Vesa Hiukkanen Quartet ”5th floor” plays jazz and funky music standards and the music of Vesa Hiukkanen. The ensemble uses in its music also influences of so called “dance” –style. These elements combined with jazz harmonies and improvisation create music that is easy to listen and can be enjoyed without unnecessary seriousness in listening music. In the concerts the impressions can suddenly change from lyrical ballad to funky feelings. Vesa Hiukkanen Quartet plays regular concerts in Finland but has performed also in several festivals in Budapest Hungary, Poland , Estonia and in Russia.
Vesa Hiukkanen keyboard instruments. Vesa Hiukkanen has played as pianist with many leading Finnish singers and also international names as Bill Fredericks (The Drifters, USA). Hiukkanen is also composer and conductor and has been conducting his own orchestral music and Russian music also several times in Russia (Novgorod and St. Petersburg). Vesa Hiukkanen’s recordings: Serenades 2006, Love Songs 2009, Time Flies When You Dance 2010.
Carlos Del Puerto, originally from Cuba, is an internationally famous bass player. He has won a Grammy Award in USA as a member of group “Irakere” (worlds best Latin jazz recording of the year). Carlos Del Puerto has made several recordings with first class international jazz musicians, he has also had workshops in universities in USA and his bass book “True Cuban Bass” that was published in USA, is used worldwide.
Juki Välipakka has been selected 5 times as the Best Finnish jazz singer (magatzine “Rytmi”). His voice control is exeptional and he manages deep honey-bariton
scatin and throat singing falsetto, but also a strong internalized interpretation.
Grigori Zimin
Saku Anttila who is one of the most talented and busiest young drummers in Finland, plays in several Finnish and international ensembles.