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New upcoming album in Spring 2026!

Here’s three teasers, raw mixes of the upcoming album Niklas Winter Quartet ’We Should’ve Known Better’. (AV1023)

Fredrik Nordström – tenor saxophone, Niklas Winter – guitar, Filip Augustson – upright bass, Markku Ounaskari – drums.

We Should’ve Known Better  (Winter, Nordström, Augustson, Ounaskari)

Strictly Confidential  (Niklas Winter)

Ballad To A Lonely Heart  (Niklas Winter)

 

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@abovoice/videos

Spotify artist page: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7z8P55fksPikrpZlDkmqdo?si=0YRIpPs1SumtQ6SX4zrBSQ

Record label: https://www.abovoice.com

Jazz Guitar Today (USA) interview with Niklas 12/2023:

https://jazzguitartoday.com/2023/12/jazz-guitar-in-finland-and-beyond/

ABOUT

Niklas Winter is a Finnish jazz guitarist and composer. Winter has made 10 records as a leader and has been active as a sideman in several bands. He tours frequently the world making around 40 concerts per year in the Nordic countries and in Europe, Asia and the US.

During the years Winter has performed with; Kenny Wheeler, Henry Lowther, Ulf Wakenius, Jesse van Ruller, John Stowell, Kirite Kanawa, Cameron Brown, Ted Curson, Lars Jansson, Jukkis Uotila, Teemu Viinikainen, Karl-Martin Almqvist, Fumio Yasuda, Ino Nobuyoshi, Jani Moder, Morten Lund, Emil Hess, Jesper Bodilsen, Severi Pyysalo, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and with many more.

Winter’s passion is writing and performing original music.

”The result is an entirely successful run of fourteen very different tracks that hang together to provide an overall aesthetic that is both meditative and swinging.” Phil Johnson on the Graduale album, London Jazz News, 2023 (UK)

Nyt on vanha kunnon albumikokonaisuuden idea on kunniassaan. Toki minkä tahansa kappaleen voi halutessaan irrottaa erilliskuunteluun, mutta parempi ratkaisu on kunnioittaa huolella laadittua kokonaisuutta, kuunnella musiikki juuri niin kuin on tarkoitettu, pienistä osasista yhtenäiseksi kasvavana taideteoksena. Pentti Ronkanen  / Suomijazz 11/2023 (Finland)

Det gjør vi like godt med et høyst unikt musikalsk konsept der Winter fusjonerer sin egen musikk for jazzkvartett og solo med finsk middelalder-kormusikk. Spesielt? Definitivt. Vakkert? Avgjort.
Tor Hammerö on the Graduale album / Nettavisen 2023 (Norway)

Winter has a fresh, modern sound. This is original and very exciting music and Niklas Winter Quartet has surely been a great experience at many festivals. Tor Hammerø /Jazznyt (Norway)

‘Missä hyvänsä Niklas Winter soittaa, hänen herkästi kaipailevan kitaransa tunnistaa. Wintertuntuu etsivän käsitteiksi taipumatonta, jotain vielä ja ehkä pysyvästi näkymätöntä. Soundi on ollut samanlainen vuosia.Kari Salminen / Turun Sanomat (2.9.2022)

Niklas Winter’s poetic playing shows great knowledge of improvisational skills. Jörgen Östberg /Orkester Journalen (Sweden)

” In Winter’s playing listener can hear plainness and intelligence. Winter’s improvisations and harmonies look back to the history of jazz but also expresses the atmosphere of today.”Hiroki Sugita/Jazz Life (Japan)

Trust in fact, was key, as was a fundamental sense of good time. Without a drummer or a bassist, and with the two guitarists sometimes dissolving into spare sections where time was, at best, suggested, it became even more essential that the two could internalize that time and know where it was, without it being explicitly there. It’s in the context of the duo that an artist is at his/her most exposed; not only are their abilities, instincts and improvisational élan laid bare, but their communication skills—or lack thereof—are impossible to disguise. Viinikainen and Winter needn’t have worried, as it was clear, from their Tampere Jazz Happening performance, that this was a duo communicating at a very deep level, playing relatively quiet music that was, nevertheless, thoroughly captivating.

JOHN
KELMAN / ALL ABOUT JAZZ (USA)

Niklas Winter   GRADUALE

The album consists of Winter original compositions combined with his arrangements of the oldest written music in Finland.

Henry Lowther – trumpet and fluegelhorn, Niklas Winter – guitar, Severi Pyysalo – vibraphone, Juho Laitinen – cello, Utopia Chamber Choir.

”The result is an entirely successful run of fourteen very different tracks that hang together to provide an overall aesthetic that is both meditative and swinging.” Phil Johnson on the Graduale album, London Jazz News, 2023 (UK)

The link below takes you to the Finnish record label Abovoice. Buy this album and albums of many other Finnish jazz musicians on this site.

www.abovoice.com

 

CONCERTS early 2026

Look at ’ concerts ’ from the menu for a full list of upcoming and past performances.

16.1   Telegrafens vinbar, Mariehamn, Åland.

With master vibraphonist Severi Pyysalo. An evening of jazz evergreens and more.

The concert starts at 7PM.

https://www.telegrafen.ax/foretag/telegrafens-vinbar/

29.1   Sibeliusmuseum, Turku, Finland.

Solo guitar concert at the grand opening of the museums 100-year anniversary exhibition.

The event starts at 6PM. This is a private event for persons with invitations only.

https://sibeliusmuseum.fi

5.2   Vuotalo, Helsinki, Finland.

Niklas Winter Quintet. År som löv – musik till texter av Bo Carpelan.

Johanna Grüssner – Vocals, Niklas Winter – guitar, Lars Jansson – piano, Ulf Krokfors – bass, Markku Ounaskari – drums.

The concert starts at 6PM. Tickets on door (15/20€) or from lippu.fi.

https://www.lippu.fi/event/niklas-winter-kvintett-aar-som-lov-musik-till-texter-av-bo-carpelan-vuotalo-21142472/

6.2   Doobop Jazz Club, Vasa, Finland.

Duo concert with Swedish pianist Lars Jansson. An evening with jazz standards and original compositions.

The concert starts at 8PM.

https://doobop.fi

21.2  Jazz Café AXO, Parainen, Finland.

Solo concert with jazz evergreens and original compositions.

The concert starts at 4PM.

https://jazzcafeaxo.fi

news

1/2026

Hello friends!

Just finished writing on my arrangements of Bo Carpelan’s lyrics. It was a very enjoyable process. The world premiere will be held in Helsinki, Vuotalo on the 5th of February. Please come to listen!

I will present the material with my quintet consisting of singer Johanna Grüssner and of piano master Lars Jansson from Sweden alongside with my old Finnish friends Uffe Krokfors on bass and Markku Ounaskari on drums.  I hope to bring this music all over Scandinavia and an album will also be recorded in 2026.

I’ll do a duo gig with pianist Lars Jansson also in Vasa with will be great fun!

I  will do some duo gigs with vibraphonist Severi Pyysalo wich I always enjoy doing. Next week we’ll do a gig in Mariehamn at the Åland Islands. The Archipelago is so beautiful during the Winter season!

I started to do the mixing of my quartet album and I hope I can release it within a couple of months time or so.

I’ll also release some material from a session with Emil Hess that I did earlier on 2025 alongside with some solo guitar stuff.

This all keeps me busy during the first months of the year. Hope to see you at the gigs!

Peace,

Niklas