Lahti Jazz ry, founded at the end of the year, has sprung to action in 2023. The association was accepted as a member to the Finnish Jazz Federation in February, and now starts hosting regular club activities in Lahti. The monthly clubs are organized at the Teerenpeli restaurant every second Thursday of the month. The clubs are organized in the spring season in April-June and after the summer break in September-December.
The clubs' program consists of main concerts which are always followed by more free-form jams. The spring season's main program will host Riitta Paakki Quartet on April 13, Aarni Häkkinen Quartet on May 11 and Mulligans feat. Julia Vuorinen on June 8.
Riitta Paakki Quartet's songs from the forthcoming Väri album will be heard at the opening club on April 14 in a unique premiere, together with excerpts from the ensemble's previous, award-winning production.
The jam sessions are implemented on the open stage principle, meaning that anyone can come to the club with an instrument and join in. The JPS Trio (Juha Johansson, Pasi Leino and Sami Tervonen), consisting of conservatory teachers, acts as the house band for the jams after the opening concert.
The association started planning the spring program already at the end of 2022, and the program framework for the upcoming fall is already being completed at a good pace. The decision to organize club nights in Teerenpeli was made after negotiations at the beginning of the year.