- 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.
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