News
19.12.2021
New album Broken Dream to be released on April 1st, 2022
Kokko Quartet will release their third album titled Broken Dream in April 2022. The album will be released by the Finnish record label Eclipse Music. True to the style of Kokko Quartet, Broken Dream continues to cross boundaries between different music styles. The album highlights influences ranging from North and South India to Arabic and Ethiopian music. The songs are mainly composed by saxophone player Kaisa Siirala. In addition to the quartet's line-up with Kaisa Siirala on saxophones and bansuri flute, Johanna Pitkänen on piano, Timo Tuppurainen on bass and Risto Takala on drums, the album features guest artists Ilkka Arola on trumpet and flugelhorn, Lotta Heiskanen on violin, Ali Haithem on oud and Ricardo Padilla on percussion.
30.8.2018
Videos from our concert at Jazz-Espa Festival with trumpet player Ilkka Arola
In their latest project “Ornamented” Kokko Quartet joins forces with trumpet player Ilkka Arola. Arola’s special Quartertone trumpet and flugelhorn allow him to play Arabic maqams and other microtonal music. Kokko Quartet performed together with Arola at the Jazz-Espa Festival in Helsinki in August 2018. You can see video clips from the concert here: Videos
20.10.2017
Videos from our concert at Eclipse Jazz Club in Tampere & a new project with trumpet player Ilkka Arola
Kokko Quartet did a concert recently in Tampere. The concert was organized by Tapio Ylinen/Eclipse Jazz Club and Tampere Jazz Happening. You can see some video clips here: Videos
There is a new project planned for spring 2018. The project, titled "Ornamented", will feature Kokko Quartet and Finnish trumpet player Ilkka Arola. Arola plays a special Quartertone trumpet and flugelhorn, which allow him to play microtones typical to Arabic music. His background is in jazz music but he draws inspiration from all kinds of music styles, like the Arabic maqam tradition and Indian rhythms. Stay tuned for new updates about the project!
30.5.2016
New album Orient Express out on August 19th
Kokko Quartet's second album Orient Express will be released on August 19th, 2016 on Eclipse Music. The album carries on from the road paved by their first album Like A River (2013) - the sound of the Scandinavian jazz landscape combined elegantly with global ingredients. With a diverse range of musical influences and instruments, Orient Express tells many stories from the past and present reaching out to the orient. It also dives deep into the legends and myths of the Finnish national epic Kalevala as the band’s name Kokko suggests. Closing your eyes you will find yourself in a world where camels amble through the desert yet suddenly the orient express honks its two-voiced horn in the dark tropical night. You can also hear the Kalevala characters ’smith’ Ilmarinen hammering and ’water spirit’ Vellamo working on her magic – just like in mythical times.
The album is available in the online store: Eclipse Music Official Store
Check the dates of the album release tour here: Upcoming concerts
14.12.2015
Australian tour highlights
Kokko Quartet performed at the following venues in December 2015: Bennets Lane Jazz Club (Melbourne), Castlemaine Old Gaol, Brisbane Jazz Club, Canberra Embassy of Finland, Sydney Foundry616 Jazz Club, Paris Cat Jazz Club (Melbourne.) After a succesfull tour it's time to have a look at some of the best moments: Tour in Australia
24.10.2015
Tour in Australia
Kokko Quartet will perform at various clubs in Australia during December 2015. The tour is organized in collaboration with Australia Northern Europe Liaisons, founded by Henk van Leeuwen. Mr. van Leeuwen discovered Kokko Quartet in Helsinki in October 2014 at the Jazz Finland Festival music export event. For more info about the tour, please go to: Upcoming concerts
17.6.2015
Concert updates and new videos
This summer Kokko Quartet will perform for the first time at Jazz-Espa festival in Helsinki. For the concert on August 4 we will be joined by percussion player Ricardo Padilla. The concert starts at 17.30 in Esplanadi park right in the center of the city. Later in September Ricardo will join us for concerts for children at Malmitalo, Helsinki. Have a look also at some new videos recorded this year in April in Helsinki: Videos
23.3.2015
Live studio recording and trip to Jazzahead!
This spring is filled with activities: On April 1st we're doing a live studio recording with previously unpublished material, stay tuned! Following that, our saxophone player Kaisa is heading to Bremen, Germany, to represent the band at the annual Jazzahead! exhibition, held from 23rd to 26st of April. In May, Kokko Quartet will experience a totally new audience, with concerts at schools in the Helsinki region.
