News - Wed Dec 09, 2009

IMC on Social Networks09/12/09

Improvised Music Company would like to invite you to be our friend on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and YouTube.

IF you would like to join us please click on the links below:

Add us as a friend on:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/improvisedmusic
MySpace: www.myspace.com/improvisedmusiccompany

Twitter: www.twitter.com/improvisedmusic

Or subscribe on

YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/ImprovisedMusicCo

See you on the web!

All the best,

IMC team.

FREE FARMLEIGH CONCERTS FROM OPW30/06/09

Press Release Tuesday 30th June

FREE FARMLEIGH CONCERTS FROM OPW

Julie Feeney, Hayes & Cahill, John Taylor, Tarab and The Xi and Si in Farmleigh’s ballroom for a series of free salon concerts from the OPW.

OPW Salon Series

Tuesday 21st July – Wednesday 11th August 2009

Ballroom, Farmleigh House, Phoenix Park, Castleknock, Dublin 15

Julie Feeney | John Taylor | Hayes & Cahill | Tarab and Xi an Si

Tickets are free (awarded by lottery)

To enter the ticket lottery go to: http://salonseries.ie

"A visionary exercise in inventive programming that offered music in magnificent surroundings. Probably the longest ray of sunshine we've had all summer."- The Irish Times

"Those looking for authenticity are well catered for nowadays, with events like the OPW's Salon Series." - Sunday Tribune

The ballroom at Farmleigh is the place to be for an evening of music you will remember long after the summer has departed. Now in their fifth year, Farmleigh’s annual series of salon music concerts have become a byword for musical excellence set in dramatic surroundings with a perfect music ambience and a fine natural acoustic. Curated by Improvised Music Company, these concerts bring Ireland and the world’s leading musicians into the very heart of Farmleigh, evoking a vibrant musical history that sits alongside the estate’s proud literary and artistic heritage.
Four, free, mid-week concerts will take place in Farmleigh’s ballroom over July and August and will feature unique and distinct talents drawn from across the musical spectrum. They are:
Julie Feeney, a woman of many hats including composer, writer, and singer, and who the Irish and UK press have hail as one of the most original talents in Ireland today, will be gracing the ballroom with her artful chamber pop on Tuesday 21st July.
Manchester born jazz pianist John Taylor brings an evening of solo piano elegance on Wednesday 29th July, where audiences will hear Farmleigh’s fine Steinway played by a modern day master.
“Matchless and magic: a timely reminder of what genius really tastes like.” is how The Irish Times recently described duo Hayes & Cahill. They have been making waves since the 1980s bringing traditional Irish music to audiences around the globe, and on Tuesday 4th August their unique approach to music from Co Clare will be a Farmleigh night to remember.
The final concert on Tuesday 11th August is a night of cultural crossover as Francesco Turrisi’s Tarab, a group which draws inspiration from Turkish, Mediterranean and Irish music, meets The Xi an Si, an intriguing trio of Chinese women embracing Irish airs performed on beautiful Asian instruments.
Tickets for each of these intimate salon concerts are free and limited, so your earliest online application to the ticket lottery is advised to avoid disappointment! For further information on ticketing and the salon music programme visit www.salonseries.ie

Listings and Booking Information:

Julie Feeney
Tuesday 21st July, 8pm

“She is an innovator, an original; incomparable with any of her contemporaries and she has created what might just be the Irish album of the year. “ – The Irish Times

Julie Feeney’s artful chamber pop is surely tailor made for the genteel environs of Farmleigh, with her delicate palate of strings, muted brass and woodwinds that provide the background colours for one of Ireland’s most original performers and songwriters. This particular Galway girl has the wind at her back, bolstered by unanimous acclaim for Pages, the new CD which looks set to eclipse her debut 13 Songs which garnered a Choice Music Prize. It marks a quantum step in her evolution, especially as composer, where she is pushing on for musical terrain that is rarely heard outside an orchestral context.

It acts as a finely balanced foil to the songwriting, full of wry observation, quirky humour and wordplay, and there’s an assuredness to her theatrical delivery that beckons to other creative avenues too. The voice, needless to say, is as good as ever, evidence that those five years in the National Chamber Choir were in good stead, just one fork on her musical road less travelled that is now bringing her to somewhere very original.

