Raahen Rantajatsit 2010

Yesterday visited Raahe, a town approx. 70kms south from Oulu and famous for its huge steel factories. However the agenda was not related to steel but jazz, as annual small scale jazz event was organized this weekend and visited to see some acts with few friends. The weather for the whole day was rainy and you could easily notice this in the amount of visitors. I guess this year the event is not making such a god profit.

First visited Raahes old movie theater to see really legendary and now re-united finnish jazz act Sound and Fury, which was made famous by the late Edward Vesala. They played some really complex progressive jazz and they played loud ;) Their set had some really difficult and rhytmically strong moments and they sounded really much of the band in its glory days even without their leader Vesala.

Next the main event had some smaller bands at the outer beach stage, Jo Buddy playing the blues, then a nice skandic combination Elephantree with very talented and beautiful lead singer (bought their record too ;). Then was the time for the evenings "main event" Rudresh Mahanthappa. Regardless of their reputation did not fully like their set as even it was technically with very high standards, the actual meat was not there in their guitar and saxophone lead jazz.

Luckily the last performer finnish Tuomo, a Helsinki based soul/grooveband raised above the standards with their warm and exiting perofrmance and thus gave the audience what they wanted. Quite surprising really that this kind of high quality soul singer is coming from Finland..

Arrived back home after 3AM so long day and now quite tired. Also spending now the last day of my summer holiday and tomorrow back to the office. Blaah.