New album Broken Dream to be released on April 1st, 2022
Kokko Quartet will release their third album titled Broken Dream in April 2022. The album will be released by the Finnish record label Eclipse Music. True to the style of Kokko Quartet, Broken Dream continues to cross boundaries between different music styles. The album highlights influences ranging from North and South India to Arabic and Ethiopian music. The songs are mainly composed by saxophone player Kaisa Siirala. In addition to the quartet's line-up with Kaisa Siirala on saxophones and bansuri flute, Johanna Pitkänen on piano, Timo Tuppurainen on bass and Risto Takala on drums, the album features guest artists Ilkka Arola on trumpet and flugelhorn, Lotta Heiskanen on violin, Ali Haithem on oud and Ricardo Padilla on percussion.
30.8.2018
Videos from our concert at Jazz-Espa Festival with trumpet player Ilkka Arola
In their latest project “Ornamented” Kokko Quartet joins forces with trumpet player Ilkka Arola. Arola’s special Quartertone trumpet and flugelhorn allow him to play Arabic maqams and other microtonal music. Kokko Quartet performed together with Arola at the Jazz-Espa Festival in Helsinki in August 2018. You can see video clips from the concert here: Videos
20.10.2017
Videos from our concert at Eclipse Jazz Club in Tampere & a new project with trumpet player Ilkka Arola
Kokko Quartet did a concert recently in Tampere. The concert was organized by Tapio Ylinen/Eclipse Jazz Club and Tampere Jazz Happening. You can see some video clips here: Videos
There is a new project planned for spring 2018. The project, titled "Ornamented", will feature Kokko Quartet and Finnish trumpet player Ilkka Arola. Arola plays a special Quartertone trumpet and flugelhorn, which allow him to play microtones typical to Arabic music. His background is in jazz music but he draws inspiration from all kinds of music styles, like the Arabic maqam tradition and Indian rhythms. Stay tuned for new updates about the project!
30.5.2016
New album Orient Express out on August 19th
Kokko Quartet's second album Orient Express will be released on August 19th, 2016 on Eclipse Music. The album carries on from the road paved by their first album Like A River (2013) - the sound of the Scandinavian jazz landscape combined elegantly with global ingredients. With a diverse range of musical influences and instruments, Orient Express tells many stories from the past and present reaching out to the orient. It also dives deep into the legends and myths of the Finnish national epic Kalevala as the band’s name Kokko suggests. Closing your eyes you will find yourself in a world where camels amble through the desert yet suddenly the orient express honks its two-voiced horn in the dark tropical night. You can also hear the Kalevala characters ’smith’ Ilmarinen hammering and ’water spirit’ Vellamo working on her magic – just like in mythical times.
The album is available in the online store: Eclipse Music Official Store
Check the dates of the album release tour here: Upcoming concerts
14.12.2015
Australian tour highlights
Kokko Quartet performed at the following venues in December 2015: Bennets Lane Jazz Club (Melbourne), Castlemaine Old Gaol, Brisbane Jazz Club, Canberra Embassy of Finland, Sydney Foundry616 Jazz Club, Paris Cat Jazz Club (Melbourne.) After a succesfull tour it's time to have a look at some of the best moments: Tour in Australia
24.10.2015
Tour in Australia
Kokko Quartet will perform at various clubs in Australia during December 2015. The tour is organized in collaboration with Australia Northern Europe Liaisons, founded by Henk van Leeuwen. Mr. van Leeuwen discovered Kokko Quartet in Helsinki in October 2014 at the Jazz Finland Festival music export event. For more info about the tour, please go to: Upcoming concerts
17.6.2015
Concert updates and new videos
This summer Kokko Quartet will perform for the first time at Jazz-Espa festival in Helsinki. For the concert on August 4 we will be joined by percussion player Ricardo Padilla. The concert starts at 17.30 in Esplanadi park right in the center of the city. Later in September Ricardo will join us for concerts for children at Malmitalo, Helsinki. Have a look also at some new videos recorded this year in April in Helsinki: Videos
23.3.2015
Live studio recording and trip to Jazzahead!
This spring is filled with activities: On April 1st we're doing a live studio recording with previously unpublished material, stay tuned! Following that, our saxophone player Kaisa is heading to Bremen, Germany, to represent the band at the annual Jazzahead! exhibition, held from 23rd to 26st of April. In May, Kokko Quartet will experience a totally new audience, with concerts at schools in the Helsinki region.