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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 also runs his own jazzlabel Abovoice. During the years Winter has performed with; Kenny Wheeler, Ulf Wakenius, Kirite Kanawa, Jesse Van Ruller, Cameron Brown, Henry Lowther, Ted Curson, Lars Jansson, Jukkis Uotila, Teemu Viinikainen, Karl-Martin Almqvist, Fumio Yasuda, Ino Nobuyoshi, Jani Moder, Morten Lund, Jesper Bodilsen, Severi Pyysalo and many more..
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. Winter tuntuu etsivän käsitteiksi taipumatonta, jotain vielä ja ehkä pysyvästi näkymätöntä. Soundi on ollut samanlainen vuosia. Kari Salminen / Turun Sanomat (2.9.2022)
Winter is a true sophisticated original on the guitar in Finland. Timo Vähäsilta /Rytmi (Finland)
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)
PHYSICAL ALBUM OUT ON 15TH OF SEPTEMBER.
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.
Buy the new album from here! Link below to his record label homepage. The physical CD release on the 15th of September.
UPCOMING CONCERTS 2023
Look at ’ concerts ’ for a full list of upcoming and past performances.
Fall venues. See you there.
17.8 Paraisten Urkupäivät Festival, Parainen, Finland.
Duo with Franz Danksagmüller (AUT) – church organ. World premiere of Franz Danksagmüller’s composition ’Infernal Joys’ for organ and electric guitar.
World premiere of Niklas Winter’s solo guitar piece ’Solstice’.
18.8 Art Goes Kapakka Festival, Helsinki, Finland.
Duo with bassist Antti Lötjönen.
21.10 IDeeJazz Festival 2023, Narva, Estonia.
Concert and workshop.
With John Stowell. (USA)
22.10 Elive, Kokkola, Finland.
Duo with guitarist John Stowell. (USA)
23.10 Siltasali, Jyväskylä, Finland.
Duo With John Stowell. (USA)
27.10 – 6.11 JAPAN TOUR.
27.10 Hyvää Matkaa! Tokyo, Japan.
Solo concert.
29.10 Osaka Space Korallion, Osaka, Japan.
With guitarist Suomi Morishita.
https://spacekorallion.amebaownd.com/
30.10 Layla, Himeiji, Japan.
With guitarist Masato Hirai.
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=196894777030214#_=_
31.10 Big Apple, Kobe, Japan.
With guitarist Masato Hirai.
1.11 Kokoti Café, Nagoya, Japan.
Niklas Winter solo.
https://www.facebook.com/people/kokoti-cafe/100063738750543/
2.11 Dolphy, Yokohama, Japan.
With Eisuke Kato – piano and a rhythm section.
3.11 Salo, Oiso, Japan.
With guitarist Suomi Morishita.
5.11 Juhla Tokyo Festival, Tokyo.
Festival concert at the Yogenji Temple in Tokyo.
Duo with pianist Fumio Yasuda. Duo versions of Winter’s ’Graduale’ material.
10.11 EFG London Jazz Festival, St. Paul’s Church, England.
Niklas Winter Graduale.
With The Eclectic Voices choir (UK), Henry Lowther (UK) – trumpet, Severi Pyysalo – vibraphone, Juho Laitinen – cello.
24.11 Sibeliusmuseum, Turku, Finland.
Duo with John Stowell – guitar. (USA)
29.11 – 2.12 Tour with Libor Smoldas in the Czech Republic.
29.11 Jevicko, The Czeck Rebublic.
With guitarist Libor Smoldas
30.11 Jazz Klub Tvrz, Prague, The Czech Rebublic.
With guitarist Libor Smoldas
https://chodovskatvrz.cz/fotogalerie/jazz-klub-tvrz/
1.12 Aktoffta Art Club, Bustehrad, The Chech Republic.
With guitarist Libor Smoldas
2.12 Jazz Dock,Prague, The Czech Republic.
With guitarist Libor Smoldas.
https://www.jazzdock.cz/cs/koncert/libor-smoldas-niklas-winter-duo
14-17.12 Tour with Libor Smoldas in Finland.
14.12 Poppari, Jyväskylä, Finland.
15.12 Jazz Café AXO, Parainen, Finland.
17.12 Makasiini Contemporary, Turku, Finland.
https://makasiinicontemporary.com/
news
11/2023
The release of my new Graduale album was on the on the 15th of September 2023.
You can order the physical album from my record homepage www.abovoice.com.
In the spring I also recorded material for my new Quartet album which I start to work more on during the late fall. I’ll keep you updated on this one.
In the fall I will have concerts in Japan, England, Finland, Estonia and in the Czech Republic with a bunch of different musicians.
In late November I’ll do another concert with the great John Stowell on guitar at my favourite venue, The Sibeliusmuseum in Turku.
After that I’ll head to The Czech Republic to do a series of duo concerts with Libor Smoldas. Looking very much forward to this new project!
Please check my calendar for where and when and I hope to see you on the gigs!
Cheers,
Niklas