Fownhope’s Heart of Oak Society traces its roots to the age of friendly societies, when communities provided their own safety net. Its anniversary celebrations reveal a tradition still very much alive, says MARK SEDDON
Latest editorial
Forged in the sonic smithy
Chris Searle on Jazz
ANGUS REID explains the significance of Cuba’s egalitarian in letter and spirit Family Code and the pertinent lessons it holds for democracies anywhere in the world
Special report by PEOPLE’S WORLD
NICK WRIGHT considers how the isolation of Israel and a new film on the controversial Italian communist leader are creating new reference points for Italy’s left
CARLOS MARTINEZ says Cuba’s achievements in the face of a criminal blockade are startling, but the island’s future if the United States succeeds in crushing it looks bleak
AMNON BROWNFIELD STEIN reports that far-right MPs who mobbed the event organised by Hadash may have helped raise awareness of the brutality of the Israeli right
Iiro Rantala
My History of Jazz and
My Working Class Hero
WITH hardly a con-ventional route for a jazz pianist, Iiro Rantala was born in Helsinki in 1970, had a powerful musical upbringing as a member of Cantored Minores, a renowned Finnish boys’ choir, an education as a classical pianist and then a course in jazz studies at the Manhattan School of Music.
He performed for 18 years as part of the iconoclastic jazz group the Trio Toykeat (“The Rotten Trio”) while continuing to play classical piano and writing for films, television and theatre.
Similar stories
CHRIS SEARLE recommends a work of love and deep admiration for a great musician
CHRIS SEARLE recommends a new album featuring Pat Thomas and Ahmed, and marvels at the tempestuous power of a live performance
As part of the 2025 London Jazz Festival Rich Mix offered intriguing sessions titled 'Persian Jazz,' CHRIS SEARLE was there
This is a concert of ambition and courage by organist and improviser Wayne Marshall, says SIMON DUFF