Sooäär/Maaker/Talts

Jazz guitarists Jaak Sooäär, Andre Maaker and Marek Talts are among the most active jazz musicians in Estonia. The trio has performed together for years as the house band of the Kuressaare Guitar Week, where the band’s “chemistry” has always been great and the audience very enthusiastic. In spring 2026 the trio toured in China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. In addition to their own compositions, the trio’s repertoire also consists of Estonian jazz classics (from Tiit Paulus to Uno Naissoo) and arrangements of Estonian folk music.

Guitarist and composer Jaak Sooäär (b.1972) is one of the most active jazz musicians in Estonia and the Baltics in recent decades. His international collaborations have included Tony Allen, Ray Anderson, Conny Bauer, Han Bennink, Raoul Björkenheim, Gavin Bryars, Will Calhoun, Anders Jormin, Dave Kikoski, Dave Liebman, Joe Lovano, Marilyn Mazur, Louis Sclavis, Vladimir Tarasov and Petras Vyshniauskas. One of his Estonian groups, Eesti Keeled, was given the Estonian Music Award as the best etno/folk artist both in 2003 and in 2005. In 2013 the quartet “Mustonen-Sooäär-Remmel-Ruben” recieved the Estonian Music Award as the best jazz artist for album “A Tempo” (AVA Muusika). In 2007 Sooäär was the first jazz musician to get Estonian Annual Jazz Prize. He has also received annual prize of Estonian Culture Endowment (Eesti Kultuurkapital) both in 2007 and 2018 and received an annual national culture prize of the Estonian government in February 2021. In April 2022 the trio Sooäär/Yaralyan/Ounaskari received the prize of The Estonian Jazz Group of 2022. His new quartet Keelepeksjad received Estonian New Folk Award in 2025. Jaak Sooäär appears on more than 50 jazz albums. In 2004 he established the record label AVA Muusika which has released over 20 albums by now.

Guitarist and composer Andre Maaker (b. 1980) is one of the most respected stage partners of Estonian music stars, from Lembit Saarsalu and Tõnis Mägi to Karmen Rõivassepp, Mari Jürjens and Kirill Ogorodnikov. He has released several solo albums and participated in dozens of albums by well-known Estonian musicians. He has written music for both choirs and chamber ensembles.

Guitarist Marek Talts (b. 1973) is one of the best-known guitarists in Estonia, whose collaboration partners include Mingo Rajandi, Hedvig Hanson, Liisi Koikson, Hanna-Liina Võsa and Maarja-Liis Ilus, among others. He has released two solo albums.