Trivia

In 1995 he was awarded The Andania Prize of Jazz Finland.

In 1995 he was recipient of The Louis Armstrong Award of Classic Jazz Association (Finland).

Was a member of 10 bands across his musical career; Carmen (1945-1949), JH Quintet (1950-1951), Martti Nummi Sextet (1952), Pihlajamaan Pelimannit (1952-1953), LL Quintet (1954-1955), Jorma Weneskoski Orchestra (1956-1962), Happy Swing Band (1978-2020), Jukka Haavisto Band, Haavisto Swingers (1990-2020) and Western Swingers (1998-2020).

His book Puuvillapelloilta kaskimaille ('From the cotton fields to the land of slash-and-burn') (1991), is the most recent general treatise of jazz in Finland. His book has some 400 pages, and in it he writes about 1.500 Finnish jazz musicians.

Founded his own advertising agency PRAX in 1975, and worked there in the capacity of CEO and chairman.

In 2010 he was acknowledged with the Archive feat of the year for groundbreaking work for the national heritage in the fields of jazz and popular music.

One of the founders of the Association for the Promotion of Finnish Popular Music in 1994. He acted as its director until 2004.

From 1969 to 1978 he worked in the advertising agency Artifex as the vice-CEO.

His sons Janne and Olli are well-known musicians in Finland and internationally. Janne has played in J. Karjalainen & Mustat Lasit, Laika & The Cosmonauts, and Olli has played in J. Karjalainen & Mustat Lasit, Freud Marx Engels & Jung and with Mikko Kuustonen and Tuomari Nurmio. His daughter Susanna Haavisto is a singer and an actress.

Acted as the head of the Finnish Jazz Archive, later the Finnish Jazz & Pop Archive (the current Musiikkiarkisto ('Music Archive')), during 1991-97.

In 2007 he was bestowed with the honorary title of music councilor.

Worked in the advertising agency SEK from 1959 to 1968.

Graduated from the Jyväskylä Pedagogical Institute in 1956 with a degree in teaching.

In 2000 he received the Prix ELVIS of the Elvis Association (Finland).

His father was killed in the Winter War at Taipaleenjoki.