[Dixielandjazz] PORI, FINLAND JAZZ FESTIVAL

[Stephen Barbone]

A couple of list mates asked what Pori was, or where it was.

You can find out more about the 38th Annual jazz Festival in Pori,
Finland by googling. Below is just a starter for those who are
interested.

OKOM will be represented by Duke Heitger, Preservation Hall, The
Leningrad Dixieland Band, New Orleans Original Royal Players and others.
It is one of Europe's MAJOR MUSIC FESTIVALS and runs from July 12 to
July 20. Performers run the gamut from James Brown to Wayne Shorter.

Not bad for a town that is about 250 KM northwest of Helsinki. Last year
122,000 people attended and 65,000 tickets were sold. Some concerts are
free

Musical content. "How little we know."

For you Texans on the list, The State of Texas will be represented by
the TCU Jazz Ensemble. Here is a short blurb from the festival, which
sounds like a lot of fun. I suspect Ambassador of Culture, Tom Wiggins,
knows quite a bit more about this event.

Cheers,
Steve

"In a time-honoured fashion the Pori Jazz 2003 Festival (12.-20.7.)
offers a magnificent survey of the great jazz-based music family. The
festival program emphasizes jazz, but offers also funk, soul, hip-hop
and jazz fusion.

The celebrations centre on the scenic banks of the Kokemäki river, with
its parklands, Jazzstreet and evening venues which vary between intimate
clubs and large factory type concert halls. The big open-air concerts
are held in the beautiful Kirjurinluoto concert park daily from Thursday
to Sunday (17.-20.7.).

The festival programme comprises over a hundred concerts and 100
different line-ups. All in all there are over 500 musicians playing at
the Pori Jazz Festival in July."