Young and stellar Fifth Avenue will hop on the Finnish Jazz Federation tour bus and take their NY-influenced jazz sound around Finland. Led by pianist Tuomas J. Turunen, the group will visit altogether eight Finnish cities.
This May will see the quintet Fifth Avenue hit the road on an extensive Finnish tour, co-produced by the Finnish Jazz Federation and We Jazz. Composed of some of the best jazzers of the rising generation, they state the modern, post-1990s jazz sound of the Big Apple as their biggest source of inspiration. The tour will be kicked off on 18 May at Kuopio’s Satamankulma and closed on 28 at Turku's jazzclub Monk.
Started in 2011, Fifth Avenue draws heavily from the urban pulse of New York City and, indeed, the city’s buzz, cultural richness and versatility are firmly present in the band’s music. Fifth Avenue is about layered rhythmic patterns and rich harmonies, infused with compelling swing and classy, straight-ahead modern feels. Their debut album, Tales, released in 2015 on Groovy Records, hit the jackpot with critics, being rewarded with plenty of praise for its freshness and cosmopolitan sound.
Despite their young ages, the members of Fifth Avenue are experienced musicians who have established themselves through their own solo projects and as sidemen in various other outfits. In addition to his own quartet and trio, saxophonist Ville Vannemaa plays in Teppo Mäkynen’s Teddy’s West Coasters, for example. The compositions are penned by Vannemaa, the brilliant pianist Tuomas J. Turunen, known from Elena Mindru & The Rom Ensemble, and guitarist Olli Hirvonen, the Pori Jazz Artist of the Year of 2011. The group’s nimble rhythm section is composed of bassist Teemu Åkerblom, who just released his first solo album, and the versatile drummer Mikko Arlin, also known from vocalist Aili Ikonen’s bands.
Fifth Avenue on FJF Tour on 18 –28 May
Wed 18 May at 19 Kuopio, Satamankulma
Thu 19 May at 20 Savonlinna, Wanha Kasino
Fri 20 May at 19 Kokkola, Jungsborg
Sat 21 May at 22 Vaasa, The Doo-Bop Club
Wed 25 May at 19 Porvoo, Paahtimo
Thu 26 May at 19 Helsinki, Koko Jazz Club
Fri 27 May at 21 Pori, JazzGalleria – Steak & Whisky House Galle
Sat 28 May at 21 Turku, Monk
Fifth Avenue
Tuomas J. Turunen, piano / Olli Hirvonen, guitar / Ville Vannemaa, sax / Teemu Åkerblom, bass / Mikko Arlin, drums
www.fifthavenuejazz.com
https://www.facebook.com/fifthavenuejazz/
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.