Improvisation workshop with Verneri Pohjola's Monkey Mind

Finnish trumpeter Verneri Pohjola is a force of nature, unquestionably a huge talent and a musician with a commanding and individual voice who is able to bring warmth and stillness to his playing as well as a vibrant intensity. His writing is strong and bold, adept at finding those hooky melodies that jump out at you as progressive, creative and individual.

Collaborating with celebrated musicians Antti Löttjönen, Tuomo Prättälä, and Olavi Louhivuori, the project 'Monkey Mind' debuted their first album in 2023. With an innovative style and dynamic playing,they effortlessly fuses traditional and modern elements to create a captivating and distinct sound. As part of the Better Live tour, Monkey Mind are giving a special workshop at The Cooler exploring improvising in ensemble, the techniques and methods they use to create their particular brand of music.

Open to all, no experience of improvisation required. Those attending any of the concerts in Monkey Mind's tour can attend the workshop free of charge on production of their ticket. The tour concert details can be found at:

Limerick Jazz 1st May: https://www.dolans.ie/gigs-events-live-music-listings/2025/5/1/limerick-jazz-presents-verneri-pohjola-monkey-mind
Westport Jazz 2nd May: https://www.facebook.com/jazzwestport/
Bray Jazz, 4th May: https://brayjazz.com/vernari-pohjola/

This tour in Ireland is part of the Better Live Music programme. Better Live is a project co-funded by the European Creative programme of the European Union, and the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund.