OULU ALL STAR BIG BAND AND ULEÅBORG JAZZ ORGANISATION RY

Oulu All Star Big Band (OASBB) is an ensemble of professional musicians from Oulu, managed by Uleåborg Jazz Organisation Association. Founded in 2005, the northern Finnish ensemble has produced over one hundred new big band concert productions and has gained widespread acclaim both as a performer of big band music and as a group boldly pushing musical boundaries. Since 2019, the band’s artistic director has been trumpet player Jukka Eskola, one of Finland’s leading jazz musicians.

OASBB has featured numerous international soloists, including Randy Brecker (USA), Peter Erskine (USA), Bob Mintzer (USA), Dr. Lonnie Smith (USA), Nils Landgren (SWE), The Real Group (SWE), Cæcilie Norby (DEN), Evelio Galán (CU), Tim Hagans (USA), Ola Onabulé (NIG, GBR), Robben Ford (USA), Melissa Aldana (CHL), and China Moses (USA, FRA).

Notable Finnish guests include Jimi Tenor, Jarkko Ahola, Iiro Rantala, Olli Ahvenlahti, Eero Koivistoinen, Antti Rissanen, Suvi Teräsniska, Saara Aalto, Timo Lassy, Sami Pitkämö, Marzi Nyman, Elastinen, Tuure Kilpeläinen, M.A. Numminen, and Jaakko Kuusisto. Musically, the band explores a wide spectrum, from Latin American rhythms to rock, and from modern big band compositions to more traditional jazz.

In 2010, the band released its first album, Big Band Goes Heavy, featuring Jarkko Ahola as the soloist. Due to popular demand, a reissue of the album was released in autumn 2021. The band’s second album, 70’s Revisited, includes new big band arrangements of compositions by Olli Ahvenlahti and Eero Koivistoinen from the 1970s. The upcoming album, Davvi Oktavuohta – Pohjoinen Yhteys, to be released in February 2026, features Finnish-Sámi joik singer, vocalist, and actor Ingá-Máret Gaup-Juuso alongside OASBB’s artistic director, trumpet player Jukka Eskola. The album presents Gaup-Juuso’s music and traditional Sámi joiks arranged for big band by Mikko Hassinen.

In addition to their own concerts and performances, OASBB regularly appears at music festivals throughout Northern Finland. Regular partners include Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Oulu Sinfonia, and OYJO – Oulu Youth Jazz Orchestra.

Uleåborg Jazz Organisation ry is a cultural partner of the City of Oulu. Its activities are also supported by the Arts Promotion Centre Finland.

CONCERTS

You can find information about OASBB’s concert on this page. Info in English can be found at the end of each concert text.