News -page consists of current topics and interesting articles about jazz in Finland.
Jazz guitarist and composer Mathias Sandberg's highly anticipated new trio album The Captain was released earlier this year, and has received both huge critical review and airplay on jazz radio stations in Europe, United States, South America, Asia and Australia.
Sakari Kukko and Raoul Björkenheim have been chosen as the new Finnish Jazz Legends. This award has been given to distinguished, long-standing musicians since 2001. From 2001 to 2014, the awards were presented by the Finnish Big Band Association, the Finnish Jazz & Pop Archive, and the Imatra Big Band Festival. Since 2017, the awards have been granted by Music Archive Finland.
The most prestigious recognitions in the Finnish jazz scene were awarded at the Tampere Jazz Happening on Friday, November 3rd. The Yrjö Award from the Finnish Jazz Federation was presented to saxophonist Linda Fredriksson, while the new Taimi Award for young musicians was given to pianist and wind instrumentalist Joonatan Henriksson. Concert organiser Marita Nyrhinen received the “Shadow Yrjö” recognition for her contributions to jazz culture, presented by Yle Jazz Radio.
In the autumn season 2024, Finnish Jazz Federation produces three tours as inhouse productions, on September 16–24, October 7–15 and November 4–12 and supports the production costs of two externally produced co-operative tours. We are also calling for artists to perform at the Jazz-Espa concert series in Helsinki in July–August 2024. The application opens at 10 am on October 16 and closes at 4 pm on November 6, 2023.
The eight-day We Jazz Festival will showcase a wide range of jazz music in Helsinki from November 26 to December 3. Several of the performers will be heard in Finland for the first time, and many bands will make their public debut. Additionally, the festival will feature fresh collaborations between visiting and local musicians and new performance venues. Tickets for the tenth edition of the We Jazz event are available on Tiketti.
French jazz artist Sarah Murcia, a distinctive multi-talent as a bassist and composer, is bringing her Eyeballing quartet to Finland in October-November. The tour kicks off in Savonlinna on October 26. Afterward, the band will perform in Outokumpu, Raahe, Helsinki, Loviisa, Salo, and Turku, where the tour concludes on November 3. In Helsinki, you can catch Eyeballing quartet on Tuesday, October 31, at Hietsun Paviljonki. The concert will open with a duo performance by pianist Benoît Delbecq and saxophonist Mikko Innanen.
The Arts Council of Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu has decided to award the 2023 Arts Prize to musician Sakari Kukko for his outstanding lifelong career as a musician. The award amount is 10,000 euros.
The first performers of the March Turku Jazz Festival have been announced. The jazz weekend will take place at Logomo's Teatro Hall from March 8 to 9, 2024. On Friday evening, the stage will come alive with the world-class saxophonist Kenny Garrett and his high-energy band, Sounds From The Ancestors. On Saturday, the spotlight will shine on the masterful trumpeter Verneri Pohjola and his highly anticipated Monkey Mind. The full festival program and the artist of the year will be revealed on December 15.
Do you want to submit your album for consideration as an Emma Award nominee?
Pianist and composer Sid Hille’s ensemble F# feat. Pepa Päivinen will perform on Jazz Federation tour across Finland in October. The trio, consisting of Hille, Jori Huhtala, and Markus Ketola, will become a quartet with the addition of woodwind virtuoso Pepa Päivinen.
