New Jazz from Finland

Finnish jazz has gained recognition and fans around the world from the days of Edward Vesala, Heikki Sarmanto, Olli Ahvenlahti and Matti Oiling.

Building from that tradition, today’s Finnish jazz scene is more flourishing than ever. Ranging from Dalindèo’s groovy retro sounds to Oddarrang’s cinematic crossover, not to mention Espoo Big Band’s jazz-rock fusion, Kalle Kalima’s adventurous guitar tones and the melodic piano jazz of Aki Rissanen Trio.

Dip your toes into Music Finland’s frequently-updating playlist of the freshest Finnish jazz, available on Apple Music and Spotify. And scroll down for artist bios!


New Jazz from Finland on Apple Music
New Jazz from Finland on Spotify

Related Artists

Jonatan Snapir

Jonatan Snapir is a multidisciplinary artist whose latest album "Eberth", his first featuring compositions for guitar, will be released through Flame Jazz Records in November 2024. "Eberth" is centered around strong melodies, long narrative arcs, and the rich tonal colors of the electric guitar, oscillating between jazz, rock, and experimental textures. On the album and in concert, Snapir is joined by bassist Santeri Kettu and drummer Aapo Lankinen. They were a natural choice for Snapir as the album's rhythm section, as the duo has played together for a long time, and both their playing and musicality inspire Snapir.

Piip

Innovative eco-jazz band Piip combines jazz with the theme of nature conservation. Led by saxophonist and composer Laura Helander, Piip's instrumental music expresses sadness about the disappearing nature. Their music draws influences from Finnish prog, folk music, and sometimes even pop. The album's emotional undertones stem from Helander's climate anxiety as she watches a burning world. In addition to Helander, the band includes Mikko Antila, Tatu Back, and Benjamin Nylund, who convincingly bring their composer's compositions to life.

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Harri Kuusijärvi

Harri Kuusijärvi is one of the most distinctive figures in today's Finnish accordion music. Known for his open-minded projects that push the traditional boundaries of what the accordion can achieve as an instrument, Kuusijärvi approaches accordion music with an exceptionally broad perspective. His albums have been recognized across a wide spectrum of media, from classical to rock, and jazz to global. He has premiered contemporary works for the accordion and performed on international stages. He is also an active performer in various world music, jazz, and pop ensembles. In recent years, Kuusijärvi has focused on electroacoustic music and the development of a new, electronically augmented accordion.

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Viive

The music of Jyväskylä-based duo Viive (Riikka Suutarinen and Antti Niiranen) incorporates tones from contemporary and spiritual jazz as well as ambient, progressive rock, trip hop, indie and folk music. Their organic, mainly instrumental music is tied together by Suutarinen's Finnish spoken word verses and a cool, emotionally charged atmosphere. Viive released their debut album "Sen jälkeen kun" in late 2024.

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Ville-Veikko Airaniemi

Guitarist Ville-Veikko Airaniemi's solo debut "Calico" is a guitar-driven instrumental album that draws influences from ambient and post-rock, as well as jazz and folk. Inspired by musicians such as Nels Cline, Daniel Lanois, Julian Lage, and Bill Frisell, the songs are characterized by cinematic atmospheres and strong melodies. Ville-Veikko Airaniemi's broad musical interests have taken him to many different projects, with styles ranging from pop and rock to jazz, fusion, and world music.

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Aurora Hentunen

Aurora Hentunen’s music contains a lot of references from Northern Jazz and melodies from Scandinavian folk music. Her music has been described as very compositional and the band as distinctive, led by mature young musicians. The band is considered as one of the rising stars in the Northern Jazz scene.

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Wishamalii

Wishamalii consists of three adventurous musicians with very diverse cultural backgrounds: multi-award-winning Finnish composer and pianist Kari Ikonen, Palestinian-Jordanian singer, oud virtuoso, and composer Nemat Battah, and Ethiopian-born Abdissa "Mamba" Assefa, one of Finland's most prominent percussionists. On their debut album “Al-Bahr,” Wishamalii combine tradition with creativity through a selection of original melodies, specially written and arranged for the band, along with some Muwashahat. Ikonen has invented the 'Maqiano Microtuning System,' which enables him to play the Arabic harp Maqamat on the acoustic piano.

