Are you home, Sweden? It’s your neighbor knocking here!

The Finnish singer, pianist and composer Maja Mannila participates in the Nordic Jazz Comets Swedish edition with her trio. The Swedish-speaking artist shares her thoughts on the upcoming event together with her organization rep, Raisa Siivola from the Finnish Jazz Federation. Siivola has been working on a climate road map for touring in Finland, and points out some tips and ideas for Nordic touring too.

Finland’s Maja Mannila is a brilliant young artist, who knows the Finnish club and festival scene like the back of her hand. Touring with her own, soul-influenced trio, and the energetic Peela sextet, Mannila has become the ”next big thing*, according to the Finnish concert reviews and audiences. Mannila grew up in a family of musicians, and has a steady grip of musicianship. At the same time she points out the importance of freedom and fun when it comes to creating and playing music. The combination of talent, dedication and joyful expression took Mannila to tour Central Europe alongside pianist Iiro Rantala’s Flock in 2021–22. 

Mannila’s solo debut Up & Down was released in June 2022. In the NJC showcase she plays with their trio with drummer Severi Sorjonen and bassist Johannes Granroth, who are both rising stars in the Finnish jazz scene. The latter is better known as a guitar player, who leads the Peela sextet, which Sorjonen and Mannila complete. In Sweden the trio weaves jazz into a tapestry of r'n'b, soul and gospel. 
  – I’m so excited! It’s amazing to get to know new musicians and meet other professionals. That is usually how new ideas come up: when people get together and share their experiences, says Mannila, and adds what makes her even happier about the event taking place in Sweden: 
  – I get to speak my native language Swedish there!

Dagsverke in Stockholm

The 2022–2023 edition of the Nordic Jazz Comets showcase and networking event goes under the project title Dagsverke, which is a very Nordic way of sharing the workload in jobs that need to get done. It’s like the English word ‘bee’, which means coming together and working for free, until the job is done, but dagsverke means chipping in and volunteering for a short period of time, at a task that sometimes may take a lifetime to accomplish. 

In addition to the concert and networking events, all the five Nordic Jazz Comets bands spend a ”dagsverke” day in Stockholm’s main jazz hub Fasching, where they are introduced to a range of socio-cultural and environmental initiatives, that use music as means to make the world a better place. 

NJC 2022 took Adele Sauros to a Swedish club tour

In February 2022, Nordic Jazz Comets Dagsverke took place in Copenhagen. The participants were divided into groups, who took workshops with representatives from local community projects where music is used as a tool to advance social equality and human wellbeing. Adele Sauros, the leader of the Finnish NJC band in 2022, reported after the event, that she feels that the jazz musicians should develop ways to give something back to the community and environment in also other ways than teaching: 
  – The foundation of art is of course freedom, and the equal opportunities to live and to express themselves. Alongside freedom, comes the responsibility to take care of our planet, which provides life for all of us, said saxophonist Sauros in 2022. 

As a result of the Copenhagen performance, Adele Sauros Quartet was invited to tour South-Western Sweden already in October 2022. On their tour the quartet was impressed by the equipment of even the smaller clubs and performance spaces, and the loyalty and support that the audiences showed to their local venues. To play successfully abroad as a band that is yet not so established, you need to have a supportive community on the organizers’ side. 

Visit thy neighbor who welcomes you

May 2023 takes the NJC event to Stockholm and Gävle, so the Finnish-Swedish connection might even grow stronger. This year’s front-woman, Maja Mannila is eager to visit the neighbor, and especially the legendary Fasching club in the heart of Stockholm. 
  – I haven’t had the chance to visit many of the Swedish clubs, but I have heard so many positive things about Fasching. It’s an honor to be able to spend the dagsverke day there, and to learn about so many interesting projects, rejoices Mannila. 

Mannila is familiar to bigger stages, like Fasching, but enjoys the intimate club settings even more. She feels that participating in community-building projects could bring new audiences to jazz, in addition to the obvious sustainability and well-being goals:  
  – Of course it’s a thrill to perform to a standing crowd, like when we warmed up for the Swedish Dirty Loops at Helsinki’s Korjaamo club. But to me, the most rewarding gigs are the small venues with engaged audiences. To me, personally, it’s important to be able to speak to young people, because they are the key to change. One way to make the connection is through my music, and by making everyone feel uniquely and equally appreciated at the concert, Mannila explains. 
  – I’m a woman in music, and to me it’s important also to help create safer spaces for marginalized artists. Diversity in style, education, ethnicity, gender, physical or mental ability and social status should become the new norm in jazz. Everyone who enters the world of music, as a professional or listener, should feel safe and welcome, states Mannila. 
  – It would be inspiring to bring home contacts from Swedish clubs and Nordic musicians, who’d like to work around those goals, and maybe even make something concrete happen in the near future. A dream of the far future for me would be to work with such artists as Salem Al Fakir from Sweden, or Ingrid Jasmin from Norway.    

