“The foundation of art is equality”, reminds saxophonist Adele Sauros. Adele Sauros Quartet and Jazz Finland take part in the Nordic Jazz Comets Dagsverke –industry event in Copenhagen on February 9–10. Five bands perform at a showcase at Jazzhus Montmartre club and visits applications that use music to promote well-being.
The first event of the Nordic jazz organizations’ Nordic Jazz Comets Dagsverke project takes place in Copenhagen on February 9–10, 2022, while the second edition is set for Sweden in the spring of 2023. The events gather the members of the Nordic jazz club and festival network and five ensembles to a showcase, and to explore new ways to use music as a tool in promoting well-being. Jazz Finland coordinates the project in Finland and netwrok members include April Jazz, G Livelab Tampere, Jazz City Turku, Porvoo Jazz Festival and SaloJazz Festival
Finnish jazz is represented by Adele Sauros Quartet (Adele Sauros – tenor saxophone, Juho Valjakka – piano, Vesa Ojaniemi – double bass, Tuomas Timonen – rums). The quartet performs at the Nordic Jazz Comets showcase at Jazzhus Montmartre on the 10th of February. The showcase is a part of the renowned Vinterjazz festival that spreads around Denmark. On the previous day, the band and other Finnish guests visit the Impro For Asylum Kids workshop, that uses improvisation as a teaching method to strengthen the self-esteem and self-expression of asylum-seeker families.
Second season of the future-gazing co-operation begins
The Nordic Jazz Comets is a concept that creates connections and provides peer-learning possibilities for the Nordic concert promoters and jazz musicians.
Jazz Finland led the previous project in 2020–2021. Nordic Jazz Comets In The Key Of Green resulted with a network of 19 jazz clubs, festivals and venues, who – together with the artists – opened the dialogue about more sustainable jazz touring in the Nordic states. The conversations suggested that a lot of the challenges in touring and concert productions, like reaching the local audiences or establishing resources, can be resolved with creative, environmentally-friendly solutions.
As it happens, quite often these solutions also promote social responsibility, which is the theme of the new project period. The Danish organization Jazz Danmark runs the Dagsverke (“a day of charity work”) edition in 2022–2023. In the Dagsverke events, the participants study the opportunities, how the jazz professionals can integrate the promotion of equity, equality, accessibility and health in their work.
Improvisation builds esteem and jazz relieves
In Copenhagen, the participants visit five projects: the AntiDote organization, which aims to bring down the mortality rate among drug users, and use music as a relief break in everyday lives, or in injection rooms; Nødhjælpsorkesteret, a group of well-known rockers, jazzers and rappers, who are in stand-by to come together and raise money for victims of natural catastrophes, war or other humanitarian emergencies; ImprovisationCamp and JazzCamp For Girls, that strive to improve low self esteem and challenge the societal idea of gender roles within the music industry by using jazz improvisation as a teaching method. The UK has adopted the concept, as well as Sweden, Norway, Finland and Poland who will host their first JazzCamp for Girls this year.
A somewhat similar approach is present at the Impro for Asylum Kids project, which Adele Sauros Quartet will visit. The purpose of it is to develop new teaching methods by creating free, creative spaces, while also strengthening the sense of community and the co-operation skills among the asylum-seeker children and families.
Professional identity is built on values
The frontwoman of Adele Sauros Quartet, saxophonist, composer, Master of Arts, Adele Sauros, is excited to enter the “dagsverke” day:
– In school concerts, or as a teacher, many of the jazz musicians have witnessed the enthusiasm of a child approaching a weird-looking instrument. It would be awesome if this zest and courage would continue with jazz throughout one’s life, she hopes.
Sauros feels that the professional jazz musicians should develop ways to share their expertize in other ways than teaching too. Art itself is one of the most important values in Sauros’ life, but she is eager to explore the applications it can be used in:
– The foundation of art is of course freedom, and the equal opportunities to live and to express themselves. Alongside freedom, comes the responsibility to take care of our planet, which provides life for all of us.
Nordic Jazz Comets showcase 10.2.2022
Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen
19.00–19.30 Little North (DEN)
19.45–20.15 William Soovik Grand Finale (SWE)
20.30–21.00 Tendra (ICE)
21.15–21.45 Adele Sauros Quartet (FIN)
22.00–22.30 JUNO (NOR)
Nordic Jazz Comets is a co-operation and development concept of the five Nordic national jazz organizations. The Nordic Jazz Comets Dagsverke project of 2022–2023 is led by Jazz Danmark, in co-operation with Jazz Finland, Norsk jazzforum, Svensk Jazz and FÌH Music School. The project is funded by the Nordic Culture Point.
The report of the previous project, In The Key Of Green 2020–2021, which is also an introduction to greener touring and concert production in the Nordic states, will be released in the Copenhagen event on February 9–10, 2022. The booklet will also be available at www.nordicjazzcomets.com and www.jazzfinland.fi. The project was coordinated by Jazz Finland, and funded by the Nordic Culture Fund.