Finland celebrates the centenary of its independence in 2017. Finnish Americans are celebrating this year-long anniversary with special events throughout the United States.

Love Songs in Spring

Hannu Makipuro and Special Guests in Concert

Saturday, April 29, 2017 and

Sunday, April 30, 2017

Sponsored by Gates Auto Group

Set One

Love Came for Me - Music by L. Holdridge/ Lyrics by W. Jennings

A Time for Love - Music by J. Mendel/ Lyrics by P. F. Webster

More - Music by N. Oliviero & R. Ortolani/ Lyrics by M/ Ciorciolini & M. Newell

My Funny Valentine - Music by Ri. Rogers/ Lyrics by L. Hart

Learn to Fly - Music by M. Makipuro/ Lyrics by R.C. Hall

Softly as in Morning Sunrise - Music by S. Romberg and O. Hammerstein II

Mark’s Swingset - Music by P. Palonen

Soon it’s Gonna Rain - Music by H. Schmidt/ Lyrics by T. Jones

You’d be so Nice To Come Home To - Music by C. Porter/ Lyrics by F. Sinatra

Stella by Starlight - Music and Lyrics by N. Washington and V. Young

All the Things You Are - Music by J. Kern/ Lyrics by O. Hammerstein II

Intermission - 20 minutes

Set Two

Spring Jazz - Music by M. and H. Makipuro

Come Rain Come Shine - Music by H. Arlen/ Lyrics by J. Mercer

The Shadow of Your Smile - Music by J. Mendel/ Lyrics by P. F. Webster

Liljan Kukka - Music and Lyrics by T. Kärki

Matalan Torpan Ballaadi - Finnish Folk Song

Feeling Sensation - Music and Lyrics by H. Makipuro

All We Have - Music and Lyrics by M. Makipuro and R. Caraballo

Days of Wine and Roses - Music by H. Mancini/ Lyrics by J. Mercer

Drift and ‘Sigh’ - Music by P. Palonen

Black Orpheus - Music by L. Bonfa/ Lyrics by C. Sigman

On a Clear Day - Music by A.J. Lerner/ Lyrics by B. Lane

Thank you to our generous donors

and

Huhta Builders - Carpentry Matti Huhta - Lighting Eric Palonen - Sound

Maritta Makipuro - Tickets Patti Folsom - Program

Steve and Katrina Bousquet - Publicity Saul Ahola - Program and Publicity

Mirja Hanslin - Hors D’Oeuvres Keith Peck - Video editing and production

Photos of H. Makipuro, M. Makipuro, P. Palonen, and B. Rood by Michael Zaritheny: www.mzaritheny.com

The Finnish American Heritage Society Board of Trustees

Steve Bousquet - President Stan Karro - Vice President Ellen Buffington - Secretary Jobina Miller - Treasurer Laura Sasser-Cuff - Correspondence Steve Coupe - Membership Saul Ahola - Trustee Patti Folsom - Trustee Elizabeth Hawes Weeks - Trustee Anita Smiley - Trustee Sean Tate - Trustee

Acknowledgements

Thank you to our sponsor

Phil Palonen - Guitar and Saxophone

Phil attended Berklee College of Music, where he learned about jazz music while studying the guitar and alto saxophone. He has solid roots in rock and blues music and he is totally versed in the jazz idiom as well. His first CD entitled, “The Phil Palonen Project,” was released in 2006. Phil performs regularly with various local bands. Currently, Phil is recording his second CD.

Bill Rood - Saxaphone

Bill has been performing professionally throughout the New England area since the age of sixteen. He is a graduate of the Hartt School of Music where he studied saxophone and earned a degree in Music Education. While teaching music in the public schools for the past eighteen years, Bill has devoted his life to musical and creative pursuits and continues to perform at events all around Connecticut.

Matt Vernali - Drums Matt Vernali comes from a musical family and has been playing drums for over 50 years. Matt attended the New England Conservatory in Boston. He is a multifaceted musician, proficient in many genres. Matt is currently an active member of the Quiet Corner Jazz Quartet, Straight UP Jazz, The Leslie Alexandra Quartet and the Bob Matterazzo Band.