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D.O.P.A.

In D.O.P.A., Timo Kämäräinen is backed by brilliant improvisers, keyboardist Alexi Tuomarila and drummer Tuomas Timonen, a trio with a long history of playing together (with bassist Juho "Mane" Kanervo on the live band). The musicians are familiar from Finnish jazz circles, but in D.O.P.A., they dwell in a more electric and rocking setting, marked by a bubbling joy of playing together. On their debut album, "Vivid Dreams", you can hear tones of jazz, rock, prog, and even electro-pop. The album consists mostly of compositions by guitarist Timo Kämäräinen.

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Lampen

Lampen is Kalle Kalima and Tatu Rönkkö. Kalle plays guitar, Tatu plays percussions and sampler. Together they're Lampen, a duo making "post jazz" with a musical heart far beyond genre. Their music presents two artists who have a knack at making music which opens up with each listen, pulling you deeper and deeper. Meditative passages flow by slowly as in a peaceful river stream, erupting into full rapids of sound when the time is right. This is sonic rafting for the curious listener.

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Jukka Orma

Jukka Orma is a Helsinki-based guitarist and musician who began his career in the late 1970s. Orma's bands have included Hassisen kone, Sielun Veljet, Hurriganes, Piirpauke, Edward Vesala Sound & Fury, and ensembles with Rauli Badding Somerjoki, Jim Pembroke, M.A. Numminen, Otto Donner and Iiro Rantala, among others. His solo recordings include tango, jazz and rock albums. 2024's "Albert Ayler Reawakened" is a free jazz album recorded with Pepa Päivinen, Dimitri Grechi Espinoza, Ville Rauhala, and Simo Laihonen, in the spirit of avant-garde musician Albert Ayler.

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Janne Halonen

Guitarist/composer Janne Halonen is known as the founder of the Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble (Benin/Finland/Tanzania). On Halonen's first solo album "Music From The Zone", his music is guitar-driven jazz mixed with spices from West Africa and Latin America. On the album, he is backed by Maria Lamminen (bass), Jussi Miettola (drums) and Jari Kanninen (keyboards). The album is an artistic counterpoint to the large and arranged sound of Helsinki-Cotonou Ensemble; here the guitar and improvisation play a major role and the composition and arrangement work is sketchy and minimalist.

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Neff Irizarry

Composer, guitarist, author, and educator specializing in Latin and contemporary jazz, Neff Irizarry follows in the footsteps of Jim Hall, Pat Metheny, and Steve Khan. Irizarry's 2024 solo album “Cambio” (Change) features the guitar in a Latin jazz context without the piano. During his career, Neff has performed with Eddie Henderson, Jimmy Haslip, Lonnie Liston Smith, Victor Mendoza, Brian Melvin and Anders Bergcrantz, among others. With over 28 years of experience, Neff has lectured and performed at the Jazz Educator’s Network Conference USA and the University of London SOAS, among others, in Europe, Puerto Rico and Scandinavia. His literary works, "Contemporary Latin Jazz Guitar Vol. 1" (2021) and "Vol. 2: Solos" (2024), are the most comprehensive books on Latin jazz guitar.

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Matti Salo Quartet

Matti Salo is a composer, guitarist, sound designer and music teacher. He has composed and performed music from jazz to death metal. Matti Salo Quartet is his jazz quartet. They perform an eclectic fusion of free jazz, world music, ambient and rock with avantgarde influences.

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Sun Dog

"It’s All Happening" is the debut ep by jazz drummer Eeti Nieminen under his new solo moniker Sun Dog. Eeti is known for his contributions as a drummer in the Jimi Tenor Band, his collaboration with Laurell of the award-winning Dalindèo sextet, and a member of the jazz-trio Mopo. Sun Dog is Eeti’s solo venture into dance music in the form of soulful, upbeat house music with a virtuosic musicianship and a lot of jamming. "It’s All Happening" features Jimi Tenor on flute and contributions from various other guest musicians.

