UMO Jazz Orchestra

With backing from Helsinki's city government, the Finnish Broadcasting Company, and the Ministry of Education, UMO functions in a role comparable to Finland's national jazz orchestra. Musicians who had performed in the Radio Dance Orchestra, active in the country since 1957, established the big band. Extensive international touring has led to appearances alongside leading jazz figures such as Thad Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Williams, McCoy Tyner, and Muhal Richard Abrams. The ensemble's recordings have appeared on multiple labels, among them Naxos Jazz, Leo, and A-Records.