For the Romans, bathing was such an essential part of everyday life that they developed an entire culture around it. Two thousand years later, in a country they never bothered to conquer, Finnish sauna stands as a lasting remnant of the continuous bathing culture from ancient times. With all this in mind, it was time to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Tampere Jazz Happening (TJH). Following the retirement of Juhamatti Kauppinen last year, the programme was entrusted for the first time to Martyna van Nieuwland, the festival’s new artistic director.
In Finland, the British tradition of meeting in pubs on a Friday afternoon is replaced by a visit to an overcrowded public sauna, such as Kaupinojan Sauna, right by the lake. A rather pleasant way to prepare for a long evening of jazz, which began with the presentation of the Yrjö Award to multi-instrumentalist Pauli Lyytinen, who took to the stage alongside drummer Markku Ounaskari. This intense duo opened a long series of performances at the recently renovated Pakkahuone, the former customs house located close to Tampere railway station. For those eager to discover more Finnish talent, a short walk between the main concerts at Pakkahuone and the Telakka venue was all it took. There, three bands performed before a packed audience, including vocalist Anna Dantchev and her Dantchev Domain quartet. The traditional double bass, so often an essential companion for a vocalist, was replaced here by trombone and tuba, with drums completing this rather unusual instrumentation.
As Finns engaged in a sauna conversation, Goran and his fellow musicians from Cosmic Ear were engaged in a constant musical dialogue, with trumpet and double bass facing each other before eventually joining forces in unison. Despite occasional electronic sounds adding further colours to the musical palette, the spirit of jazz remained very much alive. The searing sound of saxophonist Mats Gustafsson contrasted with the more restrained tones of Christer Bothén’s bass clarinet. True multi-instrumentalists, these Don Cherry-inspired musicians moved effortlessly from bass clarinet to piano and from percussion to the six-string n’goni. Unfortunately, due to airline restrictions, the latter instrument had been left behind at the departure airport, forcing the festival organisers to find a rather miraculous solution to get a replacement n’goni onto the stage.
In the country of a thousand lakes, Aruán Ortiz’s new project, I’ve Known Rivers, might just as well have been called I’ve Known Lakes. The title refers not only to the 1920 poem by Langston Hughes but also to a project conceived in the 1980s by pianist Anthony Davis, flutist James Newton and cellist Abdul Wadud. Following a similar format, Aruán Ortiz assembled an outstanding trio with Laura Cocks and Jeremy Harman. Initially rather subdued, this chamber-like avant-garde ensemble gradually revealed its more powerful side, reminding us just how much force water can unleash. With Tammerkoski – the rapids that gave birth to Tampere and helped transform it into an industrial powerhouse and continue to generate electricity to this day – in mind, Ortiz’s project was indeed a perfect fit for the city.
A hundred years ago, a ship carrying a group of jazz musicians from New York docked in Helsinki. The onboard band began performing in the city, laying the foundations for Finnish jazz. Its centenary was celebrated on the Pakkahuone stage, where saxophonist Mikko Innanen brought together an octet of some of Finland’s finest musicians for the occasion. The result was impressive, with arrangements of Finnish jazz classics given a fresh dimension to mark the anniversary.
Over at Telakka, free jazz was in full force, with a duo performance by saxophonist Camila Nebbia and guitarist Jukka Kääriäinen immediately followed by guitarist Raoul Björkenheim and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love. Presenting their first duo album, Ping, the latter two musicians, who have known each other for more than 25 years, certainly got the audience sweating, almost as much as in a sauna. Back at Pakkahuone, a completely different atmosphere prevailed with Benjamin Herman and his Tokyo Sessions project. Having performed extensively in Japan, the Dutch alto saxophonist introduced us to his Japanese guest, tenor saxophonist Tomoaki Baba. The interplay between the two was phenomenal, while the rhythm section provided the perfect support throughout.
Among the festival’s highlights was Claude Tchamitchian, bringing along his very special instrument, inherited from Jean-François Jenny-Clarke. Following a series of solo concerts and masterclasses in the Baltic countries, the French bassist was delighted to return to Tampere, this time with his Poetic Power trio. Joined by drummer Eric Echampard and the versatile Christophe Monniot on saxophones, he delivered a particularly intense and powerful performance. Just before them, Beiggja opened Sunday’s programme. This almost entirely Norwegian quartet – the sole exception being Dutch saxophonist Kika Sprangers – invited us on a musical journey into the serenity of the fjords.
Although Finland has no fjords, its countless lakes offer their own kind of tranquillity. And for the lucky few who can afford a house by the water, the combination of sauna and winter swimming is a luxury that many city dwellers can only dream of. Perhaps some of them will find their way back to Tampere next year, when the Tampere Jazz Happening returns for its 46th edition.
Tampere Jazz Happening: 29 October-1 November, Tampere, Finland