Introduction

Tenor saxophonist, composer and band leader Felipe Salles returns to UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra with his new material. In the concert at Dance House Helsinki, Salles both leads the orchestra and plays as a saxophone soloist.

The concert features Salles' new work for large ensemble Home is Here (2023), composed of eight pieces, which received a 4½-star DownBeat review. Salles, known as a socially conscious composer, once again tackles a current and intimate topic, immigration. He has drawn inspiration from his immigrant colleagues’ testimonies in the US jazz community, such as the Cuban saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera and the Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana. Salles has tailored his compositions for each guest musician on the album based on the long online interviews he conducted during the pandemic. In Salles' 19-member Interconnections Ensemble, a whole group of jazz musicians represents different nationalities, cultures, traditions, generations and stories. The music ranges from Afro-Cuban and Brazilian rhythms to tango, jazz and swing.

Salles, originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, has had an active career in the US since 1995 and has worked with many musicians including e.g. Randy Brecker and David Liebman. His compositions have been performed by both the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and the Metropole Orchestra to name a few. Salles has been a Professor of Jazz and African-American Music Studies at the University of Massachusetts since 2010. www.sallesjazz.com

“Home is Here, with its luxurious and refined sound takes you to a place in history where music has never gone before.”
– Raul da Gama, Latin Jazz Net

"Salles' arrangements are consistently colorful, his orchestra is world class and the guest soloists inspired."
– Scott Yanow, Downbeat

“The result is a polychromatic, adventurous album that allows Salles' multidimensionality as a composer to flourish."
– Troy Dostert, AllAboutJazz

Discussion exploring the concert's themes with Felipe Salles and UMO's saxophone section leader Jouni Järvelä at Lobby before the concert at 6:15 pm.