Lassy-Eskola:NordicStew

Saxophonist Timo Lassy and trumpeter Jukka Eskola, among their generation’s most significant Finnish musicians, join forces on the new album and live project Nordic Stew. Lassy and Eskola have collaborated since the 1990s, with their most notable joint effort being The Five Corners Quintet, a pioneering ensemble for the Finnish jazz generation of the 2000s. Since then, both have pursued their solo careers and released several albums.

However, their first joint project had been waiting for the right moment. In 2022, the friends finally realised their long-held dream and travelled to New Orleans to record a collaborative album with top local musicians. The result was Nordic Stew, a mix of Lassy and Eskola’s musical experiences combined with a deep love for the birthplace of jazz. The album’s creation was also inspired by the story of the Andania ship, which brought American Finnish musicians to Finland in the 1920s, introducing jazz music to the country. Now, 100 years later, Lassy and Eskola have taken it back to its roots and updated it with their version.