JIMI 2026

Kalle Kalima (Guitarist)

Touring

Last 25 years have been busy years for Kalima, touring mostly in Europe but also in Africa, Asia and Americas. Kalle Kalima (b. 1973 in Helsinki, Finland) has worked with trumpeters Tomasz Stanko and Leo Wadada Smith, sax players Juhani Aaltonen, Anthony Braxton, Frank Gratkowski and Mikko Innanen, trombonist Conny Bauer, bass players Greg Cohen, Sirone and Chris Jennings, guitarist Marc Ducret, composers Michael Wertmüller and Simon Stockhausen, pianist Jason Moran, drummers Jim Black and Tony Allen and singers Andreas Schaerer, Jelena Kuljic, Theresa Kronthaler, Claron Macfadden, Linda Sharrock as well as with Ensemble Resonanz, B´Rock, NDR Big Band and Jazzanova DJs.

Recordings

Kalimas has been working intensively with the Swiss virtuoso vocalist Andreas Schaerer in last years. They released „Evolution“ (ACT) with Tim Lefvebre in 2023 and toured in trio and duo. Further new releases in 2024 are „Halogen“ (We Jazz) by Lampen (duo with drummer Tatu Rönkkö) and „Ilmonique“ (Tyxart records) by duo with pianist Achim Kaufmann. The album “Flying like Eagles” with Knut Reiersrud on guitar, Jim Black on drums and Phil Donkin on bass was released in 2019 and the record release concert was in the Philharmony of Berlin. Kalima´s Trio “Long Winding Road” with bass player Greg Cohen (Tom Waits, Ornette Coleman) and Max Andrzejewski was touring in 2016 with the “High Noon” album (ACT). The group Klima Kalima with Oliver Steidle and Oliver Potratz won ”Neuer Deutscher Jazzpreis” in 2008 and has released five albums. The sixth one will be released in 2025. Kalima is member of “A Novel of Anomaly” (w Andreas Schaerer, drummer Lucas Niggli and Accordionist Luciano Biondini). The group is releasing their second album „Anthem for No Man´s Land“ in 2025. Kalima is a member of ROKC quartet (album ROWK) with Ronny Graupe (gtr), Oli Steidle (drs) and Chris Pitsiokes (sax). The trio „Johnny La Marama“ with Eric Schaefer (drs) and Chris Dahlgren (bs) has released 4 albums and has collaborated with Novoflot Opera company.

Prizes and Educational work

Kalima is also leading K-18, a Finnish group with quarter-tone accordion that won Jazz- Emma in Finland in 2013. With his solo program “Pentasonic” he plays guitar through electronics into 5 amps surrounding the audience. Kalima received the „Ted Curson“ prize of Pori jazz festival (FI) in 2016. He is a member of the group “Kuu” with Christian Lillinger, Jelena Kuljic and Frank Möbus which claimed positive resonance with their second album “Lampedusa Lullaby” and the third one „Artificial Sheep“. They were nominated for German Jazz Prize in 2022. He has a trio “Tenors of Kalma” with Jimi Tenor, Finnish underground pop star. Their first album “Electric Willow” was released in early 2015 and brought Kalima “Echo –Jazz” Prize nomination in 2016 and the second one „Sounds of Salo“ was also positively received. Kalima was nominated for German Jazz Prize for Guitar in 2022. Kalima is a professor of jazz guitar at the university of Lucerne since 2017.