John Taylor
Wednesday 29th July, 8pm

“Pensive yet urgent, the music seemed to reflect one of the outstanding characteristics of Taylor’s playing, his remarkable ability to be simultaneously assertive and yet infinitely delicate.” – The Guardian
Solo piano is perhaps the highest expression of the jazz musician’s craft, where player and instrument are literally at one with the audience. In the right artistic hands, it’s a direct experience, with no impediment to the possibilities, from poignant intimacy to grand orchestral sweep. At the highest level, it’s within the gift of a small band of pianists, and Manchester born John Taylor is among them.
In a career spanning four decades, his poised, elegant playing with its pastoral nuances has placed him in the highest echelons, collaborating on ECM recordings with musicians like Jan Garbarek, John Surman, and the seminal trio Azimuth, one of the music’s most imaginatively conceived chamber groups. Blessed with a sublime touch, Taylor is a supremely gifted soloist in his own right, a romantic that’s not averse to swinging hard in the grand tradition of Bill Evans, the master he’s often likened to. Farmleigh is endowed with a fine Steinway, and tonight it will be in the hands of a present day master.

Hayes & Cahill
Tuesday 4th August, 8pm

“Beauty and sublime artistry proliferate.” - The Irish Examiner
“Matchless and magic: a timely reminder of what genius really tastes like.” – The Irish Times
Few could have anticipated the illustrious path upon which Martin Hayes and Denis Cahill were setting out when they played their first gigs in Seattle in the 80’s, but their journey deep into the heart of traditional melody has also taken them to the world’s greatest halls, evidence of something universal at the heart of this musical partnership that speaks so effortlessly.
Their bond has grown in intensity down the years, in a nightly dialogue that seems to begin afresh every time they play, yet carries the best of the many conversations that have preceded it. In their Zen like way, the topic often starts out the same; the lyrical music of East Clare learnt in childhood from Martin’s father PJ Hayes, whose melodies are a portal to their unique sound world, where time itself seems subservient to the music’s progress, graceful and unobstructed.

Tarab and the Xi an Si
Tuesday 4th August, 8pm

For such a vast country with a profound cultural history, the West knows comparatively little of China’s great regional diversity in traditional music, but a young musician from Zhengzhou City is set to change that, at least as far as Irish audiences are concerned. Now living in Co Clare, Li Kai is bridging the geographical divide with The Xi’ an Si, a trio that reunites her with musicians from home and also introduces us to exquisite instruments like the guzheng, the emblematic Chinese zither whose bright singing tone is so evocative of the Irish harp, pipa, a teardrop shaped lute with deeply scalloped frets and the erhu, the two stringed upright fiddle with its soulful timbre.
Their musical journey starts on the Silk Road and ends a little closer to home, with Irish airs heard on these instruments, and its as if they were made for each other. Joining them en route is Francesco Turrisi, the young Italian musician who has made such an impression since moving to Ireland. Performing on accordion and frame drums, he convincingly bridges traditional music from around the Mediterranean with his Tarab quartet, which also includes saxophonist Nick Roth. Their jazz background is finely countered by traditional flautist Emer Mayock who, along with percussionist Robbie Harris, brings an innate understanding of melody and form in Irish music.

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Berklee Invest in Irish Musicians13/04/09

Boston's Berklee College of Music opens its doors to to Irish musicians with workshops and auditions in Dublin. Berklee College of Music present Berklee In Dublin Improvisation Workshops Mon 13- Fri 17 April Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) 163-167 Rathmines Road, Dublin Free Public Improvisation Symposium Wed 15 April, 7pm DIT 163-167 Rathmines Road, Dublin Berklee Auditions Sat 18- Sun 19 April Newpark Music Centre, Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock Co Dublin

Berklee College of Music in Boston has strong ties to Ireland. Bill Whelan, Grammy-winning composer of Riverdance, was named to Berklee's board of trustees in 2007. Over the last two years, he brought Riverdance musicians to Boston for a master class, and has actively explored ways to introduce young Irish musicians to the college. U2's groundbreaking guitarist The Edge was awarded an honorary doctor of music degree at Berklee's 2007 commencement. Newpark Music Centre, in Dublin, has been a member of the Berklee International Network for many years.

