This April the Finnish Jazz Federation presents jazz music tinged with Romanian folk music à la Elena & The Rom Ensemble. The tour sees the quintet give altogether eight shows around the country.
Led by the dazzling jazz vocalist Elena Mindru, Elena & The Rom Ensemble hits the road on a spring tour co-produced by the Finnish Jazz Federation and We Jazz this April. Their compositions influenced by Romanian folk music, Mindru’s captivating voice and refreshing instrumentation – including the violin, an exotic ingredient in a jazz group – have proven an affective recipe with critics and audiences alike. The group kicks off their tour on 13 April at Kuopio’s King’s Crown and closes it with a bang by giving an album-launch show with an expanded line-up at the April Jazz Festival.
Founded in 2013, the group established itself in a short period of time: they won the Finnish semi-finals of Young Nordic Jazz Comets Competition in 2014 and represented Finland in Euroradio Jazz Competition in Rotterdam in June 2015. Their debut album, Evening in Romania, came out in 2014 on Mindru’s own label EM Records, and met critical acclaim in Finland.
Elena Mindru (b.1988) is a multi-award-winning, Romanian-born, Finland-based vocalist. She came second and received the audience award in the Montreux Shura Jazz Voice in 2012. Elena & The Rom Ensemble’s repertory consists mainly of her original compositions, arranged by pianist Tuomas J. Turunen, with a few Romanian jazz standards and Turunen’s compositions thrown in the mix. The rhythm section is formed by young promising bassist, Eero Seppä and drummer Anssi Tirkkonen, hailing from Oulu. A piquant, exotic flavour is provided by violinist Sampo Hiukkanen.
The final concert of the tour will be a special one, for it sees Mindru’s quartet grow into a nonet with the help of saxophonist Sampo Kasurinen and a string quartet led by violinist Maija Linkola. Named Elena Mindru Third Stream Project, this group combines elements of classical music with jazz in an elegant way. In addition to Mindru and Turunen, compositions for the project have been penned by some of the most gifted composers of the rising Finnish jazz generation: Sampo Kasurinen, Artturi Rönkä and Visa-Pekka Mertanen.
Thrid Stream Project launches their album at the April Jazz Festival on 23 April. The album was recorded in autumn 2015 at the Finnish Broadcasting Company’s legendary studio M1, being one of the very last tapes recorded in the studio before the latter’s demolition.
Elena & The Rom Ensemble on the Finnish Jazz Federation Tour 13 -23 April
Wed 13 Apr at 20 Kuopio, King's Crown
Thu 14 Apr at 20 Savonlinna, Wanha Kasino
Fri 15 Apr at 18 Jyväskylä, Boombox
Sat 16 Apr at 19 Kuhmo, Kuhmo House, Pajakka Hall
Wed 20 Apr at 20 Salo, Rikala Bar & Grill
Thu 21 Apr at 20 Oulu, Oulu City Theatre, Teatteriravintola
Fri 22 Apr at 22 Turku, Flame Jazz Club / Åbo Svenska Teater, Café Tiljan
Sat 23 Apr at 19 Espoo, April Jazz / Sello Hall (Elena Mindru Third Stream Project album launch concert)
ELENA & THE ROM ENSEMBLE
Elena Mindru, vocals / Tuomas J. Turunen, piano / Sampo Hiukkanen, violin / Eero Seppä, double bass / Anssi Tirkkonen, drums
Elena Mindru Third Stream Project Album Launch Show
Sat 23 Apr at 19 April Jazz, Sello Hall (Soittoniekanaukio 1, 02600 Espoo)
Tickets starting from 29,50/25,50€
Event on Facebook
Elena Mindru, vocals / Sampo Kasurinen, alto sax, bass clarinet / Tuomas J. Turunen, piano / Eero Seppä, double bass / Anssi Tirkkonen, drums / Maija Linkola, violin / Laura Airola, violin / Atte Kilpeläinen, alto violin/ Samuli Peltonen, cello
http://www.elenamindru.com
https://www.facebook.com/elenamindru.jazzvocalist
Founded in 1966, the Finnish Jazz Federation is the umbrella organisation of Finnish jazz and the largest body to promote the interests of Finnish jazz culture in Finland. The organisation produces tours and the annual Jazz-Espa Festival and hosts the database Jazz Finland and the Jazzkahvit Facebook group – a discussion arena for Finnish jazz professionals. The Federation also represents Finnish jazz in national cultural and political debates. In 2016, it celebrates its 50th anniversary by publishing a jazz history, assembling an Anniversary Orchestra and setting up a touring art exhibition.