The 43rd international Tampere Jazz Happening will take place from October 31 to November 3, 2024. This year’s festival will bring artists to Tampere from the United States, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, among other countries.
The main venue, Pakkahuone, will host four concerts: one on Friday, two on Saturday, and one on Sunday, each featuring three international jazz ensembles.
This year, the furthest-traveling guests come from the United States, including jazz poet and activist aja monet with her ensemble, and a quartet led by New Orleans jazz legend Donald Harrison. Meanwhile, Kahil El'Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble returns to the Happening for the first time since the inaugural festival in 1982, while saxophonist David Murray made his debut in Tampere just a year later in 1983.
Among the Finnish artists, accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen will grace the Pakkahuone stage with Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson in a rare performance. Pianist Kari Ikonen will also represent Finnish jazz excellence with his band, Orchestra Nazionale della Luna, which primarily features Belgian musicians.
Scandinavian jazz will be strongly represented at Pakkahuone as well. Swedish bassist Dan Berglund’s band Tonbruket will perform in Finland for the first time, as will Norwegian drummer Gard Nilssen’s long-standing ensemble Bushman’s Revenge. A new Anglo-Norwegian trio, Daydream, will reinterpret the music of Duke Ellington.
The Pakkahuone program also features the world premiere of the Japanese-German AVA Trio, alongside the Austrian ensemble David Helbock's Random/Control and British pianist Zoe Rahman’s octet—all making their Happening debuts.
Spotlight on Portugal
Portugal will be highlighted at this year's Tampere Jazz Happening through free concerts. The festival opens at Klubi on Thursday with the Spotlight on Portugal event, featuring performances by guitarist-composer Mané Fernandez and his ensemble, the six-piece group Axes, and bassist Demian Cabaudi’s quintet.
The festival’s free closing concert will also take place on Sunday at Telakka, where the seasoned trio Bode Wilson will perform.
Finnish Jazz at Telakka, Late Night Concerts at Klubi
The best of Finnish jazz will be showcased at Telakka. Friday’s concert begins with the Aurora Hentunen Quintet, followed by Josefiina Vannesluoma, who recently released her debut album Mortal Lease. The evening concludes with Kaisa Mäensivu’s Kaisa’s Machine, celebrating nearly ten years as an ensemble.
Saturday at Telakka will feature Markus Holkko Quartet, Future Food Factory, which recently released its debut album, and Jaska Lukkarinen Trio. The last two groups are connected through Mikko Hassinen, who leads Future Food Factory and composed the new repertoire for Jaska Lukkarinen Trio.
Late night shows at Klubi will get the jazz crowd moving with performances by 24-year-old drumming sensation Roni Kaspi and her trio, as well as Nubiyan Twist, a British band drawing on jazz, hip-hop, afrobeat, Latin, soul, reggae, and dance music.
Top Honors from the Finnish Jazz Federation
The Finnish Jazz Federation’s prestigious Yrjö Award, the highest honor in Finnish jazz, will once again be awarded at the Tampere Jazz Happening. Additionally, the annual Taimi Award, now in its second year, will be presented to a young musician passionately developing their own musical expression. Other awards include the Andania Lifetime Achievement Award, also from the Finnish Jazz Federation, and the Varjo-Yrjö prize from Yle’s Jazz Radio.
David Murray Quartet © KEZIAH QUARCOO