Veikka Kajamies Trio | Heli Hartikainen | Olli Soikkeli Django Trio – Jazz-Espa

Thursday at Jazz-Espa showcases the latest trends in Finnish jazz with performances by the Veikka Kajamies Trio, Heli Hartikainen, and the Olli Soikkeli Django Trio.

13:30 Veikka Kajamies Trio
16:00 Heli Hartikainen
17:15 Olli Soikkeli Django Trio

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The trio of Turku-based drummer Veikka Kajamies, recipient of the Finnish Jazz Federation’s 2025 Taimi Award for young talent, draws from the tradition of swinging improvisation while looking firmly toward the future. Their spontaneously bold and seamlessly intertwined interplay comes to the fore, captivating the audience with original compositions painted with a broad brush and carefully selected covers.

Having begun their musical journey together in the Sibelius Academy’s youth program in 2019, this energetic trio features Kajamies alongside fellow Taimi Award-winning pianist-clarinetist Joonatan Henriksson and bassist Otso Huhtala, known for his work with the UMO.

Joonatan Henriksson – piano & clarinet
Otso Huhtala – bass
Veikka Kajamies – drums

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In the music of saxophonist, composer and sound artist Heli Hartikainen, experimental sonic textures and hypnotically transforming soundfields come out to play. Hartikainen’s debut solo album, CHRONOVARIATIONS, which utilizes 3D audio technology, was awarded the Kritiikin Kannukset (Spurs of Criticism) prize in 2025 for the year’s most significant artistic breakthrough and was nominated for an Emma Award for Best Jazz Album of 2024.

On their new album, Interbody (2026), Hartikainen utilizes active sampler software developed for them and customized in collaboration with sound engineer Kaj Mäki-Ullakko. The polyphonic sampler is controlled by Hartikainen’s tenor saxophone; its operating principle is characterized by a certain randomness, allowing improvisation and algorithmic chance to weave into an organic dialogue between a human and a machine.

Heli Hartikainen – tenor saxophone and live electronics

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Olli Soikkeli has risen to become one of the most respected jazz manouche guitarists in the world. Having lived in New York for over ten years, Soikkeli has performed alongside the genre’s international stars at jazz clubs and festivals throughout Europe and the United States.

Now, he appears in Finland with his new Django Trio, in which Soikkeli is accompanied by guitarist Brad Brose and bassist Joonas Tuuri. The Jazz-Espa performance is part of the Finnish record release tour for Soikkeli’s recent album Comeback.

Olli Soikkeli – guitar
Brad Brose – guitar
Joonas Tuuri – double bass

Jazz-Espa, organized by the Finnish Jazz Federation, presents the most current domestic jazz ensembles from July 27 to August 1, 2026, at the Espa Stage. The concerts are free of charge, accessible, and suitable for the whole family. Events are subject to weather conditions. Follow our updates at jazzespa.fi and on social media @suomenjazzliitto.