Zoe Rahman Octet

The British Zoe Rahman (born in 1971) is a pianist and composer who has received several awards and who has made her own records for more than 20 years – mainly with a traditional combination of pianist, bassist and drummer that is not in short supply anywhere in Europe. 

Perhaps this is why we have had to wait a long time for Rahman’s first concert in Finland. And perhaps also because Rahman’s international prominence as an independent music artist has never been ideal – for a very simple reason. All of Rahman’s records has been released, since 2001, by the London-based company Manushi Records, owned by her and focused exclusively on her music.

But now is the right time for the debut concert in Finland, at an interesting stage that has opened up new musical opportunities.

Zoe Rahman arrives at Tampere Jazz Happening with her first large ensemble, which performs compositions from her most ambitious, personal and acclaimed album, Colour of Sound (2023). Zoe Rahman founded her own group of eight musicians a couple of years ago and wanted to finally hear live on stage the sound that she most often imagines when she is composing: for her, the piano is above all an orchestral instrument.

“When I am writing, I’m not just writing for solo piano or trio; there are always other instruments in my head,” Zoe Rahman said in an interview in Jazzwise magazine.

Only half of the octet arriving in Tampere is the same as on the album, but Rahman has assembled it on the same principle – from musicians of different generations who make their own music. The youngest musicians are the 30 something saxophonist Helena Kay and trombonist Rosie Turton, the oldest are the bassist Alec Dankworth and drummer Gene Calderazzo in their sixties, and they are also Rahman’s permanent partners in her piano trio.