Ilkka Arola Sound Tagine Embarks on a Jazz Federation Tour with Their New Album
Blending jazz, Middle Eastern music, and global folk traditions, Ilkka Arola Sound Tagine will tour Finland in April as part of the Jazz Federation circuit. The band’s fourth album, Adventures in the Now, promises vibrant expression and colorful soundscapes and will be released just in time for the tour.
lkka Arola Sound Tagine will release their fourth album, Adventures in the Now (Flame Jazz Records), in spring 2025. For this new music, bandleader and trumpeter Ilkka Arola has drawn inspiration from the psychedelic ethno-jazz fusion of the 1970s and Turkish disco from the same era. Arola has long dreamed of creating a funk-driven album with the Sound Tagine ensemble, and the time has finally come. The new material bursts with energy, sweat-inducing rhythms, and richly hued sonic landscapes.
While Adventures in the Now invites listeners to the dance floor, it also delves deeper. The album’s themes explore the intensity of presence, the liberating power of letting go, the diversity of life, and the experience of time. The theme of presence isn’t limited to song titles: in the studio, the band’s goal was to capture the energy of live performance, even embracing “risky situations”. As a result, the album was recorded mostly live in just 1–3 takes per track, with the entire band playing together simultaneously. Audiences can expect this same spontaneity and joy of performance at the album release concerts!
Ilkka Arola Sound Tagine
Ilkka Arola – trumpet, bouzouki, synthesizer, vocals
Topi Korhonen – electric guitar, oud, vocals
Esko Grundström – electric bass, synthesizer, vocals
Juuso Hannukainen – acoustic and electronic percussion
Okko Saastamoinen – drums
Concert Venues and Dates
Tue 8.4. at 19.00 Lahti, Teerenpeli / Lahti Jazz ry
Wed 9.4. Jyväskylä, Poppari / Jazz Jkl
Thu 10.4. at 19.00 Savonlinna, Kulttuurikellari / Olavin Jazz ry
Fri 11.4. Raahe / Rajatsi ry
Sat 12.4. Espoo, Tapiolan Klubi
Detailed concert information will be updated here at the beginning of 2025.
Jazz – heard and seen!
Finnish Jazz Federation’s essential form of operation is national touring. The annual touring activities enable approximately 100 concerts in 40 different locations all over Finland. The concerts mainly take place in their member organizations. Tours include both in-house productions and collaborations with external producers.
Photo: Aleks Talve