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AINON

AINON, formed in 2017 by cellist-composer Aino Juutilainen, is Helsinki-based ensemble, which draws influence from jazz and contemporary classical music.

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Mortality

Bringing together an all-star cast of musicians from the vibrant Helsinki jazz scene the Finnish jazz supergroup Mortality combines the conceptual aesthetic of progressive rock with the harmonic and tonal soundscapes of jazz and jazz improvisation.

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Hot Heros

Saxophonist Sami Sippola, bassist Ville Rauhala and drummer Janne Tuomi form the trio Hot Heros. The sound of Hot Heros is rooted in Finnish folk music and European free jazz tradition, as the band members have collaborated with musicians like Peter Brötzmann, John Zorn, Iro Haarla and Raoul Björkenheim. Hot Heros has been called a torchbearer for Finnish legends like Piirpauke and Edward Vesala.

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Superposition

Led by drummer Olavi Louhivuori, Superposition features Linda Fredriksson and Adele Sauros on saxes and Mikael Saastamoinen on bass. Louhivuori is known from his solo projects, his band Oddarrang, plus his work with the likes of Tomasz Stanko. Fredriksson is best known for their highly acclaimed solo album "Juniper", as well as jazz group Mopo. Mikael Saastamoinen is a multitalented musician/producer/composer whose works range from avant-garde/noise solo projects to Finnish jazz supergroup OK:KO. Sauros ranks among the most noteworthy new rising stars in the Finnish scene, leading the groups Adele Sauros Quartet, Katu Kaiku and JAF Trio.

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Kalle Kalima

Kalle Kalima’s music is mean, moody, magnificent, and is also adventurous and full of surprises. With his other experiments, such as Tenors of Kalma and Lampen he’s off exploring the badlands on the borders of rock, putting his hand on his heart to salute his Finnish homeland, and then inspiring jazz lawlessness in the band Kuu!

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Iiro Rantala

Iiro Rantala is one of Finland's best known jazz musicians internationally. When his Trio Töykeät was formed in 1988, Rantala concentrated on this group for 18 years. The trio were known for a unique combination of deep musicality and madcap humour, and played over 2,000 shows in forty-five countries. ECHO Jazz award winning Rantala has since then built a succesful solo career and released albums via ACT since 2009.

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Dalindèo

Dalindèo is a sextet founded in 2003 and led by composer and guitarist Valtteri Pöyhönen. The group’s unique sound consists of danceable rhythms, strong melodies and an emphasis on the craftsmanship of top musicians. They have blended contemporary jazz with Finnish Tango and northern schlager on "Slavic Souls" (2016) and acid jazz grooves with political themes on "Follow the Dar Money" (2020). Their newest opus, "Tropicalia Nordica" is a return to their "Kallio" (2013) roots, with its timeless, energetic, entertaining, and psychedelic "surf-iron jazz".

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Kolizio

KOLIZIO (Esperanto, collision) was born in 2017 from the simple desire of six Finnish brass players (Jukka Eskola, Pasi Pirinen, Antti Rissanen, Valtteri Malmivirta, Jukka Myllys, and Sérgio Carolino) to make music together. By colliding with their special expertise, these virtuosos of classical and jazz music strive to find a fresh and genre-free perspective on chamber music composed for brass instruments. KOLIZIO’s repertoire mainly consists of original compositions by the band’s founding member, tubist Petri Keskitalo, as well as inventive arrangements of classic tunes representing different genres. Just before the recording of their album in the spring 2023, Keskitalo passed away unexpectedly.

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Kama Kollektiv

Kama Kollektiv is an Amsterdam based group formed by Finnish-born vocalist/trumpeter Kirsi-Marja Harju. The band combines the elements of jazz, Nordic folk and indie with poetic lyrics. Kama Kollektiv released their first album “Koti” in 2019. The 2nd album “Toivo” (translates to Hope) released in 2021, strived to bring hope in the midst of pandemic and climate crisis. The 3rd one is named "As if I Lived A Different Life" and released in 2024.

