Jazz-Espa 29.7.–8.3.2024
The annual Jazz-Espa festival will again be held in Helsinki’s Esplanade Park from July 29 to August 3, 2024. During the week, the free concerts will feature a diverse lineup of jazz bands, including Selma Savolainen Horror Vacui, Juho Valjakka Trio, Freezer, Kadi Vija Key Project, Sanna Ruohoniemi, Emmi U. Trio, and Janne Huttunen Quintet.
Organized for the 25th time by the Finnish Jazz Federation, the Jazz-Espa concert series will once again bring the most current sounds of contemporary jazz to the Espa stage. In the heart of Helsinki, easily accessible to all city residents, the summer of 2024 will feature many young jazz newcomers and vocal jazz talents. The anniversary year is also highlighted by interesting discussion sessions and an after-party club organized in collaboration with the restaurant Grotesk.
Jazz-Espa concerts are held on weekdays at 4:00 PM and 5:30 PM. On Saturday, August 3rd, there are two concerts for the whole family. First, at 2:00 PM, Screaming Jay & The Bones, known for their engaging performances suitable even for the youngest jazz enthusiasts, will take the stage. Then, at 3:30 PM, the children’s band Megasakki, which combines jazz and soul in a delightful way and has been awarded an Emma, will perform. All concerts at the Espa stage are free, open to all ages, and accessible to everyone.
On Monday, the opening day of Jazz-Espa, will present last year’s Jazz Emma Award winner Selma Savolainen Horror Vacui, and the 2022 Emma nominee Juho Valjakka Trio. The jazz week continues on Tuesday with the Kadi Vija Key Project, known for its vocal improvisation, and the swinging jazz quartet Freezer, which combines wind instruments and synthesizers and was also an Emma nominee last year. On Wednesday, legends Pepa Päivinen and Jorma Tapio will join forces with cellist Juho Kanervo in the new chamber music-like ensemble PUHTI Trio. In the evening, Sanna Ruohoniemi, a jazz singer from Stockholm, will blend groove and bebop with folk and tango with her band. On Thursday, composer-pianist-vocalist Emmi Uimonen’s Emmi U. Trio will combine Nordic jazz, Finnish psychedelic folk, and Brazilian rhythm music, while in the evening, the Janne Huttunen Quintet, made up of long-time top jazz musicians, will take the audience into the world of cinematic jazz. Friday will feature the band led by Joonatan Henriksson, who was awarded the Finnish Jazz Federation’s new Taimi Award in 2023, given to a young, promising jazz musician. On Friday evening, Sigurdur Rögnvaldsson’s Lúna will electrify the stage atmosphere. Guitarist Sigurdur Rögnvaldsson’s band combines melodic jazz with 70s rock sounds.
The event is organized in cooperation with the Savoy Theatre, which manages the Espan stage. Other supporters of the event: Helsinki Cultural Centre, Restaurant Kappeli, Sibelius Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki, Concert Centre Finland, Pop & Jazz Conservatory, and Grotesk Helsinki.
JAZZ-ESPA 2024
Mon 29 July
3.00 pm Panel Discussion: Jazz in Finland Now and in the Future – A Talk on Jazz on the Eve of the Jazz in Finland 100th Anniversary Year
4.00 pm Juho Valjakka Trio
5.30 pm Selma Savolainen Horror Vacui
Tue 30 July
4.00 pm Kadi Vija Key Project
5.30 pm Freezer
Wed 31 July
4.00 pm Sanna Ruohoniemi
5.30 pm PUHTI Trio
Thu 1 August
4.00 pm Emmi U. Trio
5.30 pm Janne Huttunen Quintet
8.00 pm – 1.30 am Restaurant Grotesk, Ludviginkatu 10, Helsinki: Grotesk Live X Jazz-Espa: DJ A. Myllykoski, VJ Random Doctors, VIRTA (tickets 11.50 € from Tiketti)
Fri 2 August
2.30 pm SARV X Jazz-Espa Discussion Event: Where is Music Journalism Headed?
4.00 pm Joonatan Henriksson Quintet
5.30 pm Sigurdur Rögnvaldsson Lúna
Sat 3 August
2.00 pm Screaming Jay & The Bones
15.30 pm Megasakki
Photo: Jori Huhtala