WeeGee Live: April Jazz Club: Vespera Quartet

Vespera Quartet’s music speaks to the listener interested in either jazz, chamber music or more recent concert music. The group performs cinematic crossover music which combines the best aspects of classical music and jazz music. The quartet is a unique ensemble that relies heavily on improvisation in its expression, and its adaptations are light and playful.

The band compiled by Trumpetist Martti Vesala in 2023 was born from Vesala’s need to challenge himself as a composer: Firstly, he should not be previously familiar with the instrumentation. Secondly, the assembly should be at most a quartet and must not contain a drum set. Thirdly, it should be able to perform both with amplification and fully acoustically.

The end result was a new unique quartet performing original music. This quartet is much more than the sum of its parts.

In Vespera Quartet’s performances, you can hear the joy of playing together, virtuosic instrumentalism and a lingering atmosphere. The cello and trumpet melodies come together seamlessly. In the band, the expressive possibilities of the vibraphone, which delivers the role of a percussion instrument, include a range of countless nuances as the contrabass lays a solid foundation for the combination. The elements create a living space in which the sparkling blend of sounds moves freely.

The quartet consists of the most interesting Finnish musicians in the field of jazz and improvised music today:

Martti Vesala is a multi-skilled talent of Finnish jazz. For more than 10 years, he has led the acclaimed Soundpost Quintet signed by the German label Ozella music. The quintet has published 3 albums and played in Finland and abroad. He is in high demand as a trumpetist, performing, for example, as part of Njet Njet 9 and as a freelancer for the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra.

Cellist Aino Juutilainen is known for her AINON group, whose debut album ‘Drought’ (We Jazz Records 2020) has received much praise both abroad and in Finland. In addition to her own band, Juutilainen also plays in Quartet Ajaton and in Mikko Sarvanne Garden. Juutilainen has crafted a career in inter-art projects in which she combines her roles as performer and sound designer.

Double bassist Joonas Tuuri is well-known in the field of Finnish jazz music. He plays in the bands Olli Soikkeli Quartet, New 4, Brazilian Aeroplane, The Watercolors, Arto Ikävalko Trio, JAF Trio, and more. He also leads his own band Joonas Tuuri Quartet, whose 2022 debut album “Dimensions” has become a great success in streaming services.

Vibraphonist Mikko Antila is one of the busiest and most popular musicians of his generation. He leads the Maan Tila quintet and regularly performs with, for example, Kaisa’s Machine, The Stance Brothers and Mikko Innasen Uusi Kvintetti.