VII rahvusvaheline Viimsi Happy Jazz Festival Blues Edition toimub 2. – 7. novembrini 2021. Sel aastal on festivali teemaks blues. Külla on lubanud tulla Emil Rutiku Blues Band, Lembe Lokk Prantsusmaalt, Tõnu Naissoo oma Hammond Trioga ja paljud teised. Täpne kava selgub 17. juulil, kui toimub Viimsi Happy Jazz Festivali kodukohvik.

Viimsi Library @19.00

Lembe Lokk’s singing career is very diverse: she has cultivated free improvisation, jazz and also performed contemporary and baroque music. She has performed with international jazz performers such as David Rothenberg, Korhan Erel, Charlie Rauh and Peter Herbert. Lokk has created music for both theater productions and short films (eg works by Eva Pervolovic, Eléonore de Montesquiou, Ingrid Hübscher). In parallel with music, she has performed as an actor in contemporary theater productions and participated in international festivals as a performance artist. On the scene of contemporary French theater, her regular collaborators are Nadège Prugnard (M.A.M.A.E., Alcool, un petit coin de Paradis) and Marie-do Fréval (Banquet des mariées, La Bancale se balance, Cabaret de Selfies). Texts and word usage play an important role in Lokk’s work. Her versatile use of voice reflects his extensive experience in very diverse stage projects. In 2018, she spoke at the inspiration conference of TEDx Tallinn Prison. In 2018, the prestigious Académie Charles Cros in France recognized her with the Creativity Award for his short album “Comment te traduire”. The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has acknowledged with a letter of thanks her work in disseminating Estonian culture in the world. The program of the festival will feature the program “Secret Chords” from the music of Leonhard Cohen. In addition to Lembe, the trio consists of Francois Puyalto on bass and Michel Schick on clarinet, ukulele and harmonica.

Restaurant Ribi @21.00

Alessio Menconi, an Italian guitarist born in Genoa, started playing the guitar at the age of 10 as a self-taught person. As a prodigy, he began his professional career with the best Italian musicians in 1986. In 1992, he won the "Gran Prix du Jazz" award for best soloist.

In 1993, he participated in the Eddie Lang Festival (the most important guitar competition in Italy), winning first prize as the best Italian jazz guitarist.

He plays in Europe, Asia, Africa, North, Central and South America and has recorded more than 40 CDs with several musicians. From 1995 to 2004, Alessio played with Paolo Conte several world tours and recorded four CDs. During the same period, he teamed up with Billy Cobham.

At the same time, he was invited to Paris to play with "ONJ" (Orchester National du jazz). In 2003, he was the only Italian to perform on the CD "Voodoo crossing - a tribute to Jimi Hendrix" with Robben Ford, Steve Lukather, Hiram Bullock, Larry Coryell and many others.

He is a jazz guitar teacher at the Genoa Conservatory "Paganini" and has written four books on jazz guitar.

He is one of the very important and sought after guitarists in Italy and elsewhere in Europe.

He won the 2009 Jazz Lighthouse Award and in 2011 he was the only Italian to be included on the CD of the world's best jazz guitarists. In the same year, Jazz It magazine added Sketches of Miles to the world's 100 best jazz records.

Viimsi Library @ 18.00

Mandy Gaines is a talented, versatile vocalist and entertainer, with more than 30 years of professional experience who has entertained and delighted audiences throughout the world.
Her performances are generally viewed as refreshing, soulful and exciting. From 1988 to the present, she has continued to improve and grow through her gifted interpretations of Jazz, R&B and Soul classics as well as writing and performing her original works.
Throughout her career Mandy has performed with such Jazz greats as Wynton Marsalis, Dany Doriz, Randy Brecker, Scott Hamilton, ElDee Young, Red Holt, Rhoda Scott, Deborah Brown, Brad Leali, Leroy Jones, Bryan Lynch, Keith Loftis, Marcus Printup, Wendell Brunious, Vincent Gardner, Larry Price, Wes “warm daddy” Anderson, Michael Stanton and Victor Gaskin.
Mandy has performed all over the world with various orchestras, big bands and small groups in Europe, Russia and Far East, and most recently with The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, performing the Mid-Century Songbook of Jazz and Blues Mandy was just recently inducted into the Cincinnati Jazz Hall of Fame for her high-level extensive work and experience performing Jazz music.
As the theme for the 2021 Viimsi Happy Jazz Festival is “Blues”, the program for Mandy and her group will be selected from the material of the famous jazzy blues singers of the 1920’s and 30’s, like ‘Bessie’ Smith, Ethel Waters, Alberta Hunter, Lena Horne etc.

Viimsi Huvikeskus kl 20.00

Tõnu Naissoo(born in March of 18th 1951 in Tallinn) is estonian composer and jazz pianist - keyboardist.

His study a classical piano began at age seven. His father, Uno Naissoo (1928 – 1980), was composer, educator and organizer of Tallinn jazz festivals. About ten years old, Tõnu started to play free improvisations on piano. After studies at Tallinn Music School and Tallinn State Conservatory he got scholarship from Berklee College of Music (USA) in 1989.

His debut took place with his trio at the International Jazz Festival „Tallinn 1967“ when he was 16 year old. Next year (1968) he recorded his first LP: „Tõnu Naissoo Trio“ (Melodiya). As a solo pianist his first performances took place in 1971 in Novgorod and in Leningrad (Russia). After some years of silence in jazz field – he was a keyboardist in the instrumental ensemble of the pop-showgroup „Laine“

He has played with such internationally well-known jazz musicians and groups like Gebhard Ullman, Michel Marre, Yves Teicher, Jens Winther, Bob Moses, Dennis Rowland, Ted Curson, Vladimir Tarasov, Ulf Krokfors, Brian Melvin, Ryo Kawasaki, UMO Big Band and the New York Voices to name a few.

Tõnu Naissoo has written music for his own groups, big band, scores for numerous films (including feature films), theatre and TV productions and also chamber and choir music.

Restaurant Ribi @22.00

Emil Rutiku is known as an energetic TV and evening host, actor and civil society activist, but his career has always been about music. Emil has sung for 33 years in the band Compromise Blue and participated in countless other music projects. As a raucous and extremely charismatic showman, he has been compared to Tom Waits, Howlin ‘Wolf, Omar Dykes and even James Brown.
Emil himself thinks, that ERBB is like a form of active holiday. A reason to meet friends and deal with what you like.
The ensemble includes Emil Rutiku – vocals, Raul Ukareda – guitar, Argo Toomel – bass and Peep Kallas – drums.

Viimsi St. Jacob Church @17.00

The guitar virtuoso from Tartu has had a solo career, but has also performed in the ensembles Svjata Vatra, Sireli, Wilhelm and various duos. Among other things, Paul is the winner of the 2015 Tiit Paulus Young Guitar Player Award. Recently, Paul Neitsov is performing as “a man like an orchestra” – alone on stage, with a guitar around his neck,with 10 fingers charming the audience almost like real world-famous songs by Metallica, the Beatles, Queen, Sting, Eric Clapton, Prince, Rammstein and others.