This year, the Tampere Jazz Happening – organised during the weekend of All Saints’ Day, 31 October to 3 November 2024 – will present, among other things, contemporary Portuguese jazz. All in all, 25 ensembles will take the stage in ten concert events round Tullikamari Square.
A total of four Portuguese bands will perform at the event, three of which will be seen on the first day of the festival at the Spotlight on Portugal event, which is free of charge. The versatile opening night will feature electric guitar, saxophone, and the human voice.
The main concerts at Pakkahuone will offer a wide spectrum of European and American jazz virtuosity. The occasion on Friday will begin in the traditional way, with the Yrjö Award, Finland’s most prestigious award for jazz musicians. David Helbock’s Random/Control from Austria will perform works composed to the poetry of William Blake and Emily Dickinson. A duo performance by Mats Gustafsson and accordion artist Kimmo Pohjonen will be seen for the first time in Finland. The evening will be topped off by long-time American saxophonist David Murray with his new quartet.
Saturday’s daytime event will start off with the music of Duke Ellington, interpreted by the new English-Norwegian trio Daydream, led by pianist Pat Thomas. Orchestra Nazionale della Luna, founded by Kari Ikonen and Manuel Hermia, is known for its exceptional sound, desire to take a stand, and wry humor. The world premiere of AVA Trio, assembled by Japanese pianist Aki Takase, will close the afternoon event.
The latest link in the long chain of Black American jazz poets is aja monet, who will open the evening event. Her contemporary lyrics intertwine Black resistance, love and an inexhaustible search for joy. Tonbruket, led by Swedish bassist Dan Berglund, will also perform for the first time in Finland. The evening will culminate in New Orleans’ jazz legend Donald Harrison. He is bringing his rather new quartet to Tampere with a repertoire that will include both bebop classics and “nouveau swing”.
The main concert on the closing day will feature both Finnish first appearances and veteran Happening performers. English pianist Zoe Rahman’s first concert in Finland has been anticipated for a long time, but now she is arriving in Tampere with her octet. Norwegian drummer Gard Nilssen will perform at Pakkahuone with his longest-running and most prolific line-up, Bushman’s Revenge. The event will be closed by the Kahil El’Zabar Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, which already performed at the first Tampere Jazz Happening in 1982 but have not been seen at the festival since then.
Tampere Jazz Happening will bring a total of six bands to Telakka over the course of two nights. The Aurora Hentunen Quintet, Josefiina Vannesluoma & Mortal Lease and bassist Kaisa Mäensivu’s Kaisa’s Machine will take to the stage on Friday night. Saturday’s line-up includes Markus Holkko with his band, Mikko Hassinen’s Future Food Factory and the Jaska Lukkarinen Trio.
The weekend’s late nights will culminate at Klubi, where the stage is taken by the 24-year-old drum sensation Roni Kaspi and her trio, as well as the seven-piece Nubiyan Twist, which draws from jazz, hip-hop, Afrobeat, Latin, soul, reggae, and dance music.
Tampere Jazz Happening will end at Telakka on the Sunday evening free-of-charge concert event, which features Portuguese trio Bode Wilson.
Pictured (© Christopher Andrew) is Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, who will finally return to Tampere Jazz Happening on their extensive 50th anniversary tour – 42 years after their last performance.
