Sasha Berliner and Gretchen Parlato celebrate International Women’s Day at Savoy JazzFest, Helsinki

A panel discussion on the persistent gender disparities in jazz started this International Women’s Day lineup. Festival director and bassist Kaisa Mäensivu was among those discussing women’s struggle to have their voices heard in the male-dominated field – an issue that ironically faced the evening’s female performers at times.

The sound in this restored 1930s cinema is usually excellent, but perhaps due to mixing issues, vibist Sasha Berliner and vocalist Gretchen Parlato came close to being drowned out by their male backing bands. Both ultimately delivered triumphant shows.

Californian vibist Berliner, who’s played in Mäensivu’s group, offered a crystalline set with a Europe-based lineup. On drums was Mäensivu’s husband, New Yorker Joe Peri, who’s backed Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett. At first, he sounded too heavy-handed for the leader’s more subtle percussion instrument – which is notoriously tricky to mic – but later toned it down. Danish keyboardist Rasmus Sørensen, too, supported Berliner’s vibes and compositions better after switching from electronics to acoustic piano. Irish electric bassist Simon Jermyn held together the disparate parts of the quartet as Berliner unveiled strong tunes from her third album, due next autumn.

The slow-burning ‘Jinx!’ was breathtaking, with Berliner, now higher in the mix, gradually raising the stakes, eventually showing her blindingly fast, intricate mallet improv in the upper register. Berliner showcased the delicate, shimmering side of her sound on an unaccompanied arrangement of ‘My Funny Valentine’.

Parlato (pictured above - photo Minna Hatinen), with her intimate, understated voice, likewise had to work to be heard over the UMO Helsinki Jazz Orchestra – which has been all-male for nearly a half-century, but this time also featured bassist Mäensivu as a guest.

Parlato, one of the best non-Brazilian bossa nova vocalists, started off with Djavan’s ‘Flor de Lis,’ but a light Latin touch is not this big band’s strong point. On many tunes, they seemed to be doing their own thing rather than supporting Parlato.

The highlights were when Parlato was backed by a smaller ensemble, for instance just piano, drums, bass, guitar and one muted trumpet. Then we really heard Parlato’s warm, breathy diction and her seamless scat flow, within her limited range.

The most experimental of the arrangements by Jim McNeely of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra was a medley of Wayne Shorter’s ‘Juju’ and ‘Footprints’ with Parlato’s lyrics. It started out misterioso with just Mäensivu’s bass, Markus Ketola’s drums and the trombone section playing softly, then built gradually – but never really took off, with the band eventually overwhelming the vocals. Far better was Herbie Hancock’s ‘Butterfly,’ featuring Parlato’s palmas-style clapping and a suitably fluttery bass clarinet solo by Max Zenger.

Afterwards, pianist Riitta Paakki and her trio played a tasty set of straight-ahead hard bop in the venue’s bar. Her elegant, nuanced playing drew on the gentler side of the ‘60s Blue Note sound, serving up a perfect palate-cleanser and nightcap.