The four concerts at Pakkahuone – one on Friday, two on Saturday and one more on Sunday – are full of top international jazz. Each concert hosts three ensembles.
The guests coming from furthest away this year are from the United States. Making their Tampere Jazz Happening debut are jazz poet and activist aja monet with her band, as well as New Orleans jazz legend Donald Harrison’s quartet. Kahil El’Zabar Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, on the other hand, visited Happening already at the very first festival in 1982, and saxophonist David Murray also made a first appearance in Tampere the following year.
Representing Finnish artists, the stage at Pakkahuone is taken by accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen, whose performance together with Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson is a rare treat. More Finnish jazz talent is brought onto the main stage of the festival by pianist Kari Ikonen, whose band Orchestra Nazionale della Luna mainly comprises of Belgian musicians.
Nordic jazz is strongly present at Pakkahuone in other ways as well. Swedish bassist Dan Berglund’s Tonbruket performs in Finland for the first time, as does Norwegian drummer Gard Nilssen’s longest-running and most productive ensemble Bushman’s Revenge. Interpreting the music of Duke Ellington is the new British-Norwegian trio Daydream.
Rounding out the programme are Japanese-German AVA Trio’s world debut performance, as well as Austrian David Helbock’s Random/Control, and British pianist Zoe Rahman’s octet, all of whom are first-timers at Happening.
Tampere Jazz Happening’s featured country Portugal is showcased in the free-of-charge concerts of the festival. Opening the festival at Klubi is Thursday’s Spotlight on Portugal concert event, hosting guitarist and composer Mané Fernandez with his band, the six-member sextet Axes, and bassist Demian Cabaud’s quintet.
Also free-of-charge is the festival’s closing event on Sunday, where the stage at Telakka is taken by Bode Wilson, a jazz trio of three experienced musicians.
Finnish jazz is mainly played at Telakka. The concert on Friday is opened by Aurora Hentunen Quintet, followed by Josefiina Vannesluoma, who published her debut album Mortal Lease this autumn. The night is closed by Kaisa Mäensivu’s nearly ten-year-old band Kaisa’s Machine.
Saturday at Telakka sees performances by Markus Holkko Quartet, Future Food Factory, who just debuted their first album, and Jaska Lukkarinen Trio. The latter two are connected by Mikko Hassinen, who not only leads Future Food Factory, but also composed Jaska Lukkarinen Trio’s new repertoire.
Inviting jazz audiences to the dancefloor at Klubi on the late nights of the festival weekend are 24-year-old drumming sensation Roni Kaspi with her trio, as well as the British band Nubiyan Twist, whose music draws from jazz, hip hop, afrobeat, Latin music, soul, reggae, and dance music.
The most prestigious award given to Finnish jazz musicians, the Finnish Jazz Federation’s Yrjö Award is presented once again during the Tampere Jazz Happening. The Jazz Federation’s annual Taimi Award is presented for the second time to a young musician who passionately develops their own musical expression. In addition, the Andania Lifetime Achievement Award, also awarded by the Jazz Federation, is presented at the event, as well as Yle Jazz Radio’s Shadow Yrjö Award.