Though many Irish musicians are fluid improvisers, Berklee intends to help them build on what they know, teaching the theory, skills, and stylistic considerations needed to master the art of spontaneous composition. The workshop will be offered to all musicians, from classical and Irish traditional, to pop, rock, and jazz.

Every student applying to Berklee is required to audition and interview live at the Boston campus or at sites all over North America, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Latin America. The goal is to identify students who are the best fit for Berklee. These are applicants who demonstrate strong musical aptitude, and are innovators and risk-takers. They are driven by their passion for music and take a disciplined and focused approach to the development of their craft. All students who audition and interview for Berklee are also considered for scholarships.

Now Berklee is investing in Ireland to bring young talent across the Atlantic to its Boston campus. Ireland, though rich in musical heritage, is underrepresented at Berklee, a multicultural melting pot that includes students from more than 70 countries. The college's means of investment is two-fold: First is Berklee in Dublin, April 13-17, a series of improvisation workshops that allow students to study with Berklee's world renowned faculty. Second, April 18-19, is a visit by admissions representatives and professors to audition and interview students for scholarships for summer and full-time study at Berklee in Boston.

Berklee in Dublin workshops will take place at Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), 163-167 Rathmines Road. The auditions will be held at Newpark Music Centre, Berklee's International Network partner in Dublin, at Newtownpark Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dublin

A free, public improvisation symposium will be held on Wednesday, April 15, at 19:00. On Friday, April 17, at a special closing event, the college will award scholarships to its Five-Week Summer Performance Program in Boston, as well as three online courses from Berkleemusic.com, the college's online school. Both events will be held at DIT.

For more information on Berklee School of Music visit www.berkleemusic.com

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12 Points! 2009 13/01/09

Improvised Music Company

Supported by

The Goethe Institut & Culture Ireland

Present

12 Points!

Europe’s New Jazz

Wednesday 11th – Saturday 14th February 2009

Doors open at 7pm each night | Performances from 7.30pm

Tickets: €20/ €18

Special Festival passes €60 for all four nights (limited availability and not available online)

***
Project Arts Centre, East Essex Street, Temple Bar D2
Tel: 01 8819613/4 11am to 7pm Monday to Saturday
www.project.ie | www.12points.ie

"A four day event hot wired into the changing dynamic of the contemporary European jazz scene.” The Observer

“12 points has placed Dublin at the centre of European jazz. It is now the place to check out the very best emerging young talent from across the continent. “ Jazzwise

Four nights, twelve young bands, the best that Europe has to offer.

12 Points! The little festival with the big idea is back for its third edition to ask the only European question that really matters. Just who are the dozen bands from across the union that will light up 2009?

From Wed 11th to Sat 14th February, young musicians from Holland, Norway, Denmark, France, Sweden, Italy, Finland, Germany and The UK will be here to provide the answers along with their Irish hosts, and Poland and Spain will also make their welcome accession to the 12 Points! zone.

It’s our most stylistically diverse line up so far and makes clear that, like knobbly carrots, jazz around Europe is anything but homogenous. Europe’s young musicians are clearly listening voraciously, embracing technology, collaborating in other artistic spheres, going deep into the tradition and on it goes in a virtuous cycle that’s keeping the creative flame alight.

Different preoccupations are abundant. There’s lyricism at the piano with London’s Curios and Helsinki’s Aki Rissanen, while Dublin’s Morla and Rome’s Luca Aquino are investigating the electronic domain from different perspectives. Poland’s Audiofeeling and the bands of Spanish bassist Giulia Valle and French saxophonist Emile Parisien are all rhythmic traditionalists with a modern twist, but a looser modus is favoured by Albatrosh from Oslo and Hyperactive Kid from Berlin. Amsterdam’s Zapp and Stockholm’s Paavo owe a little something to the contemporary classical world, while Copenhagen’s Magnus Fra Gaarden are none of the above, and might be just as happy playing a rock festival.

Yes to Europe .Yes to Lisbon. Yes to knobbly carrots. Yes to 12 Points!

