Jazz Finland Live
Jazz-Espa: Iro Haarla Ouranos Ensemble,Espan lava, helsinki31.7. At 17:15
Iro Haarla Ouranos Ensemble is a new band with a new wind blowing. At Jazz-Espa, the ensemble will play songs from their album Ouranos – Under the Firmament, which was released in November 2024 by Willa Silva Records.
The Greek word ”ouranos” means firmament. Every piece in the group's repertoire depicts, in some way, events that occur above the Earth. There are things we may not see but still affect our lives.
Iro Haarla – piano
Jarmo Saari – electric guitar
Ulf Krokfors – double bass
Aniida Vesala – drums
Aija Puurtinen – vocals
Photo: Risto Hemmi
Gigs on the same day in helsinki
Jazz-Espa: Ara Yaralyan QuartetEspan lava, helsinki31.7. At 13:30
Armenian-born jazz bassist Ara Yaralyan’s program features material from his solo album Alone and Together, as well as new arrangements and compositions. The repertoire will cover a wide range of styles, from jazz to oriental music, reflecting the environment in which Yaralyan developed as a musician. His goal is to create something new from the old by drawing on the melodic themes of Armenian folk songs.
Yaralyan is accompanied by well-known Finnish musicians: vocalist Mia Simanainen, pianist Kari Ikonen and drummer Markku Ounaskari.
Yaralyan has previously been a member of Kari Ikonen’s trio, with whom he has released two albums. Together with Markku Ounaskari, he performs both in his own quartet and in the Sooäär–Yaralyan–Ounaskari trio.
Ara Yaralyan – double bass
Kari Ikonen – piano
Markku Ounaskari – drums
Mia Simanainen – vocals
The concert is organized in collaboration with the Embassy of Estonia in Helsinki.
Photo: Raul Ollo
Jazz-Espa: Valjakka & Vannesluoma feat. Mingo RajandiEspan lava, helsinki31.7. At 16:00
In the music of pianist Juho Valjakka, singer Josefiina Vannesluoma and double bassist Mingo Rajandi, delicate and powerful, clear and undefined meet. The musicians, who also compose, seek a common and separate way of being at the intersections of art forms, drawing meanings from poetry and movement, among other things. In the acoustic avant-garde of sound, piano and double bass, one moment rests in beautifully rustling textures, and the next is surprised by the encounters of language and tonal meanings.
Juho Valjakka is a pianist and composer focused on jazz and improvised music, fascinated by the ambiguity and possibilities of indeterminacy in art. In addition to the Juho Valjakka Trio, which has been recognized with a Jazz Emma nomination, he plays with several top domestic ensembles. Josefiina Vannesluoma is a Turku-born singer and composer, also recognized with three Jazz Emma nominations, who leads the bands Mortal Lease and Signe. The music of Estonian-born double bassist and composer Mingo Rajandi blends composition and improvisation, stretching genre boundaries and art forms. Mingo, who is also trained as an actor, has been commissioned to create several premieres for jazz and classical music festivals.
Juho Valjakka – piano
Josefiina Vannesluoma – vocals
Mingo Rajandi – double bass
The concert is organized in collaboration with the Embassy of Estonia in Helsinki.
Photos: Nawras Odda, Virge Viertek
UMO’s jazz jams on the summer terrace of Konepaja Biergarten continue for the fifth summer – free entry!
Jazz Jam & Brew is a musical think tank where new ideas are created based on the past. The house band starts at 18:30. After the show, a jam session will start, where musicians and music enthusiasts who have strayed into the audience will form a line-up. The nature of jams is unpredictable; no one knows exactly what they will play and with whom. The house band sets the stage for the jams, but the story also depends on the interaction between the guest musicians and the audience – that’s what makes them so fascinating to listen to!
The houseband will be made up of members of the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra, other jazz music professionals, as well as promising new talent from the Sibelius Academy jazz music faculty and Metropolia Music, so there will be unique formations and fresh interpretations. In addition to musical enjoyment, the jams will promote the development of jazz music, increase interaction between generations of musicians and bring out new talent.
Jazz Jam & Brew will take place on the outdoor terrace of Konepaja Biergarten (Bruno Granholm kuja 1, 00510 Helsinki), where you can find, among other things, domestic microbrewery products and foreign specialities for beer lovers. The Biergarten also occasionally hosts a variety of food stalls.
The jams are organised in cooperation with the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra, Konepaja Biergarten, the Jazz Music Department of the Sibelius Academy and Metropolia Music.
To 12.6.2025 // Theme: Music of J.J. Johnson
House band:
Kasperi Sarikoski, trombone & yummy host
Jimi Ahlroos, tenor saxophone
Khoan Nguyen, piano
Otso Huhtala, bass
Jonatan Sarikoski, drums
CALCELLED! Thu 19.6.2025 // Theme: The Harmonic Streams of Benny Golson – NOTE! THIS JAM SESSION IS CANCELLED DUE TO VERY RAINY WEATHER!
House band:
Jouni Järvelä, woodwinds, piano & jam host
Jere Haakana, guitar
Mikael Saastamoinen, bass
Arttu Huopainen, drums
Thu 26.6.2025 // Theme: Strayhorn or Ellington?
House band:
Max Zenger, woodwinds & jam host
Jussi Hovilainen, bass
Ilari Kinnunen, drums
Tuomo Uusitalo, piano
Thu 3.7.2025 // Theme: A Tribute To Joe Henderson
House band:
Manuel Dunkel – tenor saxophone & jam host
Rafa Postel – trumpet
Tobias Schenk – piano
Jussi Hovilainen – bass
Jussi Lehtonen – drums
Thu 24.7.2025 // Theme: Dolphy’s Far Cry
House band:
Max Zenger, woodwinds & jam host
Rebecca Ekman, trumpet
Sonja Kaipainen, piano
Tuomo Purhonen, bass
Markku Ounaskari, drums
Thu 31.7.2025 // Theme: Jimmy Giuffre 3
House band:
Max Zenger, woodwinds & jam host
Rene Willman, guitar
Filemon von Numers, bass
Mikko Hassinen, drums
Thu 7.8.2025 // Theme: This one goes in three!
House band:
Jouni Järvelä, woodwinds & jam host
Oiva Haapamäki, trumpet
Kirmo Lintinen, piano
Oliver Karttunen, bass
Teppo Mäkynen, drums
Accessibility at Konepaja Biergarten: Accessible entrance, several wheelchair spaces, disabled WC. No induction loop.
Age limit: Konepaja Biergarten is a K-18 licensed premises.
