"He's a master of all the reeds."
- Jazz Weekly
- Jazz Weekly
IN THE NEWS TODAY
NEWS // JAN 21st, 2025
NEW YEAR, NEW THEATRICAL LIFE! The best 2025 to you! Time passes and this website doesn't get updated very often but here goes. This spring, I'm mostly to be seen on theatre stage. Which is nice. Even more in rehearsal spaces, or at my workspace, trying to come up with suitable music. And ah, I loves it. Firstly, Balladi työstä - esitys merkityksellisydestä. This translates poorly, but it's a perfomance about work, performed by former and soon-to-be former prisoners. Porttiteatteri (Gate Theatre) is the group, Tuija Minkkinen the director, Hanna-Kaisa Tiainen the playwright and Sanna Salmenkallio the composer. Only a few performances within a very limited timeline, so make sure to be quick if you want to get tickets, it's pretty much sold out. For a reason. More info: https://www.kokoteatteri.fi/ohjelmisto/porttiteatteri-balladi Then, UKK continues with ten more shows at Kapsakki Theatre. We've been received super well and I recommend this highly to anyone. You can read the reviews HERE but I'll just quote Tuomas Rantanen from Voima Magazine here, since it's pretty much how I see it as well. In Finnish, sorry, but so is the play. “Kähkösen terävä teksti, Mäkelän dynaaminen ohjaus! UKK käy pikakurssista poliittiseen aikaan, jossa tunnelmat tähän päivään nähden ovat kuin suoraan Liisa Ihmemaassa -klassikosta. Esitys ei silti rienaa ihmisiä, vaan patsaita – ja tekee sen pitäen katseen tarkasti yliaikaisessa kysymyksessä siitä, mitä lopulta ovat poliittinen valta ja demokratia.” Thirdly, I'll be performing AND working as a composer in a play by the magnificent, dynamic Hanna Suutela & Tiina Puumalainen duo again this spring. It's called Kaarlo Bergbomin kootut kärsimykset and it will be premiered April 2nd at Finnish National Theatre. More info HERE. So, see you at theatre, mostly! And when not at rehearsals or stage, I'll be working on the new Ismo Alanko album with the band I've been lucky to be part of for oh gosh 11 years now. We'll be touring next summer too, dates to be confirmed soon. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * |
ABOUT MEJoakim Berghäll
I'm a freelancer musician, composer, arranger, sometimes educator, living and working on an island in Helsinki. I began studying music at the age of three and ever since I've been intrigued by all kinds of instruments and everything that makes a sound. My main instrument is the baritone saxophone, but in different bands and projects I also do play all other saxophones, cello, various kinds of percussion, drums, electric and double bass, guitar and some other stringed instruments, piano, keyboards, bass clarinet, clarinet and a bunch of different flutes. Improvising music in a small ensemble is my main object of affection, but there's so much more out there that interests me, and I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to make a living playing in various settings from free jazz to folk, from Beijing Opera to psychedelic punk. As long as there's something special to it and people are leaving everything onstage, I really don't care which genre is it categorized under. I'm a cargo-bike-riding vegan stunningly aware of all the details in current NHL statistics. If you want to make me happy, all it really takes is a cup of good coffee. (photo: Dorit Salutskij) |