April Jazz, the biggest jazz event of the Helsinki metropolitan area, comes for the 31st time on 26 - 30 April 2017. This year’s international headliners include jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves, pianist Michel Camilion and flamenco guitarist Tamatito’s super duo, the magical Tunisian vocalist and oud-player Dhafer Yussef and Steve Gadd Band. The opening concert adds another chapter to the long list of one-off Finnish appearances featuring composer-multi-instrumentalists Marzi Nyman, Annamari Kähärä and Jarmo Saari alongside Tapiola Sinfonietta and Tapiola Choir. The programme will be complemented over the spring. Tickets are now available for purchase on Lippupiste.
This year April Jazz delivers a more international programme than ever before with guests from more than ten different countries. In addition to Scandinavia, at least Spain, the UK, the U.S., Dominican Republic, Tunis, Benin, Yemen and Israel will be represented at this year’s festival. Finnish performers include Jukka Perko with his Tritone Goes Dizzy album launch show, saxophonist Mikko Innanen and pianist Aki Rissanen’s new Scandinavian quartet Nordic Twist and Espoo Big Band with English velvet-voiced singer and pianist Anthony Strong as their guest soloist.
April Jazz Goes EMMA and Otaniemi
This will be the first time for April Jazz to collaborate with Aalto University student board being responsible for delivering headlining acts to the free event organised at Otaniemi Campus on 19 April. The festival will also embark on collaboration with EMMA, Espoo Museum of Modern Art, hosting a commissioned piece from the latest Yrjö Jazz Prize awardee Esa Pietilä. The piece that utilises both sound and space will be premiered at the museum premises on 29 April.
Organised in Espoo since 1987, April Jazz is the biggest international jazz festival of the Helsinki metropolitan area. In addition to presenting A-listing Finnish and international jazz stars, the festival is known for limelighting up-and-coming acts. The festival takes place at two indoor venues – the Espoo Cultural Centre in Tapiola and the Sello Hall in Leppävaara – while the traditional late-night jam sessions are organised on four consecutive evenings at Sokos Hotel Tapiola Garden. At the side of the main concerts, the festival offers a range of free concerts, lectures and clinics held by the headlining guests, jam sessions and exhibitions. The festival is organised by Espoo Big Band ry.
Premieres and more than 100 performers on stage in the opening concert
In honour of Finland’s 100th anniversary, this year’s April Jazz will kick off with a blue-and-white spectacle, seeing Tapiola Sinfonietta and Tapiola Choir team up with a number of jazz stars. On the menu will be a brand new concerto for trumpet, written by Marzi Nyman for trumpeter Jukka Eskola, and new compositions and arrangements from Annamari Kähärä and Jarmo Saari, both of whom will also take the stage in the concert.
Opening concert at Tapiola Hall on Wednesday 26 April 2017 at 19. Tickets available for purchase on Lippupiste starting at 29 €.
Magical Dhafer Youssef on stage with rising New Yorkers
Dhafer Youssef is a Tunisian vocalist, musician and musical explorer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest reformers of the oud, an Arabic string instrument. He has changed our understanding of jazz and world music, and in his hands the oud has breached its traditional roles and become of vehicle for jazz, rock and more ethereal soundscapes alike. Youssef’s aerial, mystical voice and his astonishing register will lift the audience to higher spheres where no genre boundaries exist. Indeed, Youssef recently brought the roof down at London’s Barbican, where a full house cheered standing.
Youssef will be performing alongside a trio of top-class New York-based jazz musicians – some of the most buzzed about future names of their generation. Pianist Aaron Parks joined Terence Blanchard’s group when still under 20, winning a Grammy for the latest album made with the trumpeter. More recently he has recorded with the likes of Joshua Redman, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Ambrose Akinmusire. Bassist Ben Williams is known as a member of Pat Metheny Unity Group, while the drummer Justin Faulkner – who will be only 26 years at the time of the festival – has toured the world since 2009 with saxophonist Branford Marsalis.
