"He's a master of all the reeds."
- Jazz Weekly

IN THE NEWS TODAY

NEWS  //  SEPTEMBER 9th, 2026

TOURING - AND RELEASING RECORDS

I'm writing this page update on a train to Seinäjoki, as we're touring with Adele Sauros, and the French-Norwegian band T.I.M.

Vapaat äänet, the touring agency of Charles Gil, is turning 30 years young, and we get to celebrate it around Finland in great company. The work of Charles deserves a big CHAPEAU!, as he's built an institution of his Vapaat äänet concept, bringing countless French bands to Finland, and sometimes vice versa. Personally, seeing musicians like Marc Ducret in small Finnish venues was a huge thing in my growing up as a musician. So it's a great pleasure to be on tour celebrating something that has such a high personal importance level. The remaining gigs can be found on the LIVE page.

After this tour, I'll be hopping in another van together with the artist Irina, and Niko Kumpuvaara. We will be on the road with an acoustic concept until the end of October. I'll be playing the drums, guitar, wind instruments, and cello. And then, for something completely different, a performance for 1-year-olds! At Amos Rex museum we will have about 24 performances for humans born in 2025, together with Iina Kotola, Jasmin Afaneh and my bandmate since 1986, Jussi Nikula. (BTW That means 40 years of playing together with Jussi - expect us to hold an anniversary party at some point of the autumn!)

So a lot of playing to follow. 60 gigs in ten weeks. Phew. Nice!

BUT THAT'S NOT IT since there are two albums going to be released in just a bit!

SOLO Coltrane will come out on the 23rd of September, featuring six original compositions by John Coltrane, one by Alice Coltrane, and an Afro-Brazilian folk song J. Coltrane released as "Ogunde". It's me with just one horn at the time, and besides vinyl, it will flow right into your favourite streaming service in two weeks from now. So make sure not to miss it!

My new trio with Adele Sauros and Iro Haarla will release their debut album on December 8th. "Phloetry" features eight compositions of mine - and my role in the band is to play the cello. Inspite having played the cello since the fall of 1983, I've never released or even played on a record as mainly the cellist. So as you might guess, it's pretty exciting! But like the great Finnish hockey player Jesse Puljujärvi has said: IS IT TIME!

 "Phloetry" will be available as CD, perhaps vinyl too some day, if we manage to generate a need for that. And of course, digitally too, BandCamp, but also your usual go-to platform.

Good times!


MAKING RECORDS (Marc 31st, 2026)

This spring we're mostly touring with Ismo Alanko - which is nice! Ok, ok, much more than nice, to be fair. It has felt great from note one. The group has been together for 13 years (I've been a part of it for 12,5 yrs now) and that means - besides of course MAGICAL interplay - that it's become a pack of good friends super fun to hang with.

We're touring on weekends, so on weekdays I have lots of time to make records! I've discovered that records actually like to be made. So I might as well make a bunch of them. Expect a ton of releases between September 2026 and let's say December 2027. What this really means is that I have to practice and prepare like never before, learning repertoire that feels way too difficult at first and takes a lot of time to wrestle with. Woodshedding, that is.

So this spring you'll be finding me either at gigs or at the isolated booth. Happy places.


SOUND ART, VIDEO and INSTALLATIONS (August 20th, 2025)

Between August 26th and September 7th 2025, our three-person collective Berghäll-Berghäll-Siekkinen had a multidisciplinary, site-specific art exhibition in the old prison cells of Suomenlinna, normally closed to the public.

The exhibition featured six sound art works of mine (all recorded in the cells), something that's been bubbling under the hood for a while now. Over the years, I've made many sound pieces yet unreleased, and for instance the upcoming Dialogues VIII album consists of field recording works only. Still, this is the first time I had sound works on display, and to me it meant a lot. The exhibition was supported by Suomenlinnan hoitokunta, Kansan Sivistysrahasto and Kone Foundation.


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ABOUT ME

Joakim Berghäll

I'm a freelancer musician, composer, arranger, upcoming sound artist, 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 might be 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 punk. As long as there's something special to it and people are leaving everything onstage, I really don't care.

I'm a cargo-bike-riding vegan stunningly aware of all the details in the NHL stats. If you want to make me happy, all it really takes is a cup of good coffee. (or, ok, pretty much any cup of coffee!)

(photo: Dorit Salutskij)