Listings Information

Date:                                    Wednesday 11th February, 2009

Festival:                                12 Points! Europe’s New Jazz

Time:                                    Doors: 7pm, Performances

Bands:                                 19:30 Audiofeeling (Cracow)

                                            21:00 Morla (Dublin)

                                            22:30 Paavo (Stockholm)

Cover Charge:                     €20/€18

Venue:                                Project Arts Centre, East Essex Street, Temple Bar D2

Booking info:                      Tel: 01 8819613/4 11am to 7pm Monday to Saturday
URL:                                     www.project.ie | www.12points.ie

Date:                                    Thursday 12th February, 2009

Festival:                                12 Points! Europe’s New Jazz

Time:                                    Doors: 7pm, Performances

Bands:                                 19:30 Hyperactive Kid (Berlin)

                                            21:00 Aki Rissanen (Helsinki)

                                            22:30 Luca Aquino Quartet (Rome)

Cover Charge:                     €20/€18

Venue:                                 Project Arts Centre, East Essex Street, Temple Bar D2

Booking info:                      Tel: 01 8819613/4 11am to 7pm Monday to Saturday
URL:                                     www.project.ie | www.12points.ie

Date:                                    Friday 13th February, 2009

Festival:                               12 Points! Europe’s New Jazz

Time:                                    Doors: 7pm, Performances

Bands:                                 19:30 Albatrosh (Oslo)
                                             21:00 Curios (London)
                                             22:30 Emile Parisien (Paris)

Cover Charge:                     €20/€18

Venue:                                 Project Arts Centre, East Essex Street, Temple Bar D2

Booking info:                      Tel: 01 8819613/4 11am to 7pm Monday to Saturday
URL:                                     www.project.ie | www.12points.ie

Date:                                    Saturday 14th February, 2009

Festival:                               12 Points! Europe’s New Jazz

Time:                                    Doors: 7pm, Performances

Bands:                                 19:30 Giulia Valle Group (Barcelona)
                                             21:00 Zapp String Quartet (Amsterdam)

                                           22:30 Magnus Fra Gaarden (Copenhagen)

Cover Charge:                     €20/€18

Venue:                                 Project Arts Centre, East Essex Street, Temple Bar D2

Booking info:                      Tel: 01 8819613/4 11am to 7pm Monday to Saturday
URL:                                     www.project.ie | www.12points.ie

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12 Points! 2009 announced.18/12/08

"A four day event hot wired into the changing dynamic of the contemporary European jazz scene.” – The Observer

“12 points has placed Dublin at the centre of European jazz. It is now the place to check out the very best emerging young talent from across the continent. “ Jazzwise

At three years old, 12 Points! the festival of new European jazz has endeared itself to music devotees in Dublin, joining the dots to Europe’s other creative hubs, and carving out a niche as an indispensable showcase for exciting talent from across the union.

The cream of Europe’s hottest young jazz acts will convene for a four night stand at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin’s Temple Bar, Wednesday 11th to Saturday 14th of February, 2009. With 12 acts from 12 different countries across Europe audiences will be treated to three performances each night from bands who form the new cutting-edge of the Europe’s contemporary jazz scene.

Together, they’re powerful evidence that jazz is Europe’s shared musical language, a conduit for creative dialogue that transcends borders and a celebration of regional accents while individually, they embrace all the wilful diversity that keeps jazz young.

Programme details will be up on the website in January 2009 on www.12points.ie

Tickets are available through the Project Arts Centre box office ww.project.ie or telephone 01 881 9613/4

In February the future of European jazz is in Dublin. Come and join us.

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Galway Jazz Festival 200830/10/08

Galway Jazz Festival 2008

Thursday 20th – Sunday 23rd November

www.galwayjazzfestival.com

Thursday 20^th November

From NYC, Kenny Werner, solo piano €15

Aula Maxima NUI Galway

Friday 21^stNovember

From Scandinavia & Japan, The Thing & Otomo Yoshihide €15

Nuns Island Studio, Nuns Island, Galway

Saturday 22nd November

From Amsterdam, Eric Vloeimans Gatecrash Quartet €15

The Crane Bar, 2 Sea Road, Galway

Sunday 23rd November

From London & Dublin, Guy Barker & Hugh Buckley €15

The Crane Bar, 2 Sea Road, Galway

SPECIAL FESTIVAL PASS PRICE: €50 FOR ALL 4 CONCERTS

Book online 24/7 www.townhalltheatregalway.com

Tel: 091-569777

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Orchestra Baobab Cancelled13/10/08

