Turku Jazz Festival will be held this year for the 54th time. Trumpeter Mikko Gunu Karjalainen shines as the festival's Artist of the Year, and Logomo's festival stage will present, among others, jazz legends Dave Holland and Eero Koivistoinen. Saturday evening March 4 culminates with a performance of Turku Jazz Orchestra and Astrid Nicole's Beyoncé! project.
Turku Jazz Festival is celebrated at the beginning of March at Logomo, Bar Ö, Tiirikkala and The Tasting Room, as well as with a free concert and jams at Rica Bar. The program of Finland's second oldest jazz event is built from interesting international rhythms, current domestic sounds and high-quality local jazz music. The festival kicks off on Wednesday, March 1 at the Jazz City Turku office in Forum Quarter with a record listening session by Festival Artist of the Year Mikko Gunu Karjalainen.
The live music part of the festival starts on Thursday, March 2 at the intimate Bar Ö on Linnankatu. Grammy-awarded New York drummer Joe Peri will take the stage with his Finnish band Perillä for an album release concert. Late on Thursday night, the audience can still jam at Rica Bar in the company of Turku Conservatory students led by singer-composer Nina Mya.
Friday and Saturday's concert stages will be Logomo's Teatro bar and Teatro hall. Friday will be started by the charismatic Estonian duo Kadri Voorand & Mihkel Mälgand with their electronic-acoustic repertoire. Bassist legend Dave Holland will take the stage of the Teatro hall with his virtuoso trio featuring guitarist Kevin Eubanks and drummer Eric Harland. The evening will be continued by Maja Mannila Trio consisting of young top talents and the new nine-member band of the brilliant guitarist-composer Valtteri Pöyhönen, featuring as its soloist of the domestic jazz legend Antti Sarpila.
On Saturday afternoon, something new will be experienced when the Aurakatu wine bar The Tasting Room organizes an event combining quality jazz and quality wine led by Mikko Gunu Karjalainen and Swedish bassist Johnny Åman. The festival returns to Logomo in the evening, when the magical Kadi Vija Key Project and the quartet of legendary saxophonist Eero Koivistoinen will take the stage at the Teatro bar. In the Teatro hall, artist of the year Mikko Gunu Karjalainen joins forces with a trio led by New York saxophonist Seamus Blake and Swedish pianist Mathias Landæus. As the climax of the evening the pride of Turku, Turku Jazz Orchestra, takes on the music of the superstar Beyoncé, led by the luminous vocal soloist Astrid Nicole and the conductor-arranger Ville Vannemaa.
Turku Jazz Festival ends on Sunday, March 5 with Tiirikkala's jazz brunch, where the jazz audience will be captivated by Joonatan Henriksson Quintet, made up of the young talents of the Sibelius Academy's jazz department. Drummer Veikka Kajamies will also play in the line-up.
Turku Jazz Festival 2023 – Program
TURKU JAZZ FESTIVAL 2023
WEDNESDAY 1.3.
Jazz Office Turku, Forum Kortteli, Linnankatu 11
at 18:00 Kick-off: Mikko Gunu Karjalainen's album listening session
THURSDAY 2.3.
Bar Ö, Linnankatu 7
at 19:00 Perillä (US/FI)
Rica Bar, Kristiinankatu 5 b
at 21:00 Turku Conservatory workshop & Nina Mya + Jam Session
FRIDAY 3.3.
Logomo, Junakatu 9
at 18:00 Teatro bar: Kadri Voorand & Mihkel Mälgand (EE)
at 19:30 Teatro hall: Dave Holland Trio with Kevin Eubanks and Eric Harland (UK/US)
at 21:00 Teatro bar: Maja Mannila Trio
at 22:30 Teatro hall: Valtteri Laurell Nonet feat. Antti Sarpila
SATURDAY 4.3.
The Tasting Room, Aurakatu 1
at 14:00 Jazz & Wine Tasting with Mikko Gunu Karjalainen
Logomo, Junakatu 9
at 18:00 Teatro Bar: Kadi Vija Key Project
at 19:30 Teatro hall: Mikko Gunu Karjalainen with Seamus Blake & Landæus Trio (FI/US/SE)
at 21:00 Teatro bar: Eero Koivistoinen Quartet
at 22:30 Teatro hall: Turku Jazz Orchestra feat. Astrid Nicole: Beyoncé!
SUNDAY 5.3.
Tiirikkala, Linnankatu 3
at 12:00 Jazz Brunch: Joonatan Henriksson Quintet
Tickets to Logomo sold by Lippu.fi and to Bar Ö by Tiketti.
Saturday's wine tasting and Sunday's jazz brunch are sold out.