Next spring will see six hardcore bands tour the country under the Jazz Finland flag. Among the ensembles we have veterans and newcomers, from rock to art music, and all the other colors of the jazz rainbow. Jazz Finland is the main producer or supporter of these five tours. One of the productions is again the French-Finnish double bill Free Voices And Sounds.
The touring bands in the spring of 2019 are as follows:
Gourmet 4. - 17.2.2019
Mikko Innanen – saxophone, Esa Onttonen – guitar, Ilmari Pohjola – trombone, Veli Kujala – accordion, Petri Keskitalo – tuba, Mika Kallio – drums
Being founded in 1997 and having released four albums, Gourmet is one of the most long-lived Finnish jazz ensembles. Gourmet performs compositions of the founder members, Esa Onttonen and Mikko Innanen. The reviews of the newest album “En Garde” have listed their music to have influences from “rautalanka” music, schlager, waltz, marching music, Balkan horn music and New Orleans blues, among others. In the spring of 2019, in addition to “En Garde” album’s music, the band performs new, unheard pieces from Innanen and Onttonen.
Signe, (co-production with Raitala Music) March-April 2019
Riikka Keränen – vocals, Kaisa Mäensivu – double bass & vocals, Selma Savolainen – vocals, Josefiina Vannesluoma – vocals
Signe’s sensitive but powerful music wanders between jazz, modern music and audio play. The band’s original sound arises from exceptional instrumentation: the ensemble consists of vocalists Riikka Keränen, Selma Savolainen, Josefiina Vannesluoma and double bassist Kaisa Mäensivu. Formed in 2015, Signe released their first EP in 2017 and is set to release their debut album on the Jazz Finland tour.
Free Voices And Sounds Tour 2019: Maxxxtet (FIN) & Spring Roll (FRA), April 2019
Maxxxtet
Max Zenger – saxophone, bass clarinet, Tomi Nikku – trumpet, Teemu Åkerblom – bass, Jonatan Sarikoski – drums
Maxxxtet is an unprejudiced jazz quartet, featuring alto saxophonist, bass clarinetist Max Zenger, trumpeter Tomi Nikku, bassist Teemu Åkerblom and drummer Jonatan Sarikoski. Zinger, an adventure-seeking, multiculturally interested and multilingual musician writes tunes strongly influenced by his past and future experiences, adventures and encounters. Maxxxtet has released two albums on Eclipse Music, and the third one is due to come out before the tour.
Spring Roll
Sylvaine Hélary – flute, voice, composition, Antonin Rayon – piano, Moog, composition, Hugues Mayot – tenor saxophone, clarinet, Sylvain Lemêtre – vibes, percussions, metals
In this project flautist-singer Hélary and her band explore a chamber music with a very distinctive sound. Playing on timbres and resonances, Spring Roll defends resolutely contemporary music, while borrowing the codes and playground of the jazz. Hélary’s composing is inspired as much by her training in art music, as by her sessions with musicians of the New York scene and by the unclassifiable pop music of her wild years.
Jere Haakana Varjosto 6. - 19.5.2019
Jere Haakana – guitar, Artturi Rönkä – piano, Juho Kivivuori – bass, Ville Pynssi – drums
Jere Haakana Varjosto, formed in 2016, is an original jazz quartet with rock influences. Their music combines the powerful character compositions and cinematic soundscapes to rhythmic energy and improvisation drawing from tradition of jazz. In addition to jazz fans, the composition-centric music and the electric guitar tones resonate also with listeners less familiar with traditional jazz ensemble sound. Varjosto releases its debut album right before this summer’s Jazz-Espa. On the Jazz Finland tour the audience gets to enjoy the best pieces of the new album.
OK:KO (co-production with We Jazz Ltd.)
Jarno Tikka – saxophone, Toomas Keski-Säntti – piano, Mikael Saastamoinen – double bass, Okko Saastamoinen – drums
OK:KO is a Finnish jazz band led by drummer Okko Saastamoinen. The frontman is known to leave room for improvisation in his composing, just to let the musicians shine as they take the music to new trail while respecting the composition in question. This dialogue keeps the music fresh and makes it diverse and vivid. The Norwegian record label AMP Music & Records saw the band at Oslo Jazz Festival in August 2016 and released their debut album Land E. in January 2017. Since that OK:KO has performed at big festivals and clubs both in Finland and in the Nordic countries.
Photo: Signe
Photographer: Venla Helenius