Improvised music Company & Aiken Promotions

Regret to announce that

Orchestra Baobab

Live @ Vicar Street

Is now Cancelled

Due to unforeseen circumstances Orchestra Baobab have had to cancel their Vicar St. show this Saturday. All refunds are available through point of purchase.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

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Electric Picnic IMC World Stage29/08/08

IMC WORLD MUSIC STAGE
ELECTRIC PICNIC 2008 LINE UP
FRIDAY 29 AUGUST

AT FIRST LIGHT 15.00-16.00

This Belfast quintet are bright stars in the trad firmament, led with real drive and gusto by Uilleann Piper John McSherry and outstanding young fiddler Dónal O'Connor

FOVEA HEX   16.30 – 17.30

Ethereal and much anticipated project from Clodagh Simonds, marking this enigmatic Irish folk singer's artist's first foray into performance since the early 70s. An EP essential says The Ticket.

TERRY CALLIER 18.00- 19.00

A long overdue return to Ireland of the great Chicago born troubadour Terry Callier and his seamless blend of soul, folk, and jazz, whose creative flame shows no sign of dimming.

DOBET GNAHORE 19.45 – 21.00

One of the most vivacious performers in today's fertile West African music scene, with a percussion driven band that heavily features the balafon, with its ingenious system of rosewood keys and dried resonating gourds.

THINK OF ONE'S CAMPING SHAABI 21.30-22.45

The latest project   from Belgian genre busters Think of One, with guest musicians from Morocco bringing a flavour of the addictive gnawa trance rhythms of the Atlas Mountains to Stradbally.

MILES ELECTRIC 23.15-00.30

Six of Ireland's leading jazz musicians including saxophonist Michael Buckley and trumpeter Paul Williamson with a scenery chewing workout on vintage 70s Miles Davis of the Bitches Brew and In a Silent Way period.

SATURDAY 30 AUGUST

MORNINGTON SINGERS   12.30- 13.45

Saturday morning catharsis with the thirty five glorious Irish voices of The Mornington Singers, with contemporary choral music that includes works by Arvo Pärt.

CRASH ENSEMBLE 14.15- 15.30

Donncha Dennehy leads Ireland's leading contemporary classical outfit with composers like Terry Riley and Steve Reich in their expansive bag, and the most eye popping instrumentation you'll see this weekend.

MSG 16.00-17.15

Asymmetric melody vies with searing grooves from this probing trio who mine the rhythmic riches of jazz and Indian music to forge something bold, with the striking New York saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa summoning up the spirit of late period John Coltrane.

YURODNY 17.45 – 19.00

Balkan party grooves a la Taraf De Haidouks from this Irish octet playing addictive originals from their very convincing debut release Odd Set

RACHEL UNTHANK & THE WINTERSET 19.30 – 20.45

Northumbria's Rachel Unthank and her band The Winterset is in the grand traditions English folk singers, and makes her picnic debut on the crest of her 2008   Mercury nomination.

MERCEDES PEON 21.15 – 22.30

Coming on strong like a Hispanic Sinead O'Connor, Galicia's Mercedes Peon sings, plays traditional pipes and frame drums, and is a free spirit   with a unique take on the Celtic infused traditional music of Spain's rugged northwest.

SOHA 23.00-00.15

From Marseille, Franco Algerian Soha has a sassy pop aesthetic inspired by French musette, Jamaican dancehall and North Africa rai, and she's rounding off her summer at the picnic following a UK debut at Glastonbury. We agree with The Ticket, who says she's "One of the true finds of the festival."

HAVANA SON 00.45- 02.00

Dance to the genuine article, with this authentic and grooving take on son, the guitar driven acoustic idiom popularised globally by BVSC. Havana Son unites Ireland's leading Latin players, including singer Evelio Galan, who's soon off to tour the US with The Afro Cuban All Stars.

SUNDAY 31 AUGUST

DUBLIN CITY BIG BAND 12.30 – 13.30

Easy like Sunday morning with Dublin City Big Band, eighteen of the capital's finest jazz players, nailing the orchestral hits of Basie, Ellington and Quincy Jones with special guest, crooner Cormac Kenevey.

