jaZZanti concert: Harri Sjöström’s Mother's Delight - Special Guest: Veli Kujala

Jukka Kääriäinen: guitar and effects
Libero Mureddu: keyboards & electronics
Heikki Nikula: bass clarinet
Harri Sjöström: soprano and sopranino saxophones
Veli Kujala: quarter-tone accordion

Mother’s Delight first performed in 2023, and after that initial concert it was immediately clear that the project should continue as a stable, working ensemble. The quartet’s unusual instrumentation brings together two wind instruments — soprano saxophone and bass clarinet — with two electric polyphonic voices: electric guitar and physically modelled piano. This distinctive setup gives rise to a wide and constantly shifting sonic palette: from Sjöström’s complex yet deeply expressive melodic language, to Nikula’s command of Western contemporary music and extended techniques; from Mureddu’s deconstructed and morphing piano textures, to Kääriäinen’s unique ability to merge distorted noise with fragile micro-sounds.

Aesthetically, the music synthesises the overlapping yet distinct backgrounds of the four musicians. The sonic radicalism of Kääriäinen and Sjöström intertwines with resonances of Western contemporary music shaped by Nikula and Mureddu. Beyond stylistic categories, the core of Mother’s Delight lies in its commitment to depth, openness, and a sense of joyful, unpredictable musical discovery.

Internationally renowned accordion virtuoso and composer Veli Kujala will join Mother's Delight for an exceptional evening. He is a long time collaborator of Harri Sjöström, as member of the Windows and Mirrors project with Giancarlo Schiaffini and Sergio Armaroli, and is regularly invited to perform at the Soundscapes Festivals. Moreover, he frequently performs with Sjöström as a duo. Kujala is as well member of Libero Mureddu's bands Hexad and Septad.

Photos: Sakari Puhakka

The concert is part of the Jazz in Finland 100 Anniversary

The concert is supported by City of Helsinki, Svenska Kulturfonden and The Finnish Music Foundation.