The team KAIRA at 2025

On Jazz Finland’s official website, KAIRA is introduced as follows: "Behind KAIRA is an intriguing combination of leading music and cultural influencers. The concept is exceptional: once a decade, a group of top jazz musicians joins forces to create an album of new Finnish jazz. The lineup changes according to the musical genre, and the media has dubbed it ‘the Finnish jazz super team.’

The members of KAIRA rank among the very top of the jazz scene in Finland and Estonia. They have performed at major festivals such as Pori Jazz, April Jazz, Jazzkaar, and Kaunas Jazz, and toured extensively across Europe, Asia, and the USA. The band members appear on dozens of highly acclaimed recordings and have collaborated with international jazz greats such as Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, Joe Lovano, and Tim Hagans, as well as taught at the Sibelius Academy and given masterclasses abroad.

Jussi Lehtonen – Drums

Jussi Lehtonen (b. 1977) is one of Finland’s most respected jazz drummers and a lecturer at the Sibelius Academy. He has received the prestigious Yrjö Award and been nominated for the Jazz Emma prize. Lehtonen plays on about 40 jazz albums and has led his own groups, including the Jussi Lehtonen Quartet and Jussi Lehtonen Band. He has also performed with UMO Jazz Orchestra, Eero Koivistoinen Quartet, Severi Pyysalo Trio, and Koko Jazz Orchestra.

Notable albums include: Connection (2020), Move On (2018), Live at Koko Jazz Club (2019), This Time (2013), and Firstborn (2009).
He has appeared with international stars such as Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, David Liebman, Bob Mintzer, and Tim Hagans, as well as nearly all leading Finnish jazz musicians, including Jukkis Uotila, Jarmo Savolainen, Eero Koivistoinen, Severi Pyysalo, Jukka Perko, Timo Lassy, UMO, Marzi Nyman, Kari Ikonen, and Verneri Pohjola. Master of jazzmusic, Sibelius Academy.

Markus Niittynen – Piano

Markus Niittynen (b. 1970) holds a Master’s degree in Jazz Music from the Sibelius Academy and is known as a versatile pianist and composer. He has performed widely in Finland and internationally – including Japan, Brazil, and across Europe – and appeared at major festivals such as Pori Jazz and April Jazz.

Niittynen has played in groups such as Markus Niittynen Trio, Markus Niittynen Quartet, Pekka Pylkkänen Band, KAIRA, and Aarni Häkkinen Big Band. Notable recordings include: KAIRA – Air, Markus Niittynen New Trio, Roger Freundlich Quintet: I & II, Markus Niittynen Solopiano, and Good Days Bad Days. He has collaborated with top artists such as Joe Lovano, Tim Hagans, Viktoria Tolstoy, Jukkis Uotila, Eero Koivistoinen, and Severi Pyysalo.

Joonatan Rautio – Saxophone

Joonatan Rautio (b. 1973) is one of Finland’s most acclaimed saxophonists, honored with the Yrjö Award by the Finnish Jazz Federation and named Artist of the Year by Pori Jazz. He has appeared on more than 40 albums and worked both as a soloist and ensemble musician. Master of jazzmusic, Sibelius Academy.

Rautio has led eight of his own groups and has performed with about 70 groups including UMO Jazz Orchestra, Norrbotten Big Band (ruotsi) , Jukkis Uotila Band, Koko Jazz Orchestra, Universal Big Band (Norja) and the symphony or chamber orchestras of cities Jyväskylä, Lahti, Kuopio, Joensuu, Lohja and Oulu.

Notable albums include for instance Commitment (2010), Medicine (2005), Nassonaut (2017), Return (2014), and Taivaan leipää (2019). He has played with international stars such as Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, Jim Beard, Jeff “Tain” Watts, and Lars Danielsson.

Heikko-Joseph Remmel – Bass

Heikko Remmel (b. 1994) represents the new generation of jazz musicians. He has performed at major festivals such as Pori Jazz, Jazzkaar, and Kaunas Jazz, and toured extensively in Europe and South Africa. Remmel has played in groups including Joel Remmel Trio, Holger Marjamaa Trio, Jussi Lehtonen Quartet, Markus Niittynen Quartet, and Joonatan Rautio Trio.

Notable recordings include: Flashbacks (2020), Connection (2020), Live at Koko Jazz Club (2018), Move On (2017), and Christmazz (2026).
He has collaborated with artists such as Jussi Lehtonen, Jukkis Uotila, Kristjan Randalu, Sofia Rubina, and Aaron Goldberg. He has graduated as bachelor of jazz music at both Sibelius Academy and the Estonian Academy of Music and theatre.

Lauri Kaira – Producer

Lauri Kaira (b. 1957) is an award-winning cultural influencer and versatile arts professional. He has served as Chairman of the Board of the Finnish Film Foundation, Special Advisor to two Ministers of Culture, director at the copyright organisation Gramex, and Founder of Luovat ry.

Kaira has produced KAIRA’s albums, written scripts for comic books and for YLE’s documentary series Land of the Pharaohs. He has worked as Editor-in-Chief for several magazines (including the music magazine GramexPress) and founded Rainy Morning Records, a record and music publishing company. LL.M Master of law at University of Turku.

In 2025, Kaira received the Music x Media Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to the music industry.