FARMERS MARKET 14.15 – 15.15

Live, they're an institution at home in Norway, willfully fusing old Broadway show tunes with frenetic Balkan grooves. Mordant humour meets some amazing musicianship, especially from farmer in chief, accordion and banjo man extraordinaire Stian Carstensen.

LOU RHODES 15.30- 16.00

As one half of Lamb, Manchester's Lou Rhodes known for her personal approach to drum 'n' bass, but this solo set is a more folk oriented affair, sparse, organic and quietly compelling.

CEILI HOUSE ALL STARS 16.30- 17.30

Jigs, slides and polkas from the great mephisto of West Kerry dance music. Resistance is useless when Begley's accordion and guitar partner Tim Edey work up a head of steam, and watch out for the fleet moves of Sean nós dancer Seosaimh O'Neachtain.

IARLA Ó LIONÁIRD'S INVISIBLE FIELDS 18.00 – 19.00

The sean nós master sings the songs of his native Cuil Aodha in a dramatic electronic domain, where that contrast of new and old, digital and acoustic, is made bolder with the addition of fiddler of the moment Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh. Ticket recommended.

JAH WOBBLE'S CHINESE DUB 19.30- 20.45

Commissioned by Liverpool City of Culture 2008, Jah Wobble's Chinese Dub augments his regular crew with guest Chinese musicians, and has had summer festival audiences happily grooving across the east /west divide, as the ex PIL bassist's rumbling dub creates a sturdy foundation for a musical journey along the spice routes

DENGUE FEVER 21.15- 22.30

If you come for Jah Wobble , you'll stay for more Asian adventures with LA's Dengue Fever, an oddly compelling pairing of 60's Cambodian surf pop and West Coast psychedelia that is more than the sum of it's parts, aptly named and strangely infectious.

MAHMOUD FADL'S UNITED NUBIAN 23.00 – 00.15

Master Egyptian hand drummer Mahmoud Fadl and his United Nubians crew are on hand to provide a trance inducing exposition of rhythms from the Nile Delta.

IBRAHIM ELECTRIC 00.45- 02.00

Europe's funkiest organ trio are Copenhagen's Ibrahim Electric, a glorious swamp thing of brawny drumming, dirty distorted sounds from the belly of a Hammond B3, and rock steady guitar riffs indebted to Fela Kuti's afrobeat.

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Farmleigh Affair03/08/08

Sunday 3^rd – Monday 4^th August 2008
The Pleasure Grounds, Farmleigh, Phoenix Park, Dublin 15

Event is FREE but Ticketed

To book: www.farmleighaffair.com (from 4^th July)

Sunday 3^rd August:    Mornington Singers | Grada | Carmen Souza | Hazmat Modine | Justin Adams | Juldeh Camara

Monday 4^th August:    Motema | Mor Karbasi | Lo Cor De La Plana | Iarla Ó Lionáird & Invisible Fields | Grupo Fantasma

Is there another summer music festival that loves you like The Farmleigh Affair?

With two days of performances from many of the worlds leading musicians, minutes from Dublin's centre yet in one of its most beautiful garden settings, and tickets entirely free, we think not.

Building on the Affair's growing reputation as the strongest world music line up of the summer , we've assembled some exotic musical blooms to further adorn Farmleigh's scenic Pleasure Grounds, with artists traveling from France, The UK, Congo, Cape Verde, Portugal, The Gambia and The US to perform over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Joining them are leading groups from right across the Irish spectrum, from choral to traditional music.

First arrivals on Sunday 3^rd will be greeted by the thirty five strong Mornington Singers, raising the roof of Lord Iveagh's ancestral home with an uplifting programme of contemporary choral music that includes works by Arvo Pärt.   Going to work on other parts of your musical brain will be Grada, the energetic and charismatic five piece based in Galway who are making their own creative waves among the many emerging bands in Ireland's resurgent traditional scene, with original tunes and great musicianship.

Carmen Souza in another artist on the right trajectory. Raised in Lisbon, she's grown up steeped in the music and identity of the Cape Verdean Islands of her birth, updating their   emblematic morna rhythms with an afro jazz twist, and with a keen ear for songwriting gleaned from the fado of her adopted home city.

