Mark Pigott

SUITE SUOMI : CELEBRATING THE WORK OF FINNISH MUSICIAN IRO HAARLA

Jonathan Zwartz was commissioned by SIMA (Sydney
Improvised Music Association) to write a major composition, SUITE SUOMI,  which was performed as part of
The Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival 2022
at the Seymour Centre on Saturday night. SUITE SUOMI was written to celebrate the extraordinary Finnish
musician, Iro Haarla, who performed on a concert harp and
piano for this major event of the festival.

Performing with Iro Haarla and Jonathan Zwartz (on double
bass) were Jonathon’s long time collaborators: Phil Slater
(trumpet), Julien Wilson (tenor saxophone), Ben Hauptmann
(guitar),and Hamish Stuart (drums). These musicians are
amongst Australia’s elite jazz performers and the
combination of Iro Haarla’s mystical artistry, Jonathon
Zwartz’ sweeping composition and the players’ skill and
creativity produced an inspiring and transformative
experience.

Phil Slater and Julien Wilson have a sublime and
complementary understanding that allows them, at times, to
barely hint at the note they are producing and at other
times fill the hall with overwhelming sounds. Hamish
Stuart on drums similarly ranges from gentle and delicate
to powerful and formidable and adds significantly to the well
blended combination. Initially Ben Hauptmann’s guitar
appeared under utilised but in the second half of the suite
he made significant and telling contributions. His interplay
with Iro Haarla on harp was a complex and inspirational
conversation.

It was a great pleasure to be in attendance for the evocative
musical journey of this performance of SUITE SUOMI.

The special guest opening performance of the evening was
Claire Edwardes presenting Rhythms of Change.

Rhythms of Change was a COVID lockdown project, where female composers contributed an array of works on a variety of themes. A major aim of the project was to promote gender equity in this field
of the creative arts.

Claire Edwardes performed on marimba
and vibraphone. Her performance was skilful, captivating and a little quirky. Her performance of Bree van Reyk’s Slipstream included vibraphone, finger cymbal, pieces of snare wire and a bouncy ball. It was a delightful piece and absolutely
fascinating to watch.

The Sydney International Women’s Jazz Festival 2022 is at various venues until 5th November.
Details at SIMA : https://sima.org.au/siwjf/

Featured image :  Claire Edwardes. Pic by Shane Rozario. Both photos by Shane Rozario – http://instagram.com/shanerozario