The Finnish Jazz Federation produces and supports six bands on nationwide tours in spring 2017.
Spring 2017 will see as many as six bands touring Finland, supported by the Finnish Jazz Federation. Tours for two groups – Martti Vesala Soundpost Quintet and Plop – will be produced by the Finnish Jazz Federation alone; while in February in the pipeline is a French-Finnish double-header tour, co-produced with the agency Free Voices, Free Sounds. The artists come from both countries; trio Equally Stupid representing Finland and Matthieu Metzger Self Cooking France. With this tour season, the Finnish Jazz Federation makes a new move by inviting the 18-piece big band Sointi Jazz Orchestra aboard the tour bus. For this very first big band tour production in its history, the Jazz Federation will join forces with Sointi Jazz Orchestra ry., the registered association behind the orchestra. Jukka Eskola Soul Trio will close the season in May on a tour co-produced with Creatika Agency.
9 - 22 Jan 2017 Martti Vesala Soundpost Quintet
Martti Vesala - trumpet, Petri "Pope" Puolitaival - tenor saxohpone, flute, Joonas Haavisto - piano, Juho Kivivuori - double bass, Ville Pynssi - drums
Martti Vesala Soundpost Quintet play modern, swinging jazz penned by the Helsinki-based younger-generation trumpeter, Martti Vesala. Founded in 2011, this group is a union of some of the very finest already-established names working in the scene. Drawing from the 1960s jazz, they list the dynamic groove of Miles Davis’s quintet, the experimental American jazz that emerged during the decade and Wayne Shorter’s elegant musical language as their major influences. The debut, Helsinki Soundpost, is due out on German label Ozella Music, on 16 September this year.
6 - 19 Mar 2017 Plop
Mikko Innanen - saxophones, Ville Herrala - bass, Joonas Riippa - drums
The irrepressible trio Plop celebrate their 10th anniversary in the spring and what a better way to do that than hitting the road?! Plop is a triumvirate of three troupers; for them freedom is not mere rhetoric but a shared state of mind. All of the members compose music for the group but due to their philosophy of spontaneity the set list may contain every member’s compositions, some members’ compositions or loan songs only. Over, the years, this inimitable trio has released three albums, An Sich (2009), Per Se (2013) and Unicorn (2015), on the Finnish Fiasko Records.
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Co-Produced Tours
31 Jan – 10 Feb 2017 Free Voices, Free Sounds 2017 Tour: Equally Stupid ja Matthieu Metzger
Matthieu Metzger Self Cooking
Matthieu Metzger - sopranino and alto saxophones, electronics
www.mmtz.eu
http://www.ayler.com/matthieu-metzger-selfcooking.html
Equally Stupid
Pauli Lyytinen - tenor, bass and alto saxophones, effects, synth, compositions
Sigurdur Rögnvaldsson - baritone guitar, compositions
David Meier - drums
www.equallystupid.net
http://www.eclipse-music.net/product/equally-stupid-exploding-head/
The acclaimed Finnish-Swiss-Icelandic trio Equally Stupid takes their original, urban sound to the next level! Their sophomore album, Escape from the Unhappy Society, will be released on the Finnish label Eclipse Music in January 2017 – just before they hit the road. The gifted French saxophonist Matthieu Metzger prepares his homemade, lyrical and eerily beautiful sax treats seasoned with electronics. It is safe to say that this street credible chef creates jazz delicacies of the future.
7 - 30 Apr 2017 Sointi Jazz Orchestra
Rasmus Soini: conductor
Saxophones: Petteri Hietamäki, Pekka Seppänen, Frans Thomsson, Janne Saarinen, Joakim Berghäll/Max Zenger
Trumpets: Teemu Mattsson/Tommi Koponen, Tomi Nikku, Leo Kylätasku, Jasmin Afaneh
Trombones: Hannes Kaukoranta/Ilkka Hongisto, Mikko Haanpää, Panu Luukkonen, Matti Vuolahti, Kenneth Ojutkangas
Comp: Aleksis Liukko – p, Kaisa Mäensivu/Joonas Tuuri – db, Siiri Partanen – dr
Started in 2013, Sointi Jazz Orchestra is a big band formed by freelance musicians. Armed with a versatile range of instruments, the orchestra’s ambition is to reform, broaden and enliven big band culture within acoustic confines. Their anticipated debut album Syntymä came out earlier this year.
8 - 21 May 2017 Jukka Eskola Soul Trio
Jukka Eskola – trumpet, Mikko Helevä – Hammond B3, Teppo Mäkynen – drums
The soulful Soul Trio is trumpeter Jukka Eskola’s newest outfit. Their music nods strongly to the cool swing of the 1950s and 60s, adopting the subtle references to gospel and soul so typical of the era. The trio released their limited debut EP in June, and a full-length album is due out towards the end of 2016.