Hazmat Modine could only have come from one city, and New York seeps out of every musical pore of this willfully eccentric slice of Americana that embraces everything from jug bands and Jamaican rocksteady to country blues and klezmer. Its all delivered with deadpan charm from a band that includes   harmonicas, tuba, Hawaiian steel guitar and other staples of the self respecting junkyard orchestra.

The blues get a further workout with Justin Adams, guitarist with Robert Plant and producer of Tinariwen, and Gambia's leading exponent of the ritti one string fiddle Juldeh Camara, in a partnership between rock 'n' roll and African roots that has yielded some of the gutsiest riffs you will hear this year.

Our African theme continues into Monday 4^th with an opening set from Motema, Ireland's first authentic soukous band, led by Congolese guitarist and proud Corkman since 2004 Niwel Tsumbu.

With a Moroccan mother and a Persian father, London based Israeli singer Mor Karbasi also brings us evidence of how migration drives music in today's Europe. She's also a beautifully emotive singer, especially in Ladino, the old language of the Sephardic Jews, and their poignant songs heavily influenced by flamenco and Moorish culture.

Language is also at the heart of Lo Còr De La Plana, who are reviving Occitan, the dialect of their native Marseilles. They're one of the most arresting sights you'll see this summer, six youthful and full blooded singers with nothing but foot stomps, hand claps and North African frame drums for accompaniment, belting out the acapella dance tunes they've saved from obscurity with a rhythmic gusto that's simply irresistible.

If its voices you're after, few remain unmoved by that of Iarla Ó Lionáird, who performs at The Farmleigh Affair with Invisible Fields, the group that places the sean nós songs of his native Cuil Aodha in a dramatic electronic domain, where that contrast of new and old, digital and acoustic, is made bolder with the recent addition of fiddler of the moment Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh.

Fittingly, the closer for our culturally diverse, musically uplifting send off to the last bank holiday of the summer will also be a wrap party for Grupo Fantasma, winding up a long summer on the road that has taken in festivals like Montreal Jazz, Dranouter and North Sea before they head back to their home base in Austin, Texas. Not for nothing have Fantasma earned a reputation as today's hottest, hardest working Latin Orchestra, where they've been opening for Prince's American dates, serving up some seriously funky salsa and old school boogaloo,

There'll be refreshments available, along with tasty treats from organic producers to keep you going, and Farmleigh is the perfect spot for a picnic if you want to bring your own spread. If it's all too much excitement, you can always relax with a stroll in the gardens, a look around the galleries, or take a tour of the historic house.

The Farmleigh Affair is completely free but you will require tickets, limited to four per person and available from www.farmleighaffair.com from Friday 4^th July onwards. Going by last year, we anticipate huge demand for this unique and much anticipated event so apply early!

Party over here, as Lord Iveagh might put it.

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Farmleigh Affair Information02/08/08

Useful Information

for

Farmleigh Affair.

www.farmleighaffair.com
TICKETING

While the Farmleigh Affair is a free event, admittance is strictly by ticket only. You will require tickets to gain entrance to The Pleasure Grounds, to the rear of the house, where the Farmleigh Affair takes place.

If you have received tickets surplus to your requirements, we would really appreciate if you could return them to us on the day to the Info Tent in front of the main house on your way into the concert area. We've received feedback that a small number of people have been sent multiple allocations of tickets which may be due to an admin error when tickets were being despatched - if you are among them, it would again, be great if you bring the tickets along with you on the day and return them to us.

Tickets for the Affair were allocated in record time this year and we have lots of people who still want to attend and will be grateful if they could use them!

We have every faith in An Post, and by now you should have received your tickets. In the unlikely event that have been delayed or misdirected, please see us at the Info Tent in front of the main house and while we cant guarantee availability, we will do our best   to accommodate you with return tickets. Please be advised that returns will be limited and will be dispensed on the day on a first come first served basis

Please note that all other amenities at Farmleigh will be open as usual, including the organic market, galleries and tours of the house, and these activities are all free and non-ticketed. If you wish to avail of these other amenities while attending The Farmleigh Affair, make sure to retain your ticket stub for return entry to the concert site.

AGE

The Farmleigh Affair welcomes people of all ages, and everyone attending (including children) needs a ticket for health and safety reasons. Please note that under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.

TIMES

The Farmleigh estate will operate normal opening hours on both days at 10am.