Hannu Makipuro - Lead Vocalist and Trumpet Hannu Makipuro was born in Merikarvia, Finland. As a child he was a soprano soloist. He came to the United States to live with his aunt in 1953. He attended Plainfield High School, where he picked up the trumpet. In 1959 he was married and in 1961 was drafted into the army. He was stationed in Germany and was placed with the 8th division showcase, which toured Europe. He then joined the 8th division Army Band and performed when John F Kennedy came to Germany in the sixties. In 1976, Hannu recorded his first album, "Memories at Beach Pond". Selections from this album have been played in radio stations both here and Finland. In the 1980s, he collaborated with his son, Mark, and released the album "Magicians Road." He also recorded an album with Veikko Ahvenainen, "American Polkka.” He released "Folk Songs of Finland" in the 1990s. He is currently working on remastering and compiling music for a new album. From 1977 to 1985 Hannu held eight outdoor concerts in Voluntown, CT, at Tamarack Lodge. He also performed at Veikko Ahvenainen's 50th anniversary concert tour of Finland. In 2010 and 2011 he performed some of his songs at his son’s sold out con-cert, "The Seasons". This concert is currently available on CD. Over the years Hannu and Mark have performed at many international festivals around the U.S. In 2005 Hannu became a playwright and wrote, "The Hatbox." This play had several performances at the Finnish Hall. Hannu was a liturgical lay minister for 35 years at St. John's Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, CT, and he currently helps with music at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Willimantic, CT. He was president of both FAHS and Aura Hall and was awarded the Order of the White Rose from Finland’s president.

Mark Makipuro - Director, Vocals, and Keyboard

Mark Makipuro has been performing since the age of six. He studied music at the University of Connecticut and is a graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University with a degree in performing arts. Mark is a vocalist, keyboardist, and arranger. He has been a professional musician and composer for more than thirty years.

Mark has toured throughout many parts of the United States and abroad. He performed with the following bands and artists: Hannu Makipuro, The Diamond-back Band, WishFace, Knyte Flyte, The Mansfield Hollow Promises with Peter Tork, The Blackburns, Room With a View, Skip Haynes and the Black Tie Band, and Dave Pike (former percussionist for Henry Mancini).

Mark performed with the Diamondback Band at the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Show in Nashville, TN, in the late 1990’s. He also opened for many national acts.

Mark completed a year-long composing project for the play “The Hatbox” in 2007. Over the past several years, Mark has worked on sound design for the theater department at Eastern Connecticut State University and has been involved with several independent recording projects.

In 2010 and 2011, Mark presented two sold out performances of his concert, “The Seasons,” and produced a double CD from this concert.

Mark is currently a music minister at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Willimantic, CT, and is working in a studio remastering older recordings.

Rufus Davis - Piano and Keyboard

Rufus "Baby Grand" Davis has played for many across the nation. A native of New London, CT, Rufus began playing music at the age of five. After graduating from Robert E. Fitch High School in Groton, CT, he started his professional career conducting at Wesleyan University and moved on to continue his education at Bridgeport University.

He has assisted in rehearsals for both the London Symphony Orchestra and the Eastern Connecticut

Symphony Orchestra. He toured the country with the National Theater for the Performing Arts and has performed at the Coast Guard Academy for special government service events. He is the musical director and pianist for St. John’s Christian Church in Groton, CT. He currently plays for several bands including the J Hunter Group, Red Satin Band, Up Jump Swing Band, Shades of Joy with Dwight Baldwin, Jim Stewart Big Band, and the Baby Grand Davis Ensemble. He is also the resident pianist for Foxwoods Resort Casino. He was an instructor at the String Theory School of Music in East Lyme, CT, for seven years. He is also music accompanist for Plainfield and Griswold High Schools and music accompanist for the Chestnut Street Playhouse in Norwich, CT.

Roger Glidden - Bass Guitarist

Roger is an electric and acoustic bassist and founding member of the group "Blue Steam". They perform at Hank's restaurant in Brooklyn, the mansion at Bald Hill in Woodstock, and at various private functions through-out Northeast Connecticut. Roger's involvement in music started with the cello at age 7 and the euphonium at age 10, followed by bass at age 12. By the fall of 1976, Roger was enrolled at the UConn School of Music, playing 5 different instruments in 5 bands. At the end of his sophomore year, Roger's

interest shifted from classical music to Jazz and he left UConn to join the rapidly growing Jazz program at the University of North Texas. Road work soon followed, which included the 1960s group "The Buckinghams," recording artist David Grayson, and the casino show band "Atlantis," playing in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and Atlantic City. After 12 years in the Pacific Northwest with various bands, Roger returned to Connecticut, married in '95, and began to establish himself with the "Quiet Corner" music community. His well known melodic style is equally balanced by his eagerness to find "the pocket" in any style of music.