During the dagsverke day at Fasching, on May 11, the group of five bands and guests will discuss supporting the Ukrainian refugees with the Musikcentrum Öst staff, who run a project called “Asylum Residency”; talk about taking environmental action with activist-artist Svante Söderqvist; and participate in the JazzDanmark-led collegial project called “Nordic Musicians Relay”. The stakeholders of the projects are invited to the showcase on the following day in Gävle. 

Showcase in Gävle Konserthus

A 2-hour busride takes the whole big bunch from Stockholm to Gävle on the following morning. The five-band showcase takes place at the Gävle Concert Hall on May 12, 2023, during the Svensk Jazz (Swedish jazz association’s) general assembly event Jazzfesten, so the audience boasts with Swedish musicians, club and festival professionals. Also the Nordic network of jazz professionals join the NJC activities. 

The aim of the showcase and networking events is to present new Nordic music to the programmers, and to build touring networks in the Nordic region. This year, the representatives from the Finnish Jazz Federation are especially looking for partnerships who would be interested in piloting collaboration between jazz clubs and festivals up North, in Lapland, which borders all three countries: Finland, Sweden and Norway. 

Building better Nordic tours

The previous NJC project in 2020–2021, In The Key Of Green, studied the climate effects of Nordic touring. The key findings were, that the carbon footprint of the travels of five tours alone was 18,6 tons of CO2 equivalents, and that covered nearly 35 % of the annual, total emissions of the Finnish Jazz Federation, who coordinated the Nordic touring project. In 2022, the Finnish NJC representative, Adele Sauros Quartet was invited to tour South-Western Sweden. The quartet flew to Denmark from their homes in Finland and Switzerland, and took the train to reach their local touring destination. Sauros and their fellow band members felt that the week-long tour with short distances to travel was a good alternative to the traditional way of flying to one-off international gigs, or driving hundreds of kilometers to the next venue, like we tend to do in the long countries, such as Finland or Sweden. Still, there’s the problem with having to fly or take the ferry from and to Finland. The band stated that although public transportation was used between the venues, they still needed to rely on taxis and diesel vans, due to rail work and other limitations, and the emission calculations showed also that the positive impacts of low-carbon traveling were overshadowed by the flight emissions. 

The conclusion is, that if you don’t travel to Sweden through Lapland in far North, or take the long Eastern route through hostile Russia, you can’t avoid the emissions of flying or taking the ferry to reach the other Nordic countries. Finnish Jazz Federation’s producer and eco-coordinator Raisa Siivola says that they already have positive experiences in organizing a train & electric car tours in Lapland. 
  – The charging network in Western Finnish Lapland near the Swedish border is comprehensive, and you can easily rent an electric vehicle from Rovaniemi, which isn’t even the northernmost of the train stations. That is a cool way to start a tour: first a goodnight sleep on their way from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, and then off you go, with 90 % less emissions than by driving our diesel tour bus. And if the backline needs are met at the venues, I don’t see a problem with this becoming mainstream regarding all touring. And of course I’m looking at this from the Helsinki-centric point of view – we should bear in mind, that there are so many wonderful jazz acts who already reside in Lapland!, reminds Siivola.   

Small steps and human interest

During 2022, Siivola’s home organization, Finnish Jazz Federation, piloted more sustainable jazz touring, and in June 2023, they are releasing a roadmap to carbon-neutral touring, as part of the whole Finnish live music sector’s climate action plan. Siivola sees that cutting emission doesn’t – and shouldn’t – mean cutting shows, but rather planning smarter. In producing jazz tours that extend outside their native Finland, Siivola urges to think about the social impacts as well:      
  – Unless we find collaborative ways to organize jazz tours in and through Lapland, or make jet/ship fuel 100 % renewable, the most sustainable thing to do is to take a propeller plane across the Baltic Sea, travel on land between the venues, and try to make as many climate-friendly decisions and as much positive social impact you possibly can while on tour. Take a longer touring period, and get to know the local actors. Volunteer in local charities or collect funds to a local project by throwing a concert. You’ll make name for yourself and your music too. The small steps in climate action might be eating locally-produced, vegan food, traveling light and having the venues fix the backline and sound system locally, traveling by train or renting an electric car – or biking if you can. You may use residential housing platforms for accommodation, ask the venues to switch to renewable energy and to provide their audiences with information of public transportation. And carry your water bottle and coffee mug with you: water on tap is the best in the world in the Nordics!

