The Helsinki-based duo Good Romans will host a new club series once in August and twice in September in the capital. The club will focus on improvised music and feature a guest artist each time. The Free Club takes place at Ravintola Allotria on Friday the 15th in August and Friday the 5th and the 19th in September. Good Romans will be joined by pianist Kari Ikonen, drummer Mika Kallio and trombonist Jari Hongisto, respectively. Expect intriguing, distorted musical images and sporadic visions from the future and the dark side of the mind. The club series is co-organised by Teatteri Kapsäkki, The Finnish Music Foundation and Finnish Explosions.
LIVE
Fri 15 Aug Good Romans featuring Kari Ikonen @ Ravintola Allotria (Art Goes Kapakka)
Fri 5 Sep Good Romans featuring Mika Kallio @ Ravintola Allotria
Fri 19 Sep Good Romans featuring Jari Hongisto @ Ravintola Allotria
Showtime at 9PM, tickets 10 €
Ravintola Allotria
Hämeentie 68,
00550 Helsinki
Good Romans
Ilari Filander – guitar / Jussi Miettola - drums, electronics
Good Romans’ album Open This Door, Never Look Back was released in 2014 on Finnish Explosions. The duo has a side project Pepa Päivinen & Good Romans with the master woodwind artist, Pepa Päivinen. The trio is currently finishing their debut album.
Kari Ikonen
Teosto nominee 2012 Kari Ikonen (b. 1973) is one of the most acclaimed jazz musicians in Finland. He is best-known from his own sextet Karikko and collaboration projects with such international names as UMO, Ingrid Jensen, Bob Moses, Magnus Broo and Ron McClure. He is also a recognised composer, having been awarded in the international composition competitions Hemphill Composition Awards (USA) and Scrivere in Jazz (Italy).
Mika Kallio
An endlessly versatile drummer Mika Kallio (b. 1974) seems to be at home in any jazz genre, he is perhaps mostly associated with projects that cannot be labelled as mainstream. Good examples included Nuijamiehet, Gnomus, Gourmet, vocalist Mia Simanainen’s Ahava and Kari Ikonen’s Karikko. He has also done many tours produced by the association Vapaat äänet (Free Voices, Free Sounds), which promotes improvised music. His boldness as a musician becomes clear from the many duo projects, especially with fellow drummers, such as Jaska Lukkarinen and Anssi Nykänen.
Jari Hongisto
Jari Hongisto’s (b. 1960) comfort zone is without doubt the imaginative free jazz, however his versatility is evident from his occasional membership in UMO and excursions in the spheres of classical music, pop and rock. Most recent groups include Olavi Trio, led by drummer Olavi Louhivuori and Mikko Innanen’s ten-piece Mikko Innanen 10+.
Pepa Päivinen & Good Romans trailer:
www.goodromans.com
www.kapsakki.fi
www.musiikinedistamissaatio.fi
www.finnishexplosions.com