" data-original-title="" title="">David Chevallier from Nantes, France.

This is the ensemble which took to the road in mid November 2024, starting in France before launching a tour of 24 concerts around the Baltics and Finland. In this environment Tamm is limited to vocals with occasional guitar while the trio perform Chevalliers' varied compositions, which could be classified as art-jazz. Whatever box one puts Tamm's latest project with the trio into, the music on offer is a set of highly structured compositions and improvisations based around Chevallier's intricate acoustic and electric guitar. And Tamm is the mouthpiece for its theme "Borders," having written all the lyrics in both Estonian and English.

The initial Finnish concert of "Borders" took place in the Finnish capital, at the Vuotalo Cultural Centre. It was a concert in an outer suburb of Helsinki and attracted 25-30 fairly diverse punters for a program of guitar-led pieces, almost all songs and with Tamm's lyrics. The songs were mainly reflective, maybe introspective, with English titles including 'Escape,' 'Cage in my Mind' and 'Estranged.' Post-gig, All About Jazz caught up with Tamm to explore her musical background, her influences and her motivation to tackle a topic critically sensitive in her own country, a country that shares a 180-mile border with its unpredictable eastern neighbor—a border which is now closed.



All About Jazz: Have you completed some degree courses in music?

Anett Tamm: I hold a Bachelors (2021) and Masters (2023) degree in jazz and improvised music from the Estonian Academy of Music. I also completed an exchange semester at the Music Academy of Cologne during my masters studies, which I really enjoyed.

AAJ: When did you start your musical career?

AT: My first "paid gigs" were at age 9, when my family was living in Germany: I sang in Heidelberg Theater's children's choir and we played the children in Puccini's La Boh��me. So this was my first experience seeing behind the scenes of the professional music world in 2006-2007.

As for my career, it is hard for me to define because I feel like I'm only getting started. My more intentional and active life as a performing musician began in 2018 when I released the first album with my very first band Alfa Collective, the album Canvas (2018, Self Produced) consisting of my original music. Although I have moved on from this kind of music and the band isn't active anymore, I'm glad I went through the experience of making and releasing this album. It was a huge step for me at the time and brought some fun opportunities, including my first international concerts in Greece and Croatia. From that point on, I have continued to form and lead different groups, take part in various collaborative projects and to dive into the depths of the art.

AAJ: Do you have any significant early experiences that have been critical in becoming a professional?

AT: Music has always been my main outlet and preferred way of expression. My parents did a very good job of creating a supportive environment for me growing up, where I was encouraged to explore and develop my music interests. All my hobbies consisted of musical activities—I sang in children's choirs, studied classical piano in music school, began solo singing lessons at the age of 11, taught myself to play the guitar at 12 and began writing my own songs shortly after that. Every chance to perform was used and it made me take music very seriously at quite a young age, yet it remained playful for me. My curiosity was always fueled and I understood that if I stayed committed, there was so much to experience and discover through and in music. This probably contributed to me pursuing a professional career later.

AAJ: What would you say are your specific musical influences?

AT: There are numerous influences across genres and I never want to jump off the train of new discoveries, but in terms of developing and searching for my own tools for expression, I see the influences split quite clearly into two categories: vocalists and songwriters.