Nordic Jazz Comets Dagsverke, May 11–12, 2023

May 11, 2023: Seminar Day @ Fasching, Stockholm:

Asylum residency – Musikcentrum Öst 
Ragnar Berthling, head of operations Musikcentrum Öst
Kim Vestin, project manager Musikcentrum Öst
Iana Kovalova, singer and songwriter 

Sustainable touring as a jazz group – challenging but rewarding 
Svante Söderqvist – double bass player, cellist and composer

Nordic Musicians Relay 
Camilla Juul Kjærgaard, JazzDanmark 

May 12, 2023: Showcase @ Gävle Konserthus:

ALAWARI (DEN)

Fanny Gunnarsson Quartet (SWE)

Mona Krogstad Quartet (NOR)

Magnús Jóhann (ICE)

Maja Mannila (FIN)

Svensk Jazz Welcomes The Comets For A Day At Fasching And Night in Gävle

The 2023 edition of the Nordic Jazz Comets showcase and networking event goes under the project title Dagsverke, which is a very Nordic way of sharing the workload in jobs that need to get done. It’s like the English word ‘bee’, which means coming together and working for free, until the job is done, but dagsverke means chipping in and volunteering for a short period of time, at a task that sometimes may take a lifetime to accomplish.

In addition to the concert and networking events, all the five Nordic Jazz Comets bands spend a ”dagsverke” day in Stockholm’s main jazz hub Fasching, where they are introduced to a range of socio-cultural and environmental initiatives, that use music as means to make the world a better place.

The group will discuss supporting the Ukrainian refugees with the Musikcentrum Öst staff, who run a project called “Asylum Residency”; talk about taking environmental action with activist-artist Svante Söderqvist; and participate in the JazzDanmark-led collegial community project called “Nordic Musicians Relay”. The stakeholders of the projects are invited to the showcase on the following day in Gävle.

The five-band showcase takes place in the city of Gävle, during the Svensk Jazz (Swedish jazz association’s) general assembly event Jazzfesten, so the audience boasts with Swedish musicians, club and festival professionals. The Nordic promoter network is also invited to enjoy the show, and to set the 2023 comets ablaze on their stages next year!

May 12, 2023
Showcase at Gävle Concert Hall, Gävle

ALAWARI (DEN)
Read more…

Fanny Gunnarsson Quartet (SWE)
Read more…

Mona Krogstad Quartet (NOR)
Read more…

Magnús Jóhann (ICE)
Read more…

Maja Mannila (FIN)
Read more…

Gävle Concert Hall website: https://www.gavlekonserthus.se/

Svensk Jazz website: https://svenskjazz.se/

Further inquiries:

Lisa Löfgren
Producer at Svensk Jazz
lisa@svenskjazz.se

Bands For The 2023 Edition Selected!

The five Nordic Jazz Comets bands of 2023 get to visit the springy Stockholm and Gävle on May 11–12, and meet some of Sweden’s most influential jazz professionals at the Jazzfesten event. Jazzfesten is the annual industry event for Swedish jazz and Svensk Jazz organizational members.

The bands spend one “dagsverke” day in Stockholm, meeting people who work in the social justice, welfare and community projects. The on the following day, the groups travel to Gävle, to present their music to the promoters of the Nordic Jazz Network and the Swedish participants.

The open band call in September 2022 produced 69 applications across all the Nordic countries. The national jazz organization juries and the Nordic Jazz Network selected the following ensembles to take part in the 2023 edition of the Comets. You’ll find more information about the bands by clicking the link after the band name. The link takes you to the band introductions on this website.

ALAWARI (DEN)
Read more…

Fanny Gunnarsson Quartet (SWE)
Read more…

Magnús Jóhann (ICE)
Read more…

Maja Mannila (FIN)
Read more…

Mona Krogstad Quartet (NOR)
Read more…

More info of the programme to be announced in early 2023!

