News -page consists of current topics and interesting articles about jazz in Finland.
Young and up-and-coming, Buba Wii Aa is a trio formed by three promising Finnish jazzers. This month the group will go on a unique tour, performing in art galleries and museums around the country.
Five talented jazz bands were presented in the annual Young Nordic Jazz Comets showcase on the 29th of October in Tampere, Finland, as the showcase officially opened the 34th Tampere Jazz Happening festival. Next year the YNJC travels to Northern Sweden, to Umeå Jazz Festival.
The Helsinki-based Kokko Quartet hits the road for Australia this December. The tour comprises six concerts in major Australian cities.
Tampere Jazz Happening filled the venues of Tullikamarinaukio, Tampere, with modern jazz already for the 34th time last weekend. One of this year's special themes was the union of jazz and verse.
Double-bassist Ulf Krokfors received the Yrjö prize on Friday 30 October at Tullikamarin Pakkahuone, Tampere Jazz Happening. Awarded annually by the Finnish Jazz Federation, the umbrella organisation of Finnish Jazz, the Yrjö is the most prestigious jazz prize in Finland. The Varjo-Yrjö prize, granted by the Finnish Broadcasting Company, Yleisradio, was given to Seppo Hanste for his active role in the jazz life of the Helsinki metropolitan area.
Drummer-composer-producer Mäkynen and his crew draw inspiration from the so-called West Coast jazz of the 1950s and 60s. The first disc of the two-part album was released last summer, and its darker sister is to come out on 30 October. Teddy and co can be heard live at We Jazz Festival at Aleksanterin teatteri on 7 December.
On the newish album "Aki Rissanen // Jussi Lehtonen Quartet with Dave Liebman", legendary American saxophonist Dave Liebman features the Finns pianist Aki Rissanen, drummer Jussi Lehtonen and bassist Jori Huhtala. The group is to hop on the stage at three German clubs to celebrate the release, which came out on 13 February 2015. The tour takes the quartet to Berlin's B-Flat club on 3 November, Köln's Loft on 5 November and Karlsruhe's Hemingway Lounge on 6 November.
Jazz Finland LIVE is a new pilot grant, targeted to support professional and regular jazz concert activity in Finland in 2016.
Jazz Federation's newly-appointed director Ami Vuorinen has already heard this question a bunch of times during his first two months behind the steering wheel.
Women’s choir KYN performs Teosto-winning Mikko Hassinen’s compositions on 30 October at Koko Jazz Club. In concert KYN Goes Hassinen the choir will be joined by the top artists Manuel Dunkel (saxhophone), Ville Herrala (double bass) and Hassinen himself on the drums. The night will be kicked off with a discussion where Kaija Viitasalo, the conductor for KYN, and maestro Hassinen shed light on the background of the project.