Press

„Kalle Kalima & K-18 are harmonic chameleons changing colors, textures and lyrical direction at will to effectively captured the cinematic moods of the various films while working strictly in the audio format, the visuals are left up to the listener, 5 stars.“ Brent Black, Critical Jazz.com 6/14 “Kalima is a virtuoso who can do anything from single lines to electronicly altered hyper slide guitar…” (Thomas Wörtche, Jazzpodium 4/03) “A record that documents Kalle Kalima´s flexibility, ability and amazing maturity both as a guitarist and as a band-leader” (Jazzdimensions.de 2001, Carina Prange about “Hippycone”). “…with his guitars Kalle Kalima proves to be a far reaching story-telling talent” (Jazzpodium Nr. 2 02/01, Frithsjof Strauß) “Presenting a combination of reckless abandon and structural thinking, Kalle Kalima (b. 1973) is one of the most fascinating Finnish musicians at the moment. …the guitarist has managed to formulate a unique sound both as a musician and as a tunesmith. Currently residing in Berlin, Kalima plants the roots of his music deeply in the Nordic landscapes and the hectic urban life of the German capital.” (Helsinki happens 01/01, Petri Silas, Finnland.)

Kalle Kalima, composer

Kalle Kalima (b. 1973 in Helsinki, Finland) has composed for his jazz groups as Klima Kalima, Kalle Kalima & K-18, Kuu! and Tenors of Kalma. These compositions can be heard on various albums released by these groups. Kalima has composed orchestral music for Opera Lyon, Ensemble Resonanz (Chamber Ensemble of Elbphilharmony in Hamburg) Jousia Ensemble and B´Rock. He has composed chamber music for Zafraan Ensemble, String Trio of Munich Symphony and big band music for NDR Big Band, Umo Big Band among others.

Orchestral Works

Kalima was commissioned by B´Rock orchestra to compose „Lamento of Dry Rivers“. in 2023 which was played at Beethovenfest Bonn as well as in Thüringer Bachwochen in Erfurt. He arranged „St Johns Passion“ of J. S. Bach for B´Rock in 2024. The production which was called „In your Hands“ was a co-operation with Tall Tales Company. The Premiere was at Bachfestival Dordrecht (NL). His music theater piece for Opera Ensemble „Dido & Aeneas, remembered“ was commissioned by Opera Lyon and played in Lyon eight times in March 2019. The piece was also played at Ruhrtriennale in August 2019 and film version of it was produced by Opera Flanderen in Antwerpen in March 2021. His composition “Louhi” for (for string orchestra and electric guitar) Ensemble Resonanz was commissioned by “Ansbacher Bach Woche” in 2017 and was played also at other festivals in Europe in 2017 and 2018 and by Philharmony of Konstanz. “Kata Heian Nidan” for string orchestra was commissioned by Jousia Ensemble in Helsinki and also played by Pekka Kuusisto and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra in USA in 2014.

Chamber Music and Solo Pieces

He was commissioned in 2022 to compose chamber music for Zafraan Ensemble. On the 3.6.22 following pieces were premiered: ADAC, Queen of hearts, FU2 PTN. Kalima composed „Checks and Balances“ for Ensemble Resonanz String Quartett and Electric guitar ( Premiere8/21) and „Eiskorallen“ for Sonar String Quartett and Electric Guitar ( Premiere 10/21). „Matrix“ for guitarist Otto Tolonen (9/21). This piece was published by Edition Margaux. Kalimas ongoing collaboration with Mezzosoprano Theresa Kronthaler and bassist Oliver Potratz has resulted in arrangements of Monteverdi, Purcell and Händel on albums „Living Loving Maid“ (2015, Sony classic) and „Some Call Him Johnny Grey“ (2024, BMC Records) which is nominated by the „Schallplattenkritik“ on their quarter yearly list. His piece “Shinaz Malbuch” for String Trio of Munich Symphony and electric guitar was commissioned by Echolot Festival in 2017. The piece „Free Dive“ for String Trio, electronics and two improvising solists was first played in Munich 2017.

Big Band Music

He was commissioned be the UMO Big band for „KGB-Suite“ which was premiered in February 2024 in Finland. He was commissioned be the NDR Big Band to compose 60- minute Suite „Pulp Friction“ which was premiered in 2012 and played constantly by different Big Bands in Europe ever since. This suite will be released by the NDR Big Band in 2025. He was commissioned by UMO Big Band to compose „Dance Suite for Domestic Animals“ (2009) and „Lietsonta“ (2013).