Written by The Tampere Jazz Happening in Finland´s third largest city celebrated a brilliant 44th edition with a very colourful programme.
Daniel Erdmann | Photo by Maarit Kytöharju.
Some things were different this year in Tampere at the four-day Tampere Jazz Happening. The 44th edition of this wonderful festival was the last one for which Juhamatti Kauppinen was responsible. After more than 20 years, the likeable Finn is handing over the reins of programme planning to Martyna van Nieuwland from Poland, a real networker who has lived in Finland for several years. In addition, the main venue, the former customs and warehouse building Tullikamari, was unavailable due to extensive renovation work. But the alternative main venue, the Paja Kongressi, also proved to be a charming, atmospheric and very good-sounding place for the concerts.
In any case, what happens on stage is what matters most. And on the first evening with a full programme there were two very different guitarists to listen to. While the British Rob Luft and his tightly knit quartet played sensitively balanced music, inspired by a long stay in Egypt during the coronavirus pandemic and organically combining different influences, the American Mary Halvorson and her Amaryllis Sextet later demonstrated why she is currently probably the most original guitarist in jazz. Her avant-garde-free-funk sextet plays with odd time signatures and quirky, playful accents, grooving along and treating the audience to beguiling solos, such as those by trumpeter Adam O’Farrill and vibraphonist Patricia Brennan. The bandleader herself often presented herself as a team-oriented ensemble member, but surprised the audience with unusual sounds and effects on her guitar, also when she took centre stage in the musical action between catchiness and adventure. And to place Daniel Erdmann’s Organic Soulfood between these two string artists – a perfect choice. The German saxophonist’s new trio with French organist Antonin Rayon and British drummer Jim Hart goes back to the roots of jazz and played a joyful soul jazz.
As every year, the festival surprised audiences with extraordinary artists. These certainly included the new Japanese-French trio Ukiyoto, based in France, who transported listeners into wonderfully improvised, sometimes rock-like, film score-like soundscapes. Yuki Oshima on vocals and drums, Kazuhisa Uchihashi on electric guitar and saxophone, and electric bassist Olivier Lété created extraordinary soundscapes with lots of bowing and electronics that were both strange and appealing. Atmospherically played listening adventures. Later there was plenty to see with the exuberant Tomoki Sanders, son of saxophone legend Pharoah Sanders. With flowers in his hair and his gayness on full display on stage, the early thirties musician is a real bird of paradise who plays the saxophone intensely and, together with his quartet, knew how to entertain well between groove and spiritual jazz. But you have to like his slightly over-the-top musical entertainment on stage. And the reminiscence of his famous father at the end with his legendary song ‘The Creator Has a Masterplan’, sung a little off-key in Tomoki Sanders style, was maybe not to everyone’s satisfaction.
Conny Bauer | Photo by Maarit Kytöharju.
A trio consisting of US drummer Hamid Drake, Finnish guitarist Kalle Kalima and German trombonist Conny Bauer celebrated its world premiere. Three free-spirited improvisers of the highest calibre, who gave a glimpse in Tampere during their hour-long set of what this collaboration could achieve if it were to become a permanent formation. The quartet of soprano saxophonist Émile Parisien, on the other hand, has been around for over 20 years. And it is still a great pleasure to listen to the four Frenchmen. Hardly anyone plays the soprano sax as versatile as Parisien. And it is simply wonderful to experience how he and his band vibrate energetically, but without ever overdoing it, instead building detailed atmospheric soundscapes.
Émile Parisien | Photo by Maarit Kytöharju.
And then there were always Finnish bands playing at the Telakka restaurant and event venue as part of the festival, usually a bit overlapping the main programme. So you had to decide: pop over and have a listen, or wait for the next band at the main venue? In the case of Helmi Antila and her quartet, the detour to Telakka was well worth it, as the young pianist and singer, who released her fine, soulful jazz debut album ‘Kuvia nuoruudesta’ this year, showed that Finnish jazz has a lot of interesting things to offer. The same was true of the very last concert of this year’s festival, given by Tampere-born, Helsinki-based guitarist Lauri Kallio with his quintet featuring a harpist and sweeping, cinematic, genre-crossing music that tells imaginary stories. Incidentally, the prestigious Yrjö Award from the Finnish Jazz Federation was presented to singer Aili Ikonen during this year’s festival.
Last modified: November 5, 2025
