Viapori Jazz, known for its unique marine atmosphere and for presenting high-quality, often one-off line-ups has prepared us a delicious half-week of jazz again. Next week, a number of Suomenlinna’s historical venues will be hosting jazz performances from the likes of Jukka Perko & Iiro Rantala duo, Dallapé, Mikko Sarvanne Hip Company with poet Jussi Pelkonen, Teppo Mäkynen, Tommy Lindgren and Jussi Kannaste trio and The Reporters feat. the globe-trotting journalist Riku Rantala.
The 15th Viapori Jazz Festival, spanning 26 - 29 August, is organised in Suomenlinna as a part of the Helsinki Festival. As in previous years, the festival offers a cross-section of contemporary Finnish jazz and the programme includes a number of premiering projects. Such venues as restaurant Tenalji von Fersen, Lentokonehalli and Suomenlinna church provide a becoming backdrop for the spot-on line-ups. Each year a number of concerts have sold out in advance, and this year makes no exception to the rule.
“Viapori Jazz gathers music hedonists under the same colourful umbrella of quality jazz,” says saxophonist Jukka Perko, the artistic director of the festival. “The short ferry-trip to the island plays a surprisingly significant role, strengthening the magic of the festival: it works like a transition, allowing the listeners and artists alike to reach a unique state of receptiveness. This is why the music experienced on the island moves in a very special way, regardless of genre.”
Viapori Jazz kicks off on Wednesday 26 with the regenerated orchestra Dallapé’s two shows instead of only one – at the insistence of the audience. Other shows that are already fully-booked include the Surprise Concert of Thursday night, the first of the two shows of Jukka Perko and Iiro Rantala and the grand finale with Hemma Beast on stage. Moreover, tickets are running low for the collaboration concert of Timo Lassy and gospel choir Higher Ground and for the late-night show of Perko & Rantala duo.
As mentioned, Viapori offers a host of new and one-off commissioned works. These include the project Rumpunovelleja (Drum Short Stories), where drummer Teppo Mäkynen, rapper Tommy Lindgren and saxophonist Jussi Kannaste offer a fresh take on the texts of Herman Hesse, for example. The union between words and music will be at the heart of two other concerts, too: the coalition between the travelling journalist Riku Rantala and group The Reporters and that of poet Jussi Pelkonen and big band Mikko Sarvanne Hip Company. Concert Resurrected Evergreens sees a seven-piece choir, formed by up-and-coming female vocalists breathe new life to jazz standards. The unlikely trio Jukka Perko, percussionist Samuli Kosminen and viola da gamba player Mikko Perkola will also take jazz standards under their treatment and what will emerge will surely be a surprise to us all.
VIAPORI JAZZ 2015 / PROGRAMME
Suomenlinna, Helsinki
DALLAPÉ
Wed 26 Aug at 7:00PM Tenalji von Fersen ***sold out***
Wed 26 Aug at 9:30 Tenalji von Fersen
SURPRISE CONCERT
Thu 27 Aug at 7:00PM Tenalji von Fersen ***sold out***
RESURRECTED EVERGREENS
Thu 27 Aug at 9:30PM Lentokonetehdas
JUKKA PERKO & IIRO RANTALA
Fri 28 Aug at 7:00PM Tenalji von Fersen ***sold out***
Fri 28 Aug at 9:30PM Tenalji von Fersen
RIKU RANTALA & THE REPORTERS
Fri 28 Aug at 9:30PM Lentokonetehdas
PERKO & PERKOLA & KOSMINEN
Sat 29 Aug at 2:00PM Lentokonetehdas
DRUM SHORT STORIES
Sat 29 Aug at 4:00PM Lentokonetehdas
MIKKO SARVANNE HIP COMPANY & JUSSI PELKONEN: PLASTIC BABYLON
Sat 29 Aug at 6:00PM Tenalji von Fersen
TIMO LASSY & HIGHER GROUND
Sat 29 Aug at 8:00PM Suomenlinna Church
HEMMA BEAST
Sat 29 Aug at 10:00PM Tenalji von Fersen ***sold out***
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