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Kerava Jazz Festival takes place September 11–15, 2024

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The festival features a diverse lineup of eleven performing groups.

The first segment of the main concert on Saturday, September 14, at Kerava Hall will be opened by saxophonist and pianist Mark Fransman from Cape Town. His music is deeply melodic and rhythmic, characteristic of South African jazz. In Kerava, Fransman will present his Homage Trio's repertoire in collaboration with Finnish musicians.

The second segment of the concert will feature Sointi Jazz Orchestra with their guest, British musician Ivo Neame. Neame is an internationally renowned pianist, composer, and bandleader, recognized as one of the most innovative figures in the contemporary jazz scene. The concert will showcase Neame’s jazz orchestra compositions, specially arranged for the uniquely sounding Sointi Jazz Orchestra.

Concluding the main concert will be Piotr Schmidt, a Polish jazz trumpeter. Year after year, he ranks among the top in Jazz Forum magazine’s polls. The music performed in Kerava will primarily consist of material from the album Komeda Unknown 1967. Composer Krzysztof Komeda wrote the music based on poems by Polish poets. Six of these compositions were never recorded and were believed to be lost forever. The manuscripts were eventually found in the national library, and Schmidt worked to bring them to their final form. He successfully captures the spirit of Komeda's era.

Many regular attendees of the festival have expressed a desire for a fourth performer in the main concert. It can be said that the performance by pianist Joonas Haavisto and Lithuanian saxophonist Kęstutis Vaiginis, held at the library’s Pentinkulma Hall before the main concert, fits well within the musical essence of the main event. The duo’s music combines clear melodies with Baltic melancholy, creating a foundation for dynamic interplay.

The festival will kick off on September 11 with one of Finland's most radiant singers, Aili Ikonen, performing with pianist Antti Kujanpää at Kerava Church. The exceptionally talented Kadi Vija and Maja Mannila will complement the festival's vocal offerings with their own concerts. Varre Vartiainen, who spent his youth in Kerava, will join forces with saxophonist Timo Lassy in the band Organ Freemen! Masa Orpana Honk, hailing from the Tampere region, will bring a rhythm & blues-influenced saxophone performance.

www.keravajazz.fi

Piotr Schmidt © Jarek Wierzbicki

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