Further inquiries of the 2023 event may be addressed to:

Lisa Löfgren
Producer at Svensk Jazz
lisa@svenskjazz.se

Finnish Adele Sauros Quartet takes home inspiration and a tour proposal from the Copenhagen Dagsverke

The first event of the Dagsverke project brought a group of promoters and musicians to Copenhagen to attend concerts and workshops between 9-11 February 2022. Five Nordic ensembles performed for a full house at Copenhagen’s Jazzhus Montmartre. Finland was represented at the event by the Adele Sauros Quartet.

As part of the event program, the participants learned about local community projects where music is used as a tool to advance social equality and human wellbeing. The members of the Adele Sauros Quartet and other Finnish event attendees got to know the organisation AntiDote, as well as participating in workshop activities led by Improv for Asylum Kids. AntiDote focuses on reducing drug user mortality rates through establishing supervised injection sites and educating the public about the use of naloxone spray in reversing opioid overdoses. AntiDote has been considering the benefits of bringing music to the injection sites and offering low-key concerts at the heaviest drug use areas. Workshops offered by Improv for Asylum Kids use improvisation as a tool to strengthen asylum seekers’ self-esteem as active learners and doers. A group of professional musicians have been working together to create physical movement methods and inclusive notation programs to help overcome the lack of a common language and the challenges rising from cultural sensitivities in communications.

The frontwoman of Adele Sauros Quartet, saxophonist, composer, Master of Arts, Adele Sauros, was touched by the workshops, and wishes to be able to deliver the message to the future generations too:
– In school concerts, or as a teacher, many of the jazz musicians have witnessed the enthusiasm of a child approaching a weird-looking instrument. It would be awesome if this zest and courage would continue with jazz throughout one’s life, she hopes.

Sauros feels that the professional jazz musicians should develop ways to share their expertize in other ways than teaching too. Art itself is one of the most important values in Sauros’ life, but she is eager to explore the applications it can be used in:
– The foundation of art is of course freedom, and the equal opportunities to live and to express themselves. Alongside freedom, comes the responsibility to take care of our planet, which provides life for all of us.

Alongside AntiDote and Improv For Asylum Kids, the participants visited three more projects in Copenhagen: the Nødhjælpsorkesteret, a group of well-known rockers, jazzers and rappers, who are in stand-by to come together and raise money for victims of natural catastrophes, war or other humanitarian emergencies, ImprovisationCamp and JazzCamp For Girls, that strive to improve low self esteem and challenge the societal idea of gender roles within the music industry by using jazz improvisation as a teaching method. The UK has adopted the concept, as well as Sweden, Norway, Finland and Poland who hosted their first JazzCamp for Girls in 2022.

Adele Sauros Quartet to tour Sweden sustainably in October

Learning wasn’t the only thing that Adele Sauros Quartet took home from Copenhagen. As a result of their beautiful showcase and a great deal of networking, the ensemble goes on a five-concert tour in the neighboring country later this year. The tour is a great example of tying together the different aspects of the NJC concept.

“In The Key Of Green”, the previous Nordic Jazz Comets project in 2020–2021, studied environmentally sustainable practices in Nordic touring. The best solutions will be taken on the road, as Adele Sauros tours Sweden in October 2022. The tour is a collaboration between Jazz Finland and the Swedish Knutpunkt cluster of clubs, which is also a member of the NJC promoter network. The carbon footprint of the tour will be measured, as a part of Jazz Finland’s sustainability projects.

Sauros’ band wasn’t the only one to get booked by the network of programmers. The Danish trio Little North was booked for Trondheim Jazz Fest in Norway, and in exchange, the Norwegian five-piece JUNO was invited to tour Denmark.

Who’ll take the jackpot at the Stockholm event?

The next Dagsverke event will take place in Sweden’s Stockholm and Gävle in 10-13 May 2023 as part of the Annual General Assembly for Svensk Jazz. Ensembles and invited guests will again spend the first day participating in workshops, followed by performing for industry professionals and local audiences on day two.

Applications for Nordic bands to attend the next Nordic Jazz Comets Dagsverke event will open in September 2022. The ensembles will be selected by a network of Nordic promoters.

New Nordic Jazz Comets hit Copenhagen in February

The Nordic showcase, Nordic Jazz Comets, is coming to Copenhagen, where five selected bands are playing at Jazzhus Montmartre on February 10, during this year's winter jazz festival in the city.

