Thurs. 3.Oktober

21:00 Edward Vesala Sound & Fury


Jouni Kannisto: saxophone, flute, Jorma Tapio: saxophone, bass clarinet, flute, Pepa Päivinen: saxophone, flute, Matti Riikonen: trumpet, Iro Haarla: keyboards, harp, Jimi Sumén: guitar, Edward Vesala: drums, percussion

It may be true that Finland is not normally associated with jazz; nevertheless it can attest to an interesting and well-documented jazz history. The word "jazz" was first used there in the 1920s, namely as a catchword for that period's whole modern/cosmopolitan way of life. Musically, all forms of dance music in which drums played a part were grouped under the term "jazz", to the extent that jazz became nearly a synonym for percussion. As of 1934, Finland had its own jazz magazine, RYTMI. Originally conceived as a type of propaganda outlet for musicians, it gained importance through organizing band contests, which gave winners a chance to produce a record with their label. After World War II, musicians such as Louis Armstrong and various representatives of bebop came to Finland to participate in Norman Grantz's series, Jazz At The Philharmonics. In the 60s, big names such as Monk, Miles, Ellington, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Coltrane and Coleman appeared there, leaving a lasting impact on the domestic music scene. 1966 marked the establishment of the Pori Jazz Festival (today a festival that attracts audiences of around 60,000). From this time on, public money was also devoted to jazz. Finnish groups have received international recognition through their participation in numerous festivals: in particular, the 1971 performance of the Tuohi Quartet in Montreux (with Edward Vesala manning the drums). The UMO Jazz Orchestra, established in 1975, counts as one of Europe's leading big bands.

In Europe, Edward Vesala is the most-well-known Finnish musician, primarily due to his work with Norway's Jan Garbarek, the banner musician of the Scandinavian jazz scene. In 1974, together with Polish trumpeter Thomas Stanko, he formed the Stanko/Vesala Quartet, which gained recognition through its extended tours and for albums such as "Balladyna" and "Almost Green". As a composer, Vesala developed his own harmonic concept, in which melody figures as the most important element. "Even when I play a very complex solo, I think melodically", he has said. In the 1980s, after some experiments with large formations, most notable for their unusual instrumentation (i.e. three tubas), Vesala gave a boost to his solo career. Sound & Fury, which took shape in the mid-80s through increased educational activity and workshops, and is not a "band' in the normal sense of the word, but is rather more of a "musical family". The recording containing "Ode To The Death Of Jazz" and, above all, "Lumi" (made with ECM) won international acclaim. The English magazine "The Wire" even singled this out as one of the most important records of the decade. In the manner of Krakatau, Edward Vesala is coming to us as another exponent of a scene which astounds due to its unbelievable energy... Enough to make our venerable establishment tremble. CH


24:00 PianoNightLine Albin Janoska Trio

Admission: ATS 180.-
PORGY & BESS, SPIEGELGASSE 2, 1010 WIEN, TEL: 512 84 38