The annual Jazz-Espa takes over the Esplanadi park on 26–31 July, 2021, with three open-air concerts daily, by 17 alluring ensembles.
The Jazz-Espa concert series is organized by Jazz Finland now for the 22nd time. The event features 17 world-class ensembles, with styles ranging from experimental to more traditional. The concert series has established itself as one of the cornerstones of Helsinki’s summery jazz life among both tourists and Helsinkians. Over the past years, the concert week has attracted an audience of over 4,000 people.
As always, the open-air event will deliver both fresh acts and seasoned veterans, providing a beautiful cross-section of Finnish jazz today. This year's Jazz-Espa sees Brazilian jazz by the 'N Stuff collective, unique Sufi jazz fusion by MA Rouf, Finnish Emma ("Grammy")-nominated piano jazz by Riitta Paakki Quartet and singer-songwriter jazz by Viba, the acclaimed, New-York-established pianist "Vova" Shafranov's Shafranov–Mikkola–Heinola Trio, and the more recent New York resident Kaisa Mäensivu's trio... and many, many more!
The concerts take place on the Espa stage every weekday on July 26–31 at 1.00, 3.00 and 5.30pm. On Saturday there are two matinee shows, at Noon and 2.00pm. All the concerts are free, family-friendly and accessible. See the full line-up on the Jazz-Espa website (external website in a new window): www.jazzespa.fi
In 2020, the concerts took place with careful safety measures and this year's edition will most likely undergo some special considerations to ensure the safety of the audiences, artists, and event staff.
Jazz-Espa is produced by Jazz Finland, with the support of The City of Helsinki Cultural Office. The Jazz-Espa partners include Savoy Theatre, Restaurant Kappeli, Grand Rental Ltd. and Pop & Jazz Conservatory.
In addition to the Jazz-Espa series, the Espa stage is filled with a variety of program, with consideration of safety distances in the audience. The Savoy Theatre-operated stage provides e.g. an Open Stage series and the annual Etno-Espa festival. The detailed line-up will be released at a later stage.
www.jazzespa.fi | www.espanlava.fi
Cover photo: Reporters by Sheri Toivomäki.