Nordic Jazz Comets has existed for more than 20 years. First as a music competition, and since 2021 as a showcase as part of different festivals around Europe and the Nordic countries such as Scope Festival in Berlin, EFG London Jazz Festival and Tampere Jazz Happening. Now the time has finally come for Nordic Jazz Comets to visit Denmark and Winter Jazz 2022, where the showcase can be enjoyed at Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen.

Showcasing the next generation of Nordic jazz

The purpose of the showcase is to direct the spotlight towards some of the most talented upcoming Nordic bands, while also being an opportunity for both audience and industry to experience the Nordic talents. The five bands have been selected by a network consisting of 22 Nordic festivals, venues and bookers that was established in 2020 by the organizations behind Nordic Jazz Comets.

February 10, 2022, at 7.00 pm, Jazzhus Montmartre
19.00-19.30 Little North (DEN)
19.45-20.15 William Soovik Grand Finale (SWE)
20.30-21.00 Tendra (ICE)
21.15-21.45 Adele Sauros Quartet (FIN)
22.00-22.30 JUNO (NOR)

Nordic Jazz Comets Dagsverke – off-stage program

Part of the program for the participating bands will consist of more than the above mentioned showcase. Besides meeting with a variety of Nordic industry people, the five bands are also introduced to a range of initiatives, with the purpose of inspiring the musicians to work with their music on a sociocultural level. The Nordic Jazz Comets will meet representatives from AntiDote, The Emergency Relief Orchestra, Impro for Asylum Kids and ImproCamp.

The bands for the Nordic Jazz Comets Dagsverke project in 2022 selected!

The Nordic jazz promotor network received an impressive total of 88 applications for the 2022 edition of the NJC project.

The network chose the following ensembles to represent their respective countries in the NJC event in Copenhagen’s Club Montmartre on the 9–10 of February 2022:  

Little North (DEN)

Lasse Jacobsen – drums, Martin Brunbjerg Rasmussen – double bass, Benjamin Nørholm Jacobsen – piano
Website

Adele Sauros Quartet (FIN)

Adele Sauros – tenor saxophone, Toomas Keski-Säntti/Juho Valjakka – piano, Vesa Ojaniemi – double bass, Tuomas Timonen – drums
Website

Tendra (ICE)

Marína Ósk - vocals, Mikael Máni - guitar, Ingibjörg Elsa Turchi/Andri Ólafsson - electric bass, Steingrímur Teague – keys, vocals, Svanhildur Lóa Bergsveinsdóttir - drums 
Website

JUNO (NOR)

Thea Ellingsen Grant - vocals, Malin Dahl Ødegård - vocals, Mona Krogstad - saxophone, Georgia Wartel Collins - double bass, Ingvald Vassbø - drums
Website

William Soovik Grand Finale (SWE)

William Soovik - drums, Signe Lykkebo Dahlgren (DEN) - tenor sax, Malin Wättring - tenor sax, Joel Fabiansson - guitar, Viktor Reuter - double bass
Website

NJC 2020–2021 Report Out Now!

Our little project report-slash-casebook-slash-introduction to the NORDIC approach on environmental sustainability and jazz touring is now released! It is in no means perfect, and data gets old as soon as it’s released, but here it is, we’re proud of it and hope it’s useful in your future projects too.

First and foremost we, as the five national jazz organizations, would like to thank the whole project team of 19 promoters – jazz clubs, festivals and venues – and the five bands who participated in the NJC In The Key Of Green in 2020–2021. Secondly, we wouldn’t have been able to make this happen, especially during the challenging pandemic times, without the financial support from the Nordisk Kulturfond. So thank you very very much!

View and download report here: link to Dropbox.

The report is divided into four sections:

Pages 1–8 cover general introductions to sustainable development in the Nordic region. This section you might want to read through when you’re planning (inter-)Nordic projects.

Pages 9–13 focus on starting your journey into sustainable development. This section you might want to flick through for inspiration and practical steps in the planning stage.

Pages 14–21 present you the tours that the five bands and the network of promoters planned together for September 2021. The bands each had a tour “theme” that they paid attention to before and while on tour, and the concert organizers looked at their individual productions from the climate perspective. The tour dates and routes were planned together. So this section provides you some examples of Nordic tours, and practical tips and tricks for agents/bands and promoters.

In the final pages we wrap up the project and its findings.

Much of these findings we take with us to the next edition of Nordic Jazz Comets, that takes place in 2022–2023. We hope that you share your findings and feedback about this report and/or project to raisa.siivola@jazzfinland.fi, so we can all benefit from each others’ knowledge and experiences!

