News -page consists of current topics and interesting articles about jazz in Finland.
Jazz-Espa features twenty topical Finnish jazz acts from the 27th of July to the 7th of August. The upbeat festival period takes a breather on Sunday the 2nd of August with an urban mini-festival JazzPiknik at mbar’s terrace and on the Lasipalatsi square.
The free one-day festival, JazzPiknik, fills the heart of Helsinki with first-class Finnish jazz for the last time this summer. Along with the construction work for the new Amos Anderson Art Museum beginning in Lasipalatsi Square this autumn, the event loses its many-year home. Co-organised by the Finnish Jazz Federation and mbar, JazzPiknik has drawn hundreds of jazz enthusiasts to enjoy top artists in the urban milieu over its three-year existence.
The third edition of this year’s new We Jazz club series hits mbar on 21 July. The concert presents an entirely new duo, composed of the acclaimed trumpeter Verneri Pohjola, whose latest album Bullhorn has charmed both critics and audiences alike, and Tatu Rönkkö, known as the drummer for trio Elifantree. Diamond-hard jazz vinyl will, of course, be provided by We Jazz DJs and the coolest visuals by National RGB VJs.
The jazz enthusiasts of Jyväskylä will be in for some great young energy on 21 July when Poppari plays host the third concert of the club series Summer Jazz Club. As always, the stage will be taken by two up-and-coming groups, this time Laura Annika Quartet and Miodula Jam Trio.
Trio HERD starts their Australian tour in Tasmania next week.
Lonna, a cosy island just offshore Helsinki, plays host to a new jazz event, organised by We Jazz. On stage trio Elifantree, Laura Annika Quartet and We Jazz DJs.
Jazz kiinnostaa, the popular radio programme on air every Sunday on Radio Helsinki, turns two years. To celebrate the occasion, hosts Matti Nives and Teppo Mäkynen invite friends of the show to enjoy a glass or two at the back yard of the Radio Helsinki studio in Teurastamo. After the anniversary radio show, the host duo will take their record bags from the studio outdoors and play their best selections at 2-6PM.
We Did It – Five Decades of Pori Jazz turns the limelight to the people behind the festival.
In addition to celebrating the 10th anniversary of Corsano’s first visit in Finland, the tour honours the birthday of the great Albert Ayler.
On Friday 14 August Turku Jazz time travels back 30 years; while on Saturday 15 August it will be all about jazz – Finnish jazz, to be precise – and the Turku Jazz Artist of the Year, Ilpo Murtojärvi. The festival closes on Sunday 16 August with Turku Jazz Orchestra playing the great Quincy Jones.
