Nordjazz Quintet - Jazz-Liisa 14 (2017)

The Nordjazz Quintet was formed in 1974, with the help of a grant by the Nordic Music Committee NOMUS. One musician from each of the Nordic countries was selected to the group. Before the five musicians got together, they brought their own groups to the Molde Jazz Festival in Norway. Some months later the quintet met and rehearsed in Copenhagen. They also recorded the album Nordjazz (Storyville Records 1975).

The ensemble comprised bassist Kjell Jansson (Sweden), drummer Pétur Östlund (Iceland), saxophonist and flutist Knut Riisnæs (Norway), guitarist Jukka Tolonen (Finland), and pianist Ole Kock Hansen (Denmark). The following year the quintet toured in Scandinavia. However, the line-up experienced some changes. Tolonen was replaced by saxophonist and flutist Pekka Pöyry, and Riisnæs by guitarist Nils Petter Nyrén.

The tour started from Iceland and the quintet performed almost daily. When the ensemble arrived in Finland, they were recorded in front of a live audience at the Liisankatu studios of the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE.