Project Pennar feat. James Copus Estonia–UK

At this year’s Jazzkaar, Karl Madis Pennar’s sextet and James Copus will present Pennar’s fresh album Journeys Abroad. Its music is inspired by the author’s adventures in Europe and studies in Hamburg. It is a conceptual follow-up to Pennar’s previous album Stories Untold. The stylistically diverse and dynamic entirety of the new album is characterised by captivating and profound grooves, elements of soul and hip-hop as well as a melodic and crisp Nordic touch.

Pennar has won first place in the Big Band Composition Contest for Baltic Young Composers and received the Tiit Paulus Young Guitarist Award in 2020. As a guitarist and composer he has furthered his education in the Master’s programme at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre. His composition teachers and guitar mentors include top professionals in their fields, such as Wolf Kerschek, Vadim Neselovskyi, Lutz Krajenski, Teemu Viinikainen and Kalle Kalima.

Special guest for Pennar’s project is New York-based trumpeter James Copus, who has performed alongside popular jazz and soul musicians such as Jacob Collier, Jorja Smith and Cory Wong.