Jazz Finland and Estonian Jazz Union are launching a new annual band competition for young jazz musicians. The winner will be rewarded with two festival gigs in Finland and Estonia next spring. FinEst Jazz Rally is an international contest where – while fighting for the championship – the bands and the audience get to know the up-and-coming musicians and jazz traditions of both countries. The application period has now been extended to September 15!
The competition is arranged in turns at Tallinn’s TUJA, Tudengijazz, festival and Turku Jazz Festival, which both take place in the beginning of March. The event kicks off already this October in Helsinki and the winner performs in Turku and Tallinn next March. Year 2019 FinEst Jazz Rally is held at TUJA festival on the 8th of March.
Jazz tradition plays a vital role in the competition. Knowing the roots and history of jazz music is important for any jazz student. The academies in both countries emphasize the knowledge of tradition in their curriculum, but nowadays it's somehow possible for two jazz musicians to appear on stage together at a jam session, only to find out they don't share the same musical language. The European focus on originality and free improvisation, and the global trend of fading the genre borders of jazz has brought in so much talent and vision, but it has also taken its toll on the cultural, knowledge. Sometimes also the students forget that their own countries – no matter how far from the United States – have their own, unique jazz history and tradition. And the students are just adding their own voices and chapters to that canon. In the FinEst Jazz Rally the bands and the audience familiarize themselves with the Finnish and Estonian tradition with the so-called "Real Book" notebooks that are a cross-section of old and newer jazz compositions in both sides of the bay. Respect – Jazz In Finland The Real Book is edited and noted by Seppo Kantonen and Eesti Jazz Noodis – Estonian Jazz Real Book is collected by Peedu Kass.
The first edition of the contest takes place at Helsinki's Koko Jazz Club on October 13, 2018. A professional jury selects two bands from each country to play at the finals, based on the video performances of the application round. At Koko Jazz Club, each of the bands perform three songs during the 15-minute set, and the jury selects the winner, who gets a full live concert in March 2019 at both, Turku Jazz Festival and TUJA in Tallinn. The jury will also give personal feedback to all the participating bands, and after the shows everyone is welcome on stage to jam together until the wee hours. The jury consists of drummers Hanne Luostarinen (FIN) and Toomas Rull (EST), pianist Mikael Jakobsson (FIN) and saxophonist Aleksander Paal (EST).
The jury consists of acclaimed musicians from both countries, and also the artistic programmer of TUJA or Turku Jazz Festival. They will review the musicians' knowledge and expression of jazz tradition, soloist skills, band communication and interplay, and originality.
The bands will play one song of the other country's Real Book, one song from their own Real Book and one composition of their own choice. It can be an original composition, or it can also be the jazz standard that they sent to the preliminary selection.
HOW TO APPLY
The application to the preliminary selection is open until September 15, 2018. The two Finnish bands are selected by Jazz Finland's board of directors, and the two Estonian band are selected by the board of the Estonian Jazz Union. The appointed bands are to be contacted personally and the final band lineup is to be released on September 20.
The competition is available for Finnish and Estonian university students, or foreign students who study in Finland or Estonia. As the leader, you can only apply with one band, but you can be a member in several.
The applicants commit to travel to Helsinki and to play in the FinEst Jazz Rally competition on October 10, 2018. Also they commit to play at the possible award concerts in Tallinn on the 8th of March, and in Turku on the 9th of March. The competition does not include concert fees, but the jazz federations will cover the travel expenses and one night's accomodation for all non-Helsinki residents. Also lunch and backstage catering will be provided. If there are enough participants, there will also be a friendly futsal match on the following Sunday.
APPLICATION
Send an email to Producer Kadi Vija, kadi.vija@jazzfinland.fi by September 15, 2018 with the following content:
- Band name
- Band members' names, instruments and dates of birth
- Band introduction and picture
- Links to the following video performances:
- One track from the other country's Real Book (Finnish bands pick a song from the Estonian Real Book and vice versa, respectively). You'll find the notes behind this link.
- One traditional jazz standard song of your choice.
More information of the FinEst Jazz Rally provide Kadi Vija, kadi.vija@jazzfinland.fi (Finnish/English) and Ivi Rausi, ivi@jazz.ee (Estonian/English).