriented music. The big band of 16 musicians plays about 100 concerts every year in Finland and abroad. The orchestra plays a diverse range of modern music that is on the pulse of the times. The programme varies from jazz to soul and classical music, mixing old and new in surprising way, from children to senior citizens. www.umohelsinki.fi

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Tickets 15e / 10e

Olli Ahvenlahti, who has had an exceptionally extensive and versatile career in Finnish music, turned 75 this year and is celebrating it with a national concert tour organized by the Finnish Jazz Federation from October 8th to 13th. The tour will feature the new Olli Ahvenlahti New Quintet – The Poet Vol. 2, performing jazz-funk compositions from Ahvenlahti’s Mirror Mirror album, which was released in the spring of 2024.

Pianist Olli Ahvenlahti’s new Mirror Mirror album was inspired by his 1976 release The Poet, particularly by the enduring piece Granma’s Rocking Chair. The album consists of Ahvenlahti’s latest compositions, specifically tailored for his new ensemble, made up of top active musicians. The music is rhythmically tight and the melodies catchy, with Ahvenlahti’s Fender Rhodes piano playing a crucial role in shaping the band’s sound. The Mirror Mirror album, released by the We Jazz label, had its album release concert at the April Jazz Festival last April, and the band has since performed at various venues, including the Pori Jazz Festival.

Olli Ahvenlahti has been an influential figure in the Finnish music scene since the 1970s. As a pianist, composer, arranger, conductor, and even a television performer, Ahvenlahti’s diverse body of work includes not only solo albums but also music for films, theater, and TV series.

Open event

Tickets 15/10€

Jazz Jkl Collective presents its popular Brazil project anew with three featured guests: vocalist Heidi Ilves, saxophonist Markku Rinta-Pollari and percussionist Sami Kontola.

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