Artturi Rönkä Quartet was chosen to represent Finland at this year's Young Nordic Jazz Comets band competition in Copenhagen. The Finnish YNJC jury described the quartet's performance and expression as "strong and dynamic" and their interaction as "natural and immersive". Keeping the jazz traditions close by, the band performs pianist/composer

The Finnish YNJC representative Mopo saw the daylight in the fall of 2009, when the musicians brainstormed as a result of a bar-fight.

Mopo ("a moped") accelerates easily from zero to speed of light, but mostly the trio steps on the gas for a hilarious joyride in the countryside. The trio draws their inspiration from free jazz, afro funk, 80s punk and the Finnish nature. Each composition is born in the magic of the moment and Mopo's intense performances have stolen the hearts of their audiences all over the Helsinki jazz club scene.

The aim of the Finnish trio Ohne is to achieve a high level of rhythmic intensity without the aid of drums. Ohne qualified for the YNJC final via the national competition, where the jury appreciated the band’s well-functioning teamwork, their good communication with the audience, and their way of updating the tradition of jazz in a personal way.

At a time when groups seldom have (or use) the chance to develop as a unit, Quartester stands out as an exception. These four young musicians haven't been too hasty in rushing onto the scene, but have allowed themselves time for musical development and refinement, having been at it together since 2004. Let's just say the result can be heard. The band started out using a workshop format of a sort, rehearsing a large repertoire of music. This provided an ideal approach for experimenting; new ideas were tried and tested.

Elifantree is an expulsive acoustic trio. They play their own music which could be described as acoustic jazzpop with a punk attitude. Due to the instrumentation the band sound is open and raw with a big range of different moods from free and wild to intimate and fragile. The music is mostly based on beautiful, melodic songs spiced with personal arrangements and free improvisations.

Apilas is a new Finnish jazz quartet, founded in fall 2006. The group is of four young Finnish outstanding jazz musicians: Joonas Haavisto, Teemu Takanen, Jori Huhtala and Jonatan Sarikoski. Their individual strong expression of music differs clearly from each other. Each personality flares through the music uniting in a condense and controlled whole which is highly enjoyable. The music of Apilas is their own and of mainly improvised jazz, characterised through Scandinavian melodics, modern jazz harmonies and the rhythms of American jazz tradition.

Trumpeter Jorma Kalevi Louhivuori (J.K.L), drummer Olavi Louhivuori and bass player Antti Lötjönen represent the young European jazz generation.

Reactor-5 consists of the creme de la creme of the Finnish jazz scene and is co-led by keyboardists Aki Rissanen and Jussi Fredriksson. The music, mostly written by Aki Rissanen, hovers in the 1970’s fusion jazz with a twist of contemporary electronica. While many other groups, who combine the classic East-Coast-Blue Note sound of the '60s with dance club aspects, Reactor-5 does the same with American West-Coast influences. More smooth, more laid-back, like the life in California.

Kvalda, a jazz ensemble from Finland, combines lucid Scandinavian jazz, pop and free expression into a fresh and modern blend of music. It is characteristic of the quartet to diffuse the boundaries of improvisation and composition - as if the musicians were on an eventful journey, delivering its adventures, colours and tastes to the listeners.

Warp! was founded in 2003 by keyboardist Aki Rissanen. The group has an unusual line-up: vocals, keyboards and drums. The band plays mainly Aki Rissanen's compositions, which have moods from jazz to pop and contemporary classical music. Warp! makes an interesting mixture of electronic and acoustic music, and not only jazz. In addition to the great legends of jazz in the list of their influences, they mention the Icelandic sonic fairy Björk.

In 2002 Verneri, Tuomo, Olavi and Antti became the Young Nordic Jazz Comets by winning the Nordic jazz ensemble competition six months after founding the ensemble. Ilmiliekki’s debut album March Of The Alpha Males (TUM Records) was a nominee for a Jazz Emma (the Finnish Grammy) for the best jazz album of the year 2003. In 2004 the band was nominated Young Artist of the Year by the Finland Festivals organisation, while Verneri Pohjola was chosen as the Pori Jazz Festival Young Artist of the same year.

Tetra is a band consisting of four young Finnish jazz comets who began playing together in 2000. A very special line-up consisting of two tenor saxophones and bass & drum team has been inspired by the legendary drummer Elvin Jones and his ’Live at the Lighthouse’ albums.

Joona toivanen Trio is one of the most promising and talented young jazz ensembles coming out of Finland during the past ten years. They have a skilful grip on the art of improvisation and know how to deliver a great mix of original compositions with superb musicianship, and do so at times with a melancholic Nordic vibe and often with an air of gladness and joy laced through their material.