Sincerely,

FIH Music School Iceland, Norsk jazzforum, Jazz Danmark, Jazz Finland, Svensk Jazz.

Support sustainable live jazz and find your new favorite band!

In September, the Nordic Jazz Comets project sends five jazz bands on tours in 20 venues across the five Nordic states, to see the road life and live productions from the environmental perspective. This is the first time that the jazz musicians and concert organizers work together in building a more sustainable tour culture in the Nordic region. Show support for your local jazz clubs, festivals and artists: buy your tickets to the Nordic Jazz Comets shows near you, follow the tours at www.nordicjazzcomets.com and take part in the discussion online with hashtags #nordicjazzcomets and #inthekeyofgreen.

The Nordic Jazz Comets is a long-running co-operation concept by the five Nordic jazz organizations, FÌH Music School in Reykjavik, Jazz Danmark, Jazz Finland, Norsk jazzforum and Svensk Jazz. The 2020–2021 edition,“In The Key Of Green” project studies ecologically sustainable practices and possibilities in live jazz productions in the Nordic countries. The project is managed and co-funded by the five Nordic jazz organizations, and the main funder is Nordic Culture Fund.

The participants of the project are 14 established jazz clubs and festivals and five up-and-coming jazz groups from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. In the course of the two years, the project has brought the participants together in three workshops which were led by sustainability specialists. As a result of the workshops, the participants have planned together the five tours and the 20 concert events that will take place in September 2021. The carbon footprint of the tours has been reduced to a minimum, and travel emissions are calculated and compensated.

On the road, each band will create a tour diary from a specific point of view. You can follow their journey, ask questions or participate in discussion on their selected social media channels with hashtags #nordicjazzcomets and #inthekeyofgreen or with the band’s own campaign hashtag. The entries and selected commentaries and online discussions will also be posted daily on the band’s subpage.

In the spring of 2022 the project will release a guide and casebook for sustainable jazz concerts and touring in the Nordic region.

NJC Bands On Tour In September!

The five Nordic Jazz Comets ensembles go on Nordic tours to study the best practices and challenges of sustainable touring and concert production. Obviously, the biggest challenge in touring and event production right now is the 4th wave of the covid-19 pandemic, which has been washing over the Nordics too during the past two months. Health and safety first, the Nordic Jazz Network proudly presents the following concerts that are produced under careful measures to ensure a safe live jazz experience!

The links open in the same window and lead you to the venue websites or ticketing services.

Post-sun-vision (SWE)

NEW! Fri 3.9. Skurup, Skurups Folkhögskola. More info…
Wed 8.9. Oslo, Nasjonal Jazzscen Victoria. More info…
Thu 9.9. Bergen, Stereo. More info…
Sat 11.9. Trondheim, Antikvariatet. More info…
NEW! Fri 30.9. Palladium Malmö – Official ‘Once a honey’ Record Release! More info…

Kjetil Mulelid Trio (NOR)

Tue 21.9. Copenhagen, Jazzhus Montmartre. More info…
Wed 22.9. Eskilstuna, Contrast
Thu 23.9. Mariefred, Multeum Strängnäs. More info…
Fri 24.9. Salo, SaloJazz Festival, Bio Jännä. More info…
Sat 25.9. Porvoo, Porvoo Jazz Festival, Vanha 123. More info…
Wed 29.9. Halmstad, Halmstad Jazz Club. More info…
Thu 30.9. Gothenburg, Nefertiti. More info…

Kadi Vija Key Project (FIN)

Sat 4.9. Reykjavik, Reykjavik Jazz Festival, Harpa. More info…
Mon 6.9. Örebro, Kulturkvarteret Akustik. More info…
Tue 7.9. Stockholm, Fasching. More info…
Wed 8.9. Oslo, Nasjonal Jazzscen Victoria. More info…
Wed 22.9. Tampere, G Livelab Tampere. More info…

Svaneborg Kardyb (DEN)

Sat 4.9. Reykjavik, Reykjavik Jazz Festival, Harpa. More info…
Tue 7.9. Stockholm, Fasching. More info…
Wed 8.9. Halmstad, Nissanscenen, Halmstad bibliotek. More info…
Thu 9.9. Partille, Partille Kulturum. More info…

Ingibjörg Turchi Band (ICE)

Sat 18.9. Turku, Flame Jazz Cruise. More info…
Mon 20.9. Mariehamn, Ålandica
Wed 22.9. Tampere, G Livelab Tampere. More info…
Thu 23.9. April Jazz Club, WeeGee, Espoo (TBC)

Some of the concerts/venues are still to be confirmed (TBC), and the programme may be subject to change due to the pandemic restrictions.

First draft of the jazz promoter guidebook released

The network of Nordic festival and club programmers, national jazz organizations and musicians assembled for an online workshop on the 19th of March, 2021, to learn more about sustainability actions in touring and events.

The first draft of the event organizers’ handbook in environmentally sustainable concerts in the Nordic region was released, and already in the workshop the booklet was introduced a nice chunk of improvements!

Here you can find the first release (opens in Dropbox):

In The Key Of Green – Production Handbook, Draft 1

And here you can see the latest notes and additions (opens in Dropbox):

In The Key Of Green – Handbook With Notes, Draft 2

The guidebook is used to test the best practices in concert production in September, when the five Nordic jazz bands tour the five countries. The tours are to be released in late June.

NETWORK OF MUSICIANS, PROGRAMMERS AND ORGANIZATIONS ASSEMBLE FOR THE SECOND SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOP

The first workshop of the Nordic Jazz Comets project took place online in December 2020. The facilitators from the consult office Positive Impact Ltd. bathed the working group in the sea of vocabulary and concepts of environmental sustainability.

In the next online workshop on March 19, 2021, it’s time to roll up the sleeves: the network of organizations, promoters and bands will plan sustainable measures to realize five Nordic jazz tours in September 2021 – in the hopes of the pandemic allowing touring!

The first draft of the Nordic jazz production guide will be reviewed at the workshop, but while we wait for the release of it, take a look at the latest projects going on in the field of sustainable development and music in the Nordics:

Norway’s Green Roadmap for Arts and Culture (pdf in Norwegian): https://www.xn--grntveikart-hgb.no/media/2250737/groentveikart_interaktiv.pdf

Finland’s KEMUT project for more sustainable music industry (blog post on Jazz Finland website in English/Finnish): http://jazzfinland.fi/news/live-music-for-a-living-planet

NORDIC JAZZ COMETS SHOWCASE CONCERTS AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE

Due to the cancellation of the We Jazz 2020 festival, the Nordic Jazz Comets showcase was streamed on We Jazz YouTube channel on Wednesday, December 2. All the performances are now available on YouTube. On Thursday, December 3, the five bands and the Nordic promotor network participated in a webinar to discuss the climate effects of touring.

The annual Nordic Jazz Comets showcase, by the Nordic jazz federations, took place online this year. The stream was aired on Wednesday, the 2nd of December, live from G Livelab in Helsinki. The event on We Jazz YouTube channel gathered 624 viewers. The concert videos of Svaneborg Kardyb (DEN), Post-Sun-Vision (SWE), Ingibjörg Turchi Band (ICE), Kjetil Mulelid Trio (NOR) and Kadi Vija Key Project (FIN) are now available on YouTube.

Watch the Nordic Jazz Comets concerts on YouTube (the playlist will open on new window): https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgk8rR0xGw4REs9H64L9450V6fdp8utq8

On Thursday, December 3, the new Nordic promotor network, the bands and the national organizations assembled for a day-long webinar-workshop to learn and share best practices in environmentally sustainable events and touring.

The event was a co-production of the Nordic jazz associations (FIH Music School, JazzDanmark, Jazz Finland, Norsk Jazzforum, Svensk Jazz) and We Jazz 2020 Festival.

www.nordicjazzcomets.com

#nordicjazzcomets2020

#inthekeyofgreen

#wejazz2020

Nordic jazz bands and promotors play together in the Key of Green

The network of 14 Nordic jazz clubs and festivals, 5 jazz ensembles and 5 jazz organizations pull together to promote greener jazz touring and events. The bands are featured in a free stream of live concerts from five different cities on December 2. After the Wednesday’s Nordic Jazz Comets showcase, the bands and promotors assemble for an online workshop on Thursday the 3rd of December.

In the 2-year pilot project, funded by five national jazz organizations and the Nordic Culture Fund, the Nordic Jazz Comets bands meet the Nordic network of 14 jazz promotors, to work together in building more sustainable and vibrant Nordic jazz culture.

