Jazz Finland presented the annual Jazz-Espa festival for the 20th consecutive summer on the Espa stage. The free open air concert series and its side events Suvilahti Jazz and birthday party at Café Engel reached an audience of 4.700 people.
Jazz-Espa series featured 16 concerts by top-level Finnish jazz bands on the Espa outdoor stage from the 29th of July to 3rd of August. The concerts drew an audience of 3.600, with the opening Monday being the most popular of the days. The opening act of Jazz-Espa was beloved pianist Olli Ahvenlahti's new quartet. Ahvenlahti, celebrating his 70-year-anniversary this summer, stole the hearts of nearly 300 people at the concert.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the event, the week was opened on July 28 with an international, day-long festival Suvilahti Jazz at Merikerho Club&Terrace boat. The five live bands and DJs attracted over 900 people to visit the free festival at Sörnäinen shoreline. The concerts took place both on the terrace and at the club space under the deck. The headliner was Estonian saxophonist Maria Faust's electronic trio Shitney.
Like in previous years, Jazz-Espa and its side events featured both experimental styles and traditional sounds, upcoming talents and seasoned professionals – something for everyone, and always free. Jazz-Espa has established itself as the summer highlight of Helsinki’s jazz events, both among tourists and locals.
The programme of Jazz-Espa on the Espa stage is curated by the Artistic Committee of Jazz Finland (Suomen Jazzliitto). The call to perform at Jazz-Espa 2020 is open throughout October on www.jazzfinland.fi and the committee selects the lineup before the year's end.
Jazz Finland produced Jazz-Espa and its joint events with the support of the Finnish Music Foundation MES, the City of Helsinki and Stiftelsen Emilie och Rudolf Gesellius fond. The events were organized in partnership with Savoy Theatre, Merikerho Club&Terrace, Café Engel, Pop & Jazz Conservatory, Pianoplan T:mi Ari Harenko, Restaurant Kappeli and Vapaat äänet.