Dhafer Youssef at the Tapiola Hall on Thursday 27 April at 19. Tickets are now available on Lippupiste starting at 29 euros.
The Return of the Queen
American Dianne Reeves is one of the most popular jazz singers of the world. A soulful and acrobatic star, she is a five-time Grammy-awardee. She has won a Grammy for three consecutive albums – something which no other singer has so far managed to do – including her latest effort Beautiful Life (2015). The album features such notable colleagues as Lalah Hathaway and Esperanza Spalding and the former April Jazz guests Gregory Porter and Robert Glasper.
Reeves made her first appearance at April Jazz in 1995 with only five albums under her belt with the result of Helsingin Sanomat naming her as the queen of the festival. In 2006, the 20th anniversary year of April Jazz, Reeves charmed in a sold-out concert at the Tapiola Hall. This year, the queen will be back in Espoo with her trusted crew: pianist Peter Martin, guitarist Romero Lubambo, bassist Reginald Veal and drummer Terreon Gully.
Dianne Reeves at the Tapiola Hall on Friday 28 April at 19:30. Tickets are now available on Lippupiste starting at 39 euros.
Steve Gadd offers two servings in Espoo
Drummer Steve Gadd is one of the most sought-after session musicians on the globe, a veritable super star of jazz and an idol for many a drummer. His exceptional ability to invest each piece with his signature style and energy has lifted a number of pieces – irrespective of genre – to a league of their own, including Paul Simon’s hit “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” and the title song of Steely Dan’s most legendary album, Aja. Gadd’s long-term musical partners include James Taylor, Eric Clapton and Chick Corea.
In April, Gadd will bring his real dream-team to Finland for the first time: Michael Landau on the guitar, Jimmy Johnson on the bass and Walt Fowler on the trumpet – all members of the guitar legend James Taylor’s all-star group. The line-up will be complemented by keyboardist Kevin Hays who has appeared on more than 60 albums, including those of Chris Potter, Joshua Redman, Nicolas Payton, Sonny Rollins and Al Foster. Steve Gadd Band will take the stage in Oulu on Thursday 27 April and in Espoo twice on 28 April.
Steve Gadd Band at the Café Louhi on Friday 28 April at 19:00 and 21:30. Tickets are now available on Lippupiste starting at 29 euros.
Latin Jazz Superduo to Finland for the first time
Michael Camilo, hailing from Dominican Republic, and Spanish guitarist Tomatito – both masters of their instruments and multiple Latin Grammy winners –will be giving their first show as a duo on the Finnish soil in April. Almost 20 years has passed since Camilo last visited Finland and for Tomatito, one of the greatest flamenco guitarists of all time, this will be the very first Finnish show. The duo’s debut, Spain, won a Latin Grammy, while the sophomore, Spain Again, was rewarded with a nomination. Their newest, Spain Forever (2016), includes winning renditions from the repertories of the likes of Chick Corea, Astor Piazzola, Django Reinhardt, Ennio Morricone and Luis Bonfá. In April, the duo will bring their jaw-dropping show where jazz, flamenco and classical music amalgamate magically to Espoo.
Of contemporary pianists Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea count among Camilo’s biggest influences. A winner of three-time winner of the Latin Grammy, Camilo is known for his classically-infused style; indeed, he received one of these trophies in the category for the Best Classical Album. His best-known song ”Why Not” is a Latin jazz standard and has been recorded a host of times by different artists.
Spanish flamenco guitarist Tomatito came to attention through his collaboration with Paco de Lucía and flamenco singer Camarón de la Isla. Musical partnership with de la Isla spanned two decades and came to an end in 1992 when the vocalist died. Their last collaborative album Paris ‘87 was released many years later and brought Tomatito a Latin Grammy in 2000. In total, he has garnered already five Latin Grammies.
Michel Camilo and Tomatito at the Tapiola Hall on Saturday 29 April at 19:00. Tickets are now available on Lippupiste starting at 42 euros.