However, please note that access to The Pleasure Grounds, where the Farmleigh Affair takes place, is from 12noon. First act is on stage at 12.30, last act on stage at 6pm, and music finishes at 7pm. Last entrance to the estate is at 4.45pm.

GETTING THERE

CAR/ BUS

Farmleigh is accessed via the Phoenix Park. If you're travelling by car, enter the Phoenix Park from Parkgate Street, follow the main avenue almost to the end, taking the last turn on the left signposted for Farmleigh.

Entering the Phoenix Park from Castleknock, take the first turn on the right signposted for Farmleigh. If travelling by Dublin Bus take the number 37 bus from Hawkins Street to the Castleknock Gate.

ON FOOT
Enter the Phoenix Park and take the pedestrian pathway to your right. Following the directional signs, Farmleigh is a fifteen-minute walk from the Castleknock Gate.

LUAS

If travelling by the Luas, get off at Heuston, cross the river and turn left on to Parkgate Street, from where you can have a very healthy walk of 50 minutes approx, , or take the groovy new shuttle bus.

SHUTTLE BUS

An OPW shuttle bus service is now in operation in Phoenix Park to transport passengers around the park. The service operates every 20 minutes from a terminus outside the park beside the Luas bridge at Parkgate Street, and the fare is €1. On weekends and bank holidays it operates from 10am, concluding at 7.00pm each day. The bus travels to the Zoo, then along the back road to Cabra and Ashtown gates, over to Farmleigh, down to the papal cross and the visitor's centre before returning to Parkgate Street.

PARKING

Ample free Parking is available on the estate. The Office of Public Works cannot accept liability for damages to vehicles while parked on the estate.

WEATHER

A sensitive topic in The Farmleigh Affair Production Office!

Met Eireann says "Sunday and Monday should be longer drier periods during daytime on these days when it may be quite sunny and pleasant."

Not convinced?

The Irish Times, today Wed 30th July, says

Sunday will be "Foggy patches to start, then bright spells and mainly dry, Temp 16-20c."

Monday will be "Fog early on, and then generally dry with sunny periods. Temp 17-21c."

Our advice? Bring factor 50 and a sou'wester.

CATERING

We have an eclectic line up of caterers at The Farmleigh Affair, including a wood fired barbeque, strawberries and cream, Italian coffee, organic wines and a Mr Whippy! Farmleigh is great for al fresco eating and we encourage you to bring along your own spread if you like - we've created a seated picnic area at the rear of the concert site. Some of Ireland's finest artisan food producers will be at Farmleigh's organic market on both Sunday and Monday if you want to purchase other foods, but please remember to retain your ticket stub for readmittance to the concert area.

WHAT TO BRING

Seating will not be provided at The Farmleigh Affair, so feel free to bring along picnic blankets, cushions and your favourite deck chair.

For the Irish weather bring along sunblock and appropriate clothing in the racing certainty of changeable weather.

Please note that Farmleigh does not have an ATM, so bring cash if you want to make purchases on site, such as food, drinks or CDs by participating artists.

WHO ARE PERFORMING

For more information on who will be performing please visit www.farmleighaffair.com

Sunday 3rd August

Mornington Singers

Grada

Carmen Souza

Hazmat Modine

Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara

Monday 4th August

Motema

Mor Karbasi

Lo Cor De La Plana

Iarla Ó Lionáird’s Invisible Fields

Grupo Fantasma

WATCH OUT FOR OUR OTHER BRILL PERFORMERS!

Mr. Toons

The delightful Mr. Toons brings his unique brand of inflatable idiocy to Farmleigh. All the way from Copenhagen, he has been a working clown since the tender age of ten, and he still shows no sign of growing up. He’s an award winning performer, highly original and very funny, and embraces many aspects of street circus from unicycle, juggling and acrobatics, as well as some truly death defying stunts with a giant green balloon.

http://www.mr-toons.dk/

The Amani Acrobats

Aziz, Jamal and Futto are The Amani Acrobats, a troupe of East African acrobats from Somalia and Tanzania who have performed at all the major festivals in Ireland, most recently at the World Street Performers Championships. Their skills are extensive and include fire limbo, African style dance, balancing acts, comedy, djembe drumming and acrobatic