The third annual We Jazz festival opens on Monday 7 December at Aleksanterin Teatteri. Jazz will be heard over the week all over the city, in such venues as WHS Teatteri Union, Dubrovnik, Culture Tram, Tavastia and pianist Joonas Haavisto’s studio flat in Töölö.
One of the most creative forces of the Finnish jazz field, We Jazz brings us the third We Jazz festival on 7-13 December this year, spanning the whole week for the very first time. The event takes place in various locations around Helsinki, presenting honourable veterans, today’s top artists and future promises both from Finland and the international scene. The week-long jazz feast treats us to American Vijay Iyer Trio, German pioneering multi-talent Guntel Hampel and numerous Finnish stars, such as Timo Lassy Band; Teddy’s West Coasters, led by drummer Teppo Mäkynen; Juhani Aaltonen Trio, Jukka Perko Jazztet and Verneri Pohjola Quartet. A festival, an installation, a utopia – pick whichever term that you like – We Jazz is known for its experimentalism as to concert venues and this year makes no exception: the majority of the locations play host to the event for the first time. These include WHS Teatteri U:NI:ON; a wooden private property in Arabia, owned by Genelec; the Culture Tram and pianist Joonas Haavisto’s studio in Töölö. Returning venues include Andorra and its club Dubrovnik, Aleksanterin Teatteri and Kahvila Sävy. The jazz week will be closed with an afternoon concert on Sunday 13 December at Tavastia, perhaps better known as a home for rock music.
We Jazz 2015 kicks off on Monday 7 December with Vijay Iyer – one of the names that the jazz world is buzzing about this very moment – and his trio and Finnish Teddy’s West Coasters who brought out the follow-up to their praised debut album only in November. The opening address will be given by the patron of the festival, M. A. Numminen, whose photographs, taken in the 1960s of famous jazz stars, will be also exhibited at the festival. The photos will be an official sneak peek at Numminen’s upcoming book, Jazzin meining ('The meining of Jazz'), in which Numminen reflects upon his the meaning of jazz in his life.
We Jazz published the first We Jazz magazine – 88-pages’ worth of background material and a visual feast for anyone wishing to know a bit more about what is on – already in September. The magazine is a complete We Jazz production from the cover to the last page and it includes, among others, an extensive feature on Gunter Hampel, an interview with Vijay Iyer, album recommendations and images from the previous two We Jazz festivals. The magazine is available for free around Helsinki in selected cafés and record shops and, naturally, at the festival concerts.
WE JAZZ 2015
Helsinki 7 - 13 December
ALL PERFORMERS
Aki Rissanen Sturm
Bowman Trio* (*We Jazz Rising Star 2015)
Gunter Hampel Quintet (DE)
Invitation Quintet
Jaska Lukkarinen Trio plays Valtteri Pöyhönen
Jazz kiinnostaa live
Joonas Haavisto & Mikko Karjalainen / Antti Lötjönen / Jukka Perko / Joonas Riippa / Teemu Viinikainen
Jukka Perko Jazztet
Juhani Aaltonen Trio
Jussi Lampela & Verneri Pohjola: Meren kasvojen edessä
Laura Annika Quartet
M. A. Numminen
Teddy's West Coasters
Teemu Åkerblom Quartet
Timo Lassy Band w/ guests
Verneri Pohjola Quartet
Vijay Iyer Trio (US)
We Jazz DJs
We Jazz Jam Session
VENUES
Aleksanterin teatteri
Cinema Andorra
Dubrovnik Lounge&Lobby
Genelec House
Joonas Haavisto's home
Kahvila Sävy
Culture Tram
Tavastia
WHS Teatteri U:NI:ON
PROGRAMME
Mon 7 Dec at 19.00
Aleksanterin teatteri
VIJAY IYER TRIO (us)
TEDDY’S WEST COASTERS
M. A. NUMMINEN
Tue 8 Dec at 18.00
Joonas Haavisto's home
JOONAS HAAVISTO & MIKKO KARJALAINEN
Tue 8 Dec at 18.00 & at 20.00
Kahvila Sävy
JUKKA PERKO JAZZTET
Wed 9 Dec at 18.00
Joonas Haavisto's home
JOONAS HAAVISTO & TEEMU VIINIKAINEN
Wed 9 Dec at 18.00 & at 20.00
Kahvila Sävy
BOWMAN TRIO (We Jazz Rising Star 2015)
Thu 10 Dec at 18.00
Joonas Haavisto's home
JOONAS HAAVISTO & JUKKA PERKO
Thu 10 Dec at 19.00
WHS Teatteri U:NI:ON
JUSSI LAMPELA & VERNERI POHJOLA: MEREN KASVOJEN EDESSÄ
Fri 11 Dec at 17.00
Kahvila Sävy
JUHANI AALTONEN TRIO
Fri 11 Dec at 19.00
Elokuvateatteri Andorra
VERNERI POHJOLA QUARTET
Fri 11 Dec at 21.00
Dubrovnik Lounge&Lobby
JASKA LUKKARINEN TRIO PLAYS VALTTERI PÖYHÖNEN
LAURA ANNIKA QUARTET
WE JAZZ DJs
Sat 12 Dec at 16.00
Joonas Haavisto's home
JOONAS HAAVISTO & ANTTI LÖTJÖNEN
Sat 12 Dec at 16.00
Culture Tram
INVITATION QUINTET 2 (a secret group)
*** SOLD OUT***
Sat 12 Dec at 18.00
Culture Tram
INVITATION QUINTET (a secret group)
Sat 12 Dec at 20.00
Genelec House
GUNTER HAMPEL QUINTET (de)
AKI RISSANEN STURM
WE JAZZ JAM SESSION
WE JAZZ DJs
Sun 13 Dec at 11-15
Kahvila Sävy / brunch
JAZZ KIINNOSTAA LIVE
*** SOLD OUT***
Sun 13 Dec at 16
Joonas Haavisto's home
JOONAS HAAVISTO &
JOONAS RIIPPA
Sun 13 Dec at 18
Tavastia
TIMO LASSY BAND W/ GUESTS
TEEMU ÅKERBLOM QUARTET
WE JAZZ DJs
http://wejazz.fi/2015
#wejazz2015
Partners: Club Mate, Genelec, GEST, Goethe-Institut Finnland, Helsinki Design Week, HSL, Image, Music Finland, Radio Helsinki, jazz department of the Sibelius Academy (Helsinki University of Arts), Web-veistämö
We Jazz 2015 is supported by: City of Helsinki Cultural Office, Finnish Music Foundation, Arts Promotion Centre Finland
TICKETS: http://lippu.fi/wejazz (To Tavastia at Tiketti)