At Vesijärvi harbour in Lahti from 11 to 14 September, Jazztori will offer anniversary celebrations and a wide array of live music. As 2014 is the year when Lahti Big Band turns 30 years and Jazztori Festival 25 years, festivities are indeed in order. For this purpose a special Gala night opens the festival, and starshine will be provided by dazzling guests Irina Björklund, HERD & Aili Ikonen and Lahti Big Band featuring Paula Koivuniemi. On Friday, swing will be switched to blues and soul by Heikki Silvennoinen and Sami Saari together with the big band Boston promenade. On Saturday the stage will be taken by a pair of long-stading groups, Miikka Kallio Band and Jean S.
Jazztori Gala Night
The festival’s opening night, Thursday 11 September, is dedicated to two jubilees: Jazztori’s 25th anniversary and Lahti Big Band’s 30th anniversary. The programme is started by Lahti native Panu Savolainen’s HERD with Aili Ikonen on vocals. They will take the audience back in time to the heyday of jazzy Finnish popular songs, playing hit pieces from the 50s and 60s, such as those popularised by Laila Kinnunen. A recently confirmed guest to perform at the gala is Irina Björklund, Finnish singer-actress, expatriate in France. On her recently released fourth album, La vie est Fête, Björklund sings Finnish popular songs in her own French translations. The main act of the gala night will be Lahti Big Band with singer Paula Koivuniemi. Their repertoire will consist of Koivuniemi’s hits in big band arrangements, but LBB and conductor Erno Tiittanen will ensure that a selection of classic jazz tunes are thrown in. The gala will also see awarding of significant musicians and other promoters of the local jazz scene in Lahti. The night will be hosted by Eppu Salminen.
Big Band Makes Blues and Soul Bigger on Friday
Jazztori’s Friday will be the night for blues and soul as Heikki Silvennoinen, the household name of blues, and Sami Saari, the king of Finnish soul, let their guitars sing in unison. These gents are backed by big band Boston Promenade.
Boston Promenade is a Helsinki-based big band, founded in 1964 by Helsinki School of Business (today Aalto University School of Business) student union. From the horn orchestra that the band initially was, it has grown into a full-size big band. This year, the 50-year-old Boston Promenade celebrates their golden jubilee. During its existence, the group has collaborated with a number of significant Finnish artists, of which a good example is tonight’s concert with Silvennoinen and Saari.
Saturday Night Nostalgia
There are yet a couple of anniversaries left for Saturday, as the concert’s first main act will be Miikka Kallio Band, celebrating their 15 -year career. MKB played the second live show of their history at Jazztori in 1999, and the best bits of this memorable event will be revisited on Saturday night’s concert. MKB has invited a number of past soloists to join them, among whom will be Marko Haavisto and Kimmo Härmä. We are in for good old Finnish popular songs by Tapio Rautavaara and Rauli Badding Somerjoki, for instance, in arrangements appropriate for the occasion. The evening continues in a similar vein as the popular big orchestra Jean S. returns to Jazztori for the first time in ten years. On Saturday there will be music for children, too: this year the younger members of the family will be entertained by Lahti Music Institute’s band.
Sunday’s programme, free of charge, will be announced soon but the quarter-of-a-century-old Lahti Big Band already has been confirmed to be among the performers.
The programme can be found in its entirety on http://jazztori.fi/
Jazztori tickets are on sale on Lippupiste ticket shops and online on Lippu.fi, at Lahti Seurahuone reception and at Lahti Musiikkitalo.
Saturday’s “Dinner in the Jazz” tickets have been fully booked already, but an additional batch of tickets will possibly be available for booking later.
Group tickets can be booked from 010 2711 551 and via email: myynti@jazztori.fi