NEW ORLEANS HELSINKI CONNECTION Katja Toivola, Pietarinkatu 15 C 112, 00140 Helsinki, Finland Tel: +1(504)940-0978 (New Orleans), +358-(0)50-547 70 38 (Helsinki) E-mail: kamtoivola@aol.com

PRESS RELEASE, March 23rd, 2004

New Orleans Helsinki Connection's CD to be released Record release: April 24th, 2004, 11.30 pm, Donna's Bar & Grill (800 N. Rampart) In-store: April 27th, 2004, 12.00 pm, Louisiana Music Factory (210 Decatur St.) New Orleans Helsinki Connection will release its first CD on April 24th, 2004. The CD is titled At Last and contains classic New Orleans favorites like Shake It And Break It, jazz standards like Them There Eyes and original compositions like The Sea Horse and the brand new New Orleans Helsinki Connection where Leroy Jones joins Tricia Boutté on vocals. The band is comprised of some of New Orleans and Helsinki's finest musicians of the genre. Tricia "Sista Teedy" Boutté's vocals can be heard on nine tracks of the CD and Leroy Jones' on four. Leroy Jones plays trumpet and flügelhorn, Katja Toivola plays trombone, Todd Duke guitar, Paul Longstreth piano, Ozaki Nobumasa bass and Thomas Rönnholm drums. The members of the NOHC (photo) have been playing together in various bands for years but it wasn't until the summer of 2002 that the long time dream of a joint band finally became reality. The band then had a successful three-week tour in Finland and has been working sporadically since then. In October 2003 the NOHC headed in to the studio, and the new, aptly titled CD At Last is the result of those wonderful autumn days. The record release will take place at Donna's Bar & Grill (800 N. Rampart) on Saturday April 24th at 11.30 pm. The band will also perform at the Louisiana Music Factory (210 Decatur St.) on Tuesday April 27th at 12.00 pm. In August the NOHC will be touring Scandinavia: it will perform at Sildajazz Festival in Haugesund, Norway (8/11-15), at Lahden Jazztori Festival (8/17) in Lahti, Finland, and at Storyville Jazz Club (8/18-21) in Helsinki, Finland. At Last will be available at the Louisiana Music Factory (210 Decatur Street, New Orleans, LA 70130, www.louisianamusicfactory.com) and other local record stores. Inquiries and larger quantities: kamtoivola@aol.com. At Last (NOHC-242)  1. Shake It And Break It (Traditional)  2. New Orleans Helsinki Connection (Leroy Jones)  3. Darktown Strutters' Ball (Traditional)  4. The Sea Horse (Katja Toivola)  5. At Last (Gordon, Warren)  6. Go To New Orleans (Margie Baird)  7. Jada (Cohen)  8. Palm Court Strut (Danny Barker)  9. Just A Closer Walk With Thee (Traditional) 10. St. Louis Blues (Handy) 11. Bye Bye Blackbird (Dixon, Henderson) 12. Don't Get Around Much Anymore (Ellington, Russell) 13. They Can't Take That Away From Me (Gershwin) 14. Them There Eyes (Pinkard, Tauber, Tracey) Musicians: Tricia Boutté, vocals Leroy Jones, trumpet, flügelhorn, and vocals Katja Toivola, trombone Todd Duke, guitar Paul Longstreth, piano Ozaki Nobumasa, bass Thomas Rönnholm, drums Recorded at the Word Of Mouth Recording Studio, New Orleans, October 30th and November 3rd and 4th, 2003. Recorded and mixed by Tim Stambaugh Mastered at Factory Masters by Joe Doherty Photography by Armand "Sheik" Richardson Art direction by Katja Toivola Graphic design by Steve Winn/Emanation Produced by Katja Toivola and Leroy Jones Executive producer: Esko Matilainen Further information and pictures: New Orleans Helsinki Connection Katja Toivola E-mail: kamtoivola@aol.com Tel: +1(504)940-0978, +358(0)50 547 7038

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