Jazz Finland Live

Tickets 25€/20€

Juhani Aaltonen is a living finnish jazz legend, a true icon of the spirit of free improvisation, whose soulful playing spans six decades. Known mainly for his tenor sax, “Junnu” focuses on flutes in this duo and creates a lyrical music world with Raoul who contributes 6- and 12-string colours on his electric guitar. Their ESP-like communication allows them to create new pieces on the fly, which they intersperse with original compositions. Both Junnu and Raoul spent years collaborating with another Finnish icon, Edward Vesala, whose music stands out for its unfettered originality, and they are both prominent in the Vesala discography.

Raoul Björkenheim is a Finnish-American guitarist and composer who has been creating original music for the past four decades living in New York City and Helsinki, where he is presently based. Describing his on-going work as investigative guitarism, he is best known for an expressionistic and lyrical guitar style. Björkenheim’s eclectic discography numbers 50+ albums, ranging from ambient soundscapes to visceral freejazz, from duo to big band. His large-scale works for symphony orchestra have yet to be recorded, and he has also composed scores for over ten films and dance productions.

Juhani Aaltonen – flute

Raoul Björkenheim – guitar

_{In 2026, it will be 100 years since jazz symbolically arrived in Finland with the ship Andania. The year thus marks a historic centenary celebration for Finnish jazz: Jazz in Finland 100. The anniversary highlights Finnish jazz and its artists both in Finland and abroad, celebrating jazz as part of Finland’s cultural heritage. The Jazz in Finland 100 campaign is coordinated by the Finnish Jazz Federation.}