The winter concert season of Jazzkaar – Winter Jazz brings joy to the listeners from 10th February to 12th March, 2017 with 14 concerts in Tallinn, Viljandi, Tartu, Otepää and Haapsalu.
The season will start on 10th of February in Theatre NO99 Jazz Club with the sizzling jazz group Equally Stupid (Finland-Iceland-Switzerland). The trios’ energetic live performance praised by critics, offers a melodic creation spiced with rich rhythm patterns which will captivate the audience.
The versatile singer Helin-Mari Arder has invited singer-composer-guitar player Andy Fite from USA to share the stage with. The duo fantasizes and improvises with the vocals for their own and the audiences’ delight. With a fresh repertoire for the concert, the two musicians with completely different characters complement each other marvellously. The duo will take the stage for 4 concerts from 16th to 19th of February in Otepää, Haapsalu, Tallinn and Viljandi.
Duo Rhizottome, performing on 3rd and 4th of March in Tallinn, Philly Joe’s Jazz Club, and Estonian Traditional Music Centre in Viljandi, will enrich the Winter Jazz program with new music from France. The expressive dialogues of Armelle Dousset’s and Matthieu Metzger’s accordion and saxophone stretch from harmonious dialogues to bold colliding shapes.
On 25th of February, we will celebrate the 70th birthday of composer, guitarist and producer Ryo Kawasaki. The Japanese musician performing in Kumu auditorium has recorded and toured with many top musicians of the world while being one of the key promoters of fusion since the late 60s. In 2016 he formed a new musical group with Estonian musicians – Level 8 – whose album will be released prior to Kawasaki’s anniversary. The name of the band symbolises the musician’s eight creative career phases in Japan, USA and Estonia. Brazilian singer Denise Fontoura will contribute to the concert as a special guest. The concert takes place in cooperation with the Estonian Jazz Union.
Singer Ragga Gröndal and guitarist Guðmundur Pétursson will take the audience to the enchanting Iceland, where traditional folklore meets fresh musical atmosphere. The singer, recognised at the Icelandic Music Awards four times will play on the soul strings of the listeners with her traditional expressive songs of women’s fate in the island country of Iceland. The magical duo will perform from 1st to 5th of March in Tartu, Haapsalu, Tallinn and Viljandi.
The Winter Jazz will end with a tribute concert to Valter Ojakäär on 8th of March in Viljandi and 12th of March in Tallinn, Kumu auditorium. In 2013, two saxophone players Valter Ojakäär and Raivo Tafenau picked the repertoire for the composer’s 90th birthday concert together. Maestro, who listened to the concert praised the soulful performance of Liisi Koikson and the fresh takes by Raivo Tafenau. 4 years later, prior to the anniversary of maestros’ birth, the musicians join once again together with Silver Laas to perform his everlasting music.
The gold sponsor of Jazzkaar is Danske Bank whose clients enjoy 20% discount on tickets. The main sponsors of the season are KAFO, Jazz Pesulad and Eesti Päevaleht and the accommodation partner My City Hotel. The sponsors of the year are United Motors, Tallink and Aktaprint. The Winter Jazz concert season is supported by Kultuurikapital, Ministry of Culture, City of Tallinn, Iceland Music Export and Institut Français. The partners of the concerts are Estonian Jazz Union and agency Vapaat Äänet.
Winter Jazz tickets are now available at Piletilevi sales points and online www.piletilevi.ee. Jazzkaar ticket information on 666 0030 or piletid@jazzkaar.ee.