News -page consists of current topics and interesting articles about jazz in Finland.
The Finnish Musicians’ Union (Suomen Muusikkojen Liitto ry) has awarded jazz musician Jussi Fredriksson and orchestral musician Timo Pulakka with the annual recognition prize for their exceptional contribution to the field of Finnish music. Both are known as musicians who do more than is expected, for which each will receive the full prize amount of 5000 euros.
The popular concept gathers a host of hot and topical Finnish artists aboard Viking Grace on a jazzy cruise on the Baltic Sea.
Kansi Auki Piano Jazz Festival is organised for the fourth time on 13-16 November in Helsinki. The fourth edition of the festival offers a number of premieres by Finnish artists and brings some of the most interesting European pianists to town.
Jussi Fredriksson, one of the central figures in today’s Finnish jazz scene, has recently formed a new trio with bassist Jori Huhtala and drummer Mika Kallio. Their debut album ?explores the positive and empowering aspects of uncertainty. Stylistically, the group goes for a warm living room feels.
The 17-piece led by composer-arranger Rasmus Soini stretches the bounds of traditional big band music.
Pori Jazz celebrates its 50-year anniversary in 2015 and Satakunta Museum is strongly involved already in the preparations. The museum will run a special exhibition and arrange several Pori Jazz –themed events for the public, but it will also collect various sorts of material – from oral to visual – to record the festival’s history. One of the goals of the project is to explore how the recorded material could be utilised to allure tourists and economic life to the whole Satakunta region.
Lenny Pickett joined Jimmy Fallon on the long-running show to talk about “The Prescription”.
From 17 to 19 October, Turku Conservatory and Turku Jazz Orchestra co-organise a training weekend for music students, students of the Turku Jazz Orchestra Big Band school and everyone with a general interest in jazz music.
Liberty Ship’s tour to end in Tampere Jazz Happening Liberty Ship, an avant-garde jazz quartet with saxophonist Esa Pietilä at the helm, will go on a five-concert tour around Finland. The anchor will eventually be dropped at Tampere Jazz Happening, which hosts also the annual National Jazz Convention this year. The Finnish Jazz Federation's Yrjö jazz award will be presented to a distinguished jazz musician at the convention.
The Finnish Jazz Federation will organise two traditional tours and two co-produced tours in autumn 2015. Application for the Jazz-Espa Festival 2015, organised in July, can be completed with the same application form. Application closes on 9 November 2014. The Finnish Jazz Federation will complete the selection process before Christmas.
