JAAK SOOÄÄR TRIO

(Estonia –  Lithuania – Finland)

Jaak Sooäär – g

Vytis Nivinskas – db

Markku Ounaskari – dr

The ingenious individuals, Estonian guitarist Jaak Sooäär, Armenian-born Estonia-based double bassist Ara Yaralyan and Finnish drummer Markku Ounaskari, started playing together in spring 2016. In 2022, the trio was singled out as Estonia’s best jazz group. It has already performed in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia and Finland and released three albums.

The latest album, Zula, compositions from which will be performed in this concert, was released last spring (on the Estonian label AVA Muusika) and has been acclaimed by music critics as extremely captivating and impressive in expression.

Due to unexpected circumstances, Lithuanian double bassist V. Nivinskas will replace Yaralyan for the Birštonas Jazz performance.

The trio could be described as a traditional jazz trio, but without piano as guitar takes the wide range of orchestral role of the piano. Alongside his skilful partners, Sooäär unleashes his impressive technical arsenal and musical imagination, and astonishes with the melodiousness and lyricism of his passages.

Jaak Sooäär is a tireless driving force in Estonian jazz life and one of the most active jazz musicians in the Baltic region now deservedly gaining wider recognition in Europe. He began performing at the age of seven as a singer in the Estonian Boys Choir, and since 1989, he has been frequenting the Estonian jazz and pop scene. He has also performed with rock, folk and academic musicians.

Jaak initially studied International Economics at the University of Tartu, followed by the Tallinn Music College and the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen. He joined the Jazz Department of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, where he taught the guitar and ensemble. In 2004, he was appointed the Head of the Jazz Department and received professorship in 2010.

In 2004, the guitarist and his associates founded the Estonian Jazz Union, which has promoted jazz very successfully in Estonia and Estonian jazz abroad. In the same year, Sooäär established the record label AVA Muusika.

In 2006, Jaak played solo with the WDR Big Band, was a member of the Euroradio Big Band and toured with the European Youth Jazz Orchestra. His Estonian group Eesti Keeled won the Estonian Music Award in the ethno/folk category in 2003 and 2005, and in 2013 the Mustonen-Sooäär-Remmel-Ruben Quartet was named Estonia’s best jazz artist.

Sooäär has collaborated with a number of jazz luminaries, including Tony Allen, Han Bennink, Raoul Björkenheim, Gavin Bryars, Ray Anderson, Kent Carter, Pierre Dørge, Dave Kikoski, Joe Lovano, Ron McClure, Dave Liebman, Louis Sclavis, Marilyn Mazur, Anders Jormin, Liudas Mockūnas, Petras Vyšniauskas, Vladimir Tarasov and Arkadij Gotesman.

He is a member of the international formations The Dynamite Vikings, Dessert Time (winners of the International Peer Gynt Improvisation Contest in Pärnu 2001), Heavy Beauty, Kruglov-Sooäär Quartet, Almost Zebra (winners of the 5th European Improvisation Tournament in Poitiers 2001).

In 2007, Sooäär’s contribution to jazz in his homeland was recognised with the Annual Estonian Jazz Award and the annual award of the Estonian Culture Endowment (Eesti Kultuurkapital). He was awarded the latter in 2018 again. In 2021, he was honoured with the National Culture Prize of the Estonian Government.

The guitarist’s discography amounts to more than 50 albums.

Vytis Nivinskas began studying music privately. Later on, fascinated with jazz he swapped philosophy studies at the Vilnius University for the double bass. He graduated from the Vilnius Conservatoire, the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, as a student of Erasmus exchange program he furthered his education at the Det Fynske Conservatory in Odense (Denmark) and earned master’s degree from DePaul University in Chicago (USA). Later he completed his doctorate in art at the LAMT.

While living in the USA (2001–2005), Nivinskas played with many improvisers from Chicago and New York City, together with saxophonist Rimvydas Paulikas co-founded the Baltic Asteroids band in Chicago.

Since study years, the double bassist has worked with a variety of music projects. He was one of the co-founders of Saga, Riot and Baisios stygos jazz groups, collaborated with Vladimir Tarasov, Petras Vyšniauskas, Dalius Naujokaitis, Arūnas Šlaustas and Richardas Banys composer Linas Rimša, Jauna Muzika choir and Baltic Guitar Quartet, pop-singer and actress Jurga Šeduikytė, vocalist Giedrė Kilčiauskienė and Andrej Polevikov as well as Pieno Lazeriai alternative music group among others.

The group CinAmono, formed by Vytis together with jazz vocalist Laura Budreckytė, has been active for more than ten years, creating art fusion projects and releasing several albums. In various projects Nivinskas has collaborated with representatives of other art fields including dancers of Low Air theatre, Auksė Petrulienė (the founder of Psilicone Theatre), dancer Lora Juodkaitė, singer and actress Brigita Bublytė, actors of the OKT and the Lithuanian State Youth Theatre, theatre director Jūratė Paulėkaitė and poet Kęstutis Navakas.

Markku Ounaskari is one of Finland’s foremost jazz drummers, having worked with some of the country’s most important jazz personalities. He studied jazz at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and as a student he toured with legendary Finnish groups Piirpauke and Pekka Pohjola Group.

In 1990, the drummer began collaborating with pianist Jarmo Savolainen, recording albums together and playing in Europe, Asia and America. Ounaskari has subsequently joined many international projects and groups, including Eric Vloeimans Band, the Andre Fernandes Trio, Sinikka Langeland Ensemble, Fredrik Nordström & Niklas Winter Band, Filip Augustson Quintet, Willemark-Heinilä-Ounaskari-Jormin Band, Walter Beltrami Band, Fugara, Tomasz Stanko Quartet, Rotterdam Metropole Orchestra. He has become one of Finland’s best-known jazzmen abroad.

Markku regularly performs with Fausto Beccalossi, Raoul Björkenheim, Arve Henriksen, Anders Jormin, Nils Petter Molvaer, Trygve Seim, Markus Stockhausen, Tore Brunborg, Mats Eilertsen and Lena Willemark. He has collaborated with many international celebrities, including Ray Anderson, Lars Danielsson, Marc Ducret, Tim Hagans, Ed Jones, Lee Konitz, Gnuyên Lê, Ron McClure and Kenny Wheeler.

In 2009, the drummer formed Kuara with Norwegian trumpeter Per Jørgensen and Finnish pianist Samuli Mikkonen. The group’s first album (released on ECM Records) received the Emma Award for the Best Finnish Jazz Recording of the Year. In 2014, Ounaskari’s contribution to Finnish jazz was recognised with the country’s most prestigious jazz prize, the Yrjö Award.

The drummer’s discography comprises more than 60 albums, including 6 on the legendary ECM Records label.