The network selected five bands out of 80 applicants to perform at the Nordic Jazz Comets showcase and to participate in the touring project. The five ensembles, Svaneborg Kardyb (DEN), Post-sun-vision (SWE), Ingibjörg Turchi Band (ICE), Kjetil Mulelid Trio (NOR) and Kadi Vija Key Project (FIN) will be presented in a live stream showcase on December 2, as part of the We Jazz 2020 festival. Each group will invite the audience to enjoy concerts from their home cities. The last act of the showcase, Kadi Vija Key Project, brings the Nordic music adventure back to Helsinki, as they will play live at We Jazz 2020 festival in G Livelab. The online event is hosted by Nordic jazz associations FIH Music School, JazzDanmark, Jazz Finland, Norsk Jazzforum and Svensk Jazz.

The network, bands and organizations assemble for a day-long webinar-workshop on December 3, to learn and share best practices in environmentally sustainable events and touring. The topics include the concrete sectors of consumption, like energy, transportation, materials, food, waste, offsets, but also the network focuses on transformative change in thinking and routines, partnerships and promotion. 

The key exercise is to work together and plan five pilot tours in the Nordic region in the fall of 2021. The workshop is facilitated by Positive Impact Ltd., who have consulted the project since its beginning, in January 2020.

Nordic Jazz Comets Showcase Stream

Wednesday, December 2 at 5.45–10.30pm
Free stream at https://www.youtube.com/user/wejazzhelsinki

• Svaneborg Kardyb (DEN)

• Post-sun-vision (SWE)

• Ingibjörg Turchi Band (ICE)

• Kjetil Mulelid Trio (NOR)

• Kadi Vija Key Project (FIN)

  + We Jazz 2020: Jukka Perko Presents (FIN)

NORDIC JAZZ COMETS BANDS RELEASED!

After three years, the Nordic Jazz Comets return to the Nordics! Save the date, as the showcase takes place at the We Jazz Festival at Helsinki’s G Livelab on December 2, 2020!

Eighty bands around the Nordics applied for the showcase through an open call. The new promotor network of 12 club and festival directors, have selected the following bands to perform in Helsinki, and to be considered for touring in the Nordic countries in 2021:

DENMARK: Svaneborg Kardyb

Nikolaj Svaneborg – Würlitzer, synthesizer, piano, Jonas Kardyb – drums, percussion

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FINLAND: Kadi Vija Key Project

Kadi Vija – vocals, Max Zenger – bass clarinet, Tuomo Dahlblom – guitar, Tuomas Timonen – drums

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SWEDEN: Post-sun-vision

Alice Hernqvist – piano, Aaron Mandelmann – bass, Mario Ochoa – drums

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NORWAY: Kjetil Mulelid Trio

Kjetil Mulelid – piano, Andreas Winther – drums, Bjørn Marius Hegge – double bass

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ICELAND: Ingibjörg Turchi Band

Ingibjörg Elsa Turchi – electric bass, Magnús Trygvason Eliassen – drums, Hróðmar Sigurðsson – guitar, Tumi Árnason – tenor saxophone, Magnús Jóhann Ragnarsson – piano, keyboards

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FIRST NETWORK ASSEMBLY IN HELSINKI 2020

FIRST WORKSHOP IN HELSINKI

The promotor network met the first time in Helsinki on January 27–28, 2020. Jazz club, festival and venue promotors and national jazz organizations from all the five Nordic countries took part in the discussion over quality management and the future and values of live jazz business.

The recurring topics were environmental, economical and social sustainability, change, ethics and diversity, following Beth Ponte’s Quality For Culture publication. The focus was this time in sustainable event planning and diversity on stage…

RETURN TO THE EJN’s GREEN MANIFESTO

Hand on heart, have we really engaged our strategies and our everyday work to what we pledged in Europe Jazz Network’s Green Manifesto (released already in 2015!)? What has changed in our thinking and practices since?

in Helsinki the Nordic promotor network discussed greener event production with Markus Nordenstreng from Green Production and Taina Ronkainen from BusinessOulu. In their meeting after the seminar, the network started laying out groundwork for adapting the EcoCompass event certification process…

NORDIC STEPS TO GENDER BALANCE IN JAZZ

In addition to the EJN’s Green Manifesto, the network membership committed to preach and practice the Europe Jazz Network Gender Balance Manifesto in 2018.

How can we move past the negative whining cycle of “the women drop out of professional jazz careers and therefor there are not enough popular/high-quality female/minority jazz artists in our country” –> “if we book an unknown/unqualified artists, the audience won’t show up and we lose money” –> “if we lose money or audience, we can’t book any more women or anyone else in that matter” –> “the women drop out of professional jazz careers and therefor there are no…