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Olli Ahvenlahti

The legendary Finnish pianist/composer Olli Ahvenlahti has returned with his first new jazz work in decades! On his new album "Thinking, Whistling" Ahvenlahti teamed up with the Jaska Lukkarinen Trio, one of the most highly-regarded ensembles in Finnish jazz. From funk-influenced acoustic jazz to heartfelt ballads, the band are delightfully in a world of their own, drawing from Ahvenlahti's effortless pianism and the trios natural swing.

Verneri Pohjola

Trumpeter and composer Verneri Pohjola is acknowledged as a jazz star in the making. In June 2017 Pohjola released Pekka, an album that promises to be a defining moment in Finnish culture, reinterpreting the music of Verneri’s late father Pekka Pohjola, the internationally acclaimed and revered prog-rock bassist and composer, through the prism of his son’s unique vision. Pohjola's latest album is a co-operation together with French saxophonist Sylvain Rifflet, released in 2022.

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Njet Njet 9

Njet Njet 9 is a lively "mini big band" – namely a nine-piece – with a cheerful touch to making music. Their music has been called "rich in arrangement, painting vast musical landscapes that range from nostalgic to futuristic". As band leader Ville Kyttälä puts it "Njet Njet 9's music sounds like Zappa and Zawinul are playing tennis with Massive Attack at a Swedish summer cottage". Njet Njet 9 released their third album "III" in 2020 and is continuing their mission to open-mindedly mix genres and not take things too seriously. The line-up consists of Ville Kyttälä (keys), Martti Vesala (trumpet), Mikko Haanpää (trombone), Markus Pajakkala (sax), Ilmari Rönkä (sax), Pekka Seppänen (sax), Veikki Virkajärvi (guitar), Heikki Laine (bass) and Erik Fräki (drums).

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Peela

Peela is a jazz-fusion band based in Helsinki. Peela plays energetic music composed by guitarist Johannes Granroth. The band is led by guitarist & composer Johannes Granroth who also writes most of their material. Peela brings influences from jazz, funkrock, pop and neo-soul to a foundation for the musicians to play and improvise with. Peela's music instrumental based, but often features the virtuosic singing of Maja Mannila as well. The band's debut album "Layers" was released in 2018.

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Joonas Haavisto

Joonas Haavisto, one of the most talented Finnish jazz pianists of his generation, released his solo debut "Blue Waterds" in 2010 and his 2nd solo piano album "Offshore" in 2019. “Micro to Macro”, the debut album of his namesake jazz trio came out in 2013, and was followed by"Oku" in 2016.

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Frank Carlberg

Finnish pianist-composer Frank Carlberg has been active in the New York scene for a long time. As band leader, Carlberg's projects include Frank Carlberg's Word Circus, Tivoli Trio and Frank Carlberg Large Ensemble. In addition, Carlberg has collaborated with e.g. With Steve Lacy, Bob Brookmeyer, Kenny Wheeler and Roswell Rudd. He has composed commissioned pieces for big bands, small ensembles, orchestras and modern dance groups. In addition to playing and composing, Carlberg works as a professor at the New England Conservatory. Carlberg is a founding member of the Douglass Street Music Collective and the founder and executive director of the Red Piano Records label.

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The Watercolors

Formed in 2018, The Watercolors is a 7-member jazz ensemble led by oboist Janne Saarinen, interpreting his compositions. With a unique lineup featuring oboe, violin, viola, cello, vibraphone, double bass, and drums, the band creates melodic "jazz watercolors" that blend spontaneous jazz improvisation, rich harmonies, and swinging rhythms with the colorful timbres familiar from classical music as well as influences from Finnish folk music . The Watercolors' musicians are known from groups such as Sointi Jazz Orchestra, Joonas Tuuri Quartet, and Alder Ego.

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