he Espoo Big Band (EBB) is one of the finest big jazz orchestras in Europe. It was founded and is conducted by Martti Lappalainen, who was elected the Jazz Musician of the Year and awarded the Georgie-prize by the Finnish Jazz Federation in 1986.

The EBB has been on stage at several international jazz festivals including Detroit, Miami, New York, Montreux, Antibes, Budapest, Montpellier, Umbria, London and Paris. Jazz greats who have performed as soloists in various concerts with the EBB include Freddie Hubbard, Slide Hampton, Thad Jones, Bill Watrous, Ray Anderson, Diane Schuur, Art Farmer and Carla Bley, The New York Voices, Maria Schneider, Ray Charles, Kevin Mahogany and Trilok Gurtu.

The beginnings of the EBB go back to the Tapiola Music School in Espoo, where experimental jazz education was launched in 1968 by Martti Lappalainen. The Tapiola Big Band was founded 1970 and achieved soon name and fame in Europe by winning international contests and was known for its young skilled players and ambitious concert programs.

Max Jones, Melody Maker, London wrote Sept. 23.1972:
" The Tapiola Big Band, an orchestra from a high school near Helsinki has been here and gone – leaving behind a number of surprised hearers. I caught the Tapiola Sound last week at Bruce Turner’s Club and like all around me was impressed by the arrangements and performance of a band whose ages are said to range from 14 to 18..."

Randi Hultin, the Down Beat correspondent, wrote August 3. 1974 in Dagbladet, Oslo:
" Although we felt maybe little tired of listening to various jazz concerts in the cinema theatre 1 pm. to 9 pm. we woke up to new life at night in the Town Hall when the Tapiola Youth Big Band from Finland set up its firework. It was quite a sensation to hear the brilliant ensemble of 15 youngsters under the strong direction of Martti Lappalainen..."

The Espoo Big Band, founded and conducted by Martti Lappalainen

The EBB performs at the Montreux Jazz Festival, where it records an LP "EBB Live in Montreux". The EBB plays on big band night with three university big bands from the USA. Jean-Claude Juvet,"La Suisse", Geneve wrote: "Chapeau … l’Espoo Big band.! .. Les Finlandais de l’Espoo Big Band ont sauveé‚ cette soiree de lundi ..."

The EBB performs at the Detroit Kool Jazz Festival and at the University of Miami. Peter Ross from Montreux News wrote: "The award winning Espoo Big Band from Finland took over the main stage soon after the Sun Messengers left, proving, that jazz indeed is an international idiom. The very young band swung hard opening with an arrangement of a Charlie Parker classic that featured a sizzling tenor solo by a tall towhead who could have walked out of a Viking movie."

The EBB performs at the Antibes Juan Les Pins and Montreux Jazz Festivals, recording the LP "EBB, Live in Montreux II"

The EBB wins first prize in a big international jazz competition in Brussels. The EBB records Jukka Linkola’s jazz suite "Grand Mystery", which becomes the first part of an EBB record trilogy of new Finnish jazz music. As part of its 15th anniversary celebrations, the EBB premieres "Baltic Hearings", featuring great Swedish pianist Bengt Hallberg who composed the jazz suite especially for the EBB The EBB spreads the word about Finnish jazz music with two concerts in Budapest for Hungarian television including Linkola’s "Grand Mystery".

The EBB releases the second volume in its record trilogy of Finnish jazz music with the work "Yesterday’s Games", a jazz suite commissioned from Pekka Pohjola, the famous Finnish electric bass soloist and composer.The 1st part becomes the most played new Finnish jazz tune in radio that year. The EBB performs at Italy’s largest jazz festival in Perugia, Umbria. The EBB’s conductor Martti Lappalainen is awarded the Georgie-prize of the Finnish Jazz Federation in recognition of his long service as a jazz music educator and as conductor of the Tapiola and Espoo Big Bands over fifteen years.

The EBB releases the recording "Espoo Big Band plays Erik Lindström" in recognition of the veterans of Finnish jazz. Recording is voted by German jazz magazine "Jazzfreund" for one of the best jazz recordings in that year. The EBB founds "April Jazz Espoo", a new international jazz festival to heighten the cultural profile of Espoo. Martti Lappalainen is chosen to serve as the Artistic Director of the new festival. The EBB performs in two concerts at the Detroit Jazz Festival. The EBB launches a dialogue with the Espoo City Council on the establishment of a pop-jazz training unit in the city.

The EBB performs at the Antibes Jazz Festival and represents the Finnish Broadcasting Company YLE at the European Broadcasting Union Jazz Festival in Montpellier, France. The EBB performs at April Jazz Espoo with guest artist Freddie Hubbard.

The EBB gives a concert at the official opening of the Espoo Cultural Centre under guest conductor Vince Mendoza from the USA. The EBB performs for the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs at the annual "World Economy Meeting" banquet at Davos in Switzerland. The EBB gives a concert at April Jazz Espoo with the American trombone virtuoso Bill Watrous as soloist.

The EBB arranges April Jazz Espoo for the fourth time and performs there with Rick Margitza, sax., from the Miles Davis ensemble. The EBB releases a CD recording "Moonlight Caravan & Finnish Characters". The EBB performs Sakari Kukko’s "Moonlight Caravan & Finnish Characters" at the Paris Jazz Festival in a concert commissioned by Radio France. André Francis, Radio France wrote: "Avec un peu de retard, du à un emploi du temps surchargé, permettez moi de vous remercier pour l’exellent concert que vous avez donné‚ à RADIO FRANCE dans le cadre du Festival de Paris. La salle pleine vous a fait dans son ensemble un bon accueil, car l’ originalité de votre répertoire et la qualité de vos solistes avaient tout pour être appréciées..."

The EBB performs at the Soho Jazz Festival in London on September 29–30 with guest soloists Art Farmer, trumpet and Severi Pyysalo, vibraphone.

With soloist Severi Pyysalo, the EBB performs at three concerts in the USA. The concert venues are the Epcot Center at Florida Disney World, the World Congress of the International Association of Jazz Educators (by special invitation of the IAJE) and the Art Deco Festival in Miami. Bill McFarlin, the executive director of IAJE wrote to Martti Lappalainen: "On behalf of the IAJE Executive Board I would like to thank You once again for the Espoo Big Band’s outstanding musical contributions to the 19th annual IAJE International Conference. I have heard many positive comments on your performance. It was without a question one of the highlights of the conference!..." Martti Lappalainen is awarded an official prize of the IAJE for the promotion of jazz education.

The EBB performs at April Jazz Espoo with a concert of compositions conducted in person by Carla Bley. A CD recording "EBB Plays Carla Bley" is made of the live concert.

The EBB performs at April Jazz Espoo with the trombone virtuoso Ray Anderson as soloist.

The EBB performs at April Jazz Espoo with a concert of compositions conducted in person by Maria Schneider

The EBB performs April Jazz Espoo featuring the superb singing group The New York Voices.

The EBB performs at April Jazz Espoo featuring the jazz great Joe Henderson, sax.

The EBB makes a concert tour to Australia, New Zealand and Thailand. Of the concert at the jazz club Basement, Sydney, Kevin Jones from "The Australian" wrote: "…This is the loud band with a glorius strutting brass section, a group of fine technicians who play with zest and enthusiasm, the ensembles purring and roaring with precision above the rock-aligned percussion section with a contemporary feel…"

The Ebb performs at April Jazz Espoo featuring Ray Charles and The Raelettes.

Two concerts in New Orleans at IAJE-congress, the world’s biggest jazz event of the Millenium-year 2000.

EBB in concert featuring Kevin Mahogany, one of the greatest jazz vocalists of our time.

EBB releases the CD "Neandertal Grooves", 7-part suite for big band and percussion, composed by Jarmo Saari, featuring Trilok Gurtu, India. EBB has concerts at Havana International Jazz Festival, recorded by TV Cuba.

EBB in concert at April Jazz featuring Stacey Kent, the best jazz singer in England by BBC jazz polls.

EBB in concert at April Jazz featuring Allan Harris, the favoured jazz singer from New York.

EBB in 2 concerts in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and 2 concerts in Salvador de Bahia.

EBB in 2 concerts at April Jazz Espoo, featuring Billy Cobham (drums) and Randy Brecker (trumpet). The concert is filmed by Mika Kaurismäki, whose 90-minute feature “Sonic Mirror”, documenting the life of Billy Cobham and including part of the concert with EBB, will be premiered in 2007.

EBB performs at the opening of VEM 2005 in Espoo, featuring the opera tenor Pentti Hietanen.

EBB in concert at April Jazz Espoo, featuring Chico Freeman, sax.

EBB makes a 5-concert tour of Asia, performing in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur.

The EBB launches DVD "Billy Cobham & Espoo Big Band" which was published worldwide.

The EBB performs latin music in April Jazz Espoo 2007 featuring singer Kukka- Maaria Ahonen,voc
and conductor Jere Laukkanen

The EBB performed astonishing concert in April Jazz Espoo with world famous Grammy - award
composer , director Maria Schneider (USA).

In the year 2008 city of Espoo celebrated its 550 –years birthday. On New Years eve a Galaconcert
was arranged in Art WeeGee Tapiola, where the EBB played featuring vocalist Mikko
Leppilampi.

The EBB performs in April Jazz featuring the top blues and jazz singer Kevin Mahogany (USA)

A concert titled as "Joni Mitchell Symphonically" was performed in April Jazz festival by The EBB
in co-operation with The Tapiola Sinfonietta. The program was arranged and conducted by Petri
Juutilainen, featuring Johanna Iivanainen and Emma Salokoski, voc and Manuel Dunkel, sax.