Fimic Jazz News, March 2010

News in more depth can be found at www.fimic.fi

1. Finnish jazz presented at Jazzahead!
A rapidly-growing platform and meeting point for the European jazz field, Jazzahead! trade fair event and showcase festival takes place 22-25 April in Bremen, Germany. Fimic and the Finnish Jazz Federation coordinate together the Finland stand at the event. In addition, altogether 13 organizations are represented at the stand - record labels, agencies, bands and musicians.

This year, Finland also has a representative at the highly-regarded Jazzahead! showcase: Juhani Aaltonen Quartet will perform 24 April. The saxophonist/flautist Juhani Aaltonen will celebrate his 75th birthday in 2010, but his accolade-filled career is still expanding at a remarkable rate. The quartet features a collection of Finnish jazz A-listers in Reino "Reiska" Laine (drums), Iro Haarla (piano & harp) and Ulf Krokfors (bass). The Juhani Aaltonen Quartet recently released the album 'Conclusions'on TUM Records.

2. Guitarist Kalle Kalima busy with recordings and tours
The Berlin-based musician and composer Kalle Kalima has just released a new album with his own Finnish-German group Klima Kalima. The release, which came out in the beginning of March on Enja Records, is titled 'Loru'. Another album, 'Stillleben' by the duo of Kalle Kalima and saxophonist-flautist Kari "Sonny" Heinilä, is due to be released on Abovoice in April. The German album release tour of Klima Kalima starts 27 March. During the spring another band of Kalima´s, Baby Bonk, will perform around Russia.

3. Finnish jazz tours in Japan and China
April and May will bring many Finnish jazz musicians to tour in Japan and China. Niklas Winter Quartet will play along with trumpet player Jukka Eskola in three locations in Japan in 3-6 April, as the new album 'Deep Waters' (Abovoice-1016) of Winter and guitarist Teemu Viinikainen waits to be released in China and Japan. Pekka Pylkkänen Tube Factory start their extensive Asian tour, reaching Japan, China and Korea, on 14 May.

In the end of May, The Five Corners Quintet will head for a tour in China and Japan. They will perform in Shanghai around the Finnish Day of the Shanghai Expo, on 26 and 27 May, and continue to Japan on 28 May. The group just finished recording their new live album, and the Japanese release of the new album will coincide with the tour.

4. M. A. Numminen turns 70 and celebrates with intensive touring
The legendary figure of Finnish musical scene, M. A. Numminen, celebrated his 70th birthday on 12 March. Instead of grand festivities, Numminen honors the occasion by touring in Germany and Sweden. He performed Finnish tangos in Leipzig, Germany with his Neorustic Jazz Orchestra already in March, and in April his new 'Heidegger Suite' gets to be performed in Berlin as well as in other German cities. In May, Numminen's trademark singing and original musical style will be heard in Sweden, as he will tour there with Pedro Hietanen.

5. UMO launched a new album series with a Pekka Pohjola recording
UMO Jazz Orchestra started their new album series of archive treasures with a cd of Pekka Pohjola's (1952-2008) live and studio recordings from the years 1977-2004. The album titled 'Beauty and the Beast — UMO plays the music of Pekka Pohjola' was released in February 2010. The next volume of the series is expected to be released in August 2010. It will concentrate on Raoul Björkenheim´s works.

SHORT CUTS
The entire catalogue of Rockadillo Records has been licensed to Shanghai Synergy, the biggest music corporation in China. The deal is the first of its kind for a Finnish record company, and it covers the entire catalogue of Rockadillo, including the prominent sub labels Pohjola and Aani. The license covers the territories of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.

Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) is presenting a brand new television series on Nordic jazz in the Finnish national television, which started on 5 March on YLE Teema channel. The 7-part series 'Jazz from North' (Jazzia pohjoisesta) includes four theme documentaries and three live performance episodes presenting the legends and talents of the Nordic jazz.

NEW RELEASES
- The fourth album by saxophonist Manuel Dunkel, 'A Step Forward', is out on Texicalli Records. The line-up includes also Alexi Tuomarila (piano), Ville Huolman (bass) and Teppo Mäkynen (drums).
- 'To the Stars - TBB Live!' consists of Kari Komppa´s music performed by Tampere Big Band. The album will be released in early April on Alba.
- Saxophonist Pepa Päivinen´s new effort 'North Pipe' (Presence Records) came out in the end of 2009.
- 'Contemplations', featuring László Süle´s new compositions, will be out on Alba during the spring.
- Spirit Of New Orleans (SONO) released their newest effort 'Mahogany Hall Stomp' in December 2009.

TOUR NEWS
Alexi Tuomarila (piano) and Olavi Louhivuori (drums) will tour in the United States with the Tomasz Stanko Quintet in April. The extensive three-week tour includes gigs at, for example, San Francisco Jazz Festival. The tour culminates in five consecutive nights at the legendary Birdland jazz club in New York, and the New York gigs will also be recorded for possible future release.

Saxophonist Risto Salmi and trombonist Katja Toivola will perform in four different cities in Brazil as members of the New Orleans-based Leroy Jones sextet from 2 to 12 June - São Paulo, Brasília, Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro. The concerts are part of the Brazilian "I Love Jazz" festival.

Sumelius/Tuomarila Quartet, consisting of André Sumelius (drums, composition), Alexi Tuomarila (piano, composition), Ernesto Aurignac and Anders Christensen, will tour in Belgium in May. After that, the group will record their new album in Finland.

Mikko Innanen & Innkvisitio will play at the Rochester Jazz Festival in the US on 19 June. After Rochester, the group will continue to Ottawa and Vancouver Jazz Festivals.

Other jazz gigs:
- Accordionist Veli Kujala will play a solo gig at Grenoble Jazz Festival in France on 26 March.
- Saxophonist Jussi Kannaste will take part in the Tallinn Music Week on 26 March, together with the Estonian Kadri Voorand Group.
- Saxophonist Manuel Dunkel will play in Istanbul, Turkey, with Kursad Deniz Trio on 1 and 2 April.
- Sid Hille's big band work 'Felsenfest' will be performed in Sydney, Australia, as part of the international ISCM festival, on 5 May.

See more events at www.fimic.fi > Event Calendar > Add new event.

OUR NEXT E-MAIL INFO
The next Finnish Jazz News will be mailed during in June 2010.


COMMENTS TO FIMIC
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CONTACT INFORMATION, JAZZ
Ms. Henna Salo, Coordinator, Popular Music: henna.salo@fimic.fi
Ms. Heli Lampi, Promotion Manager: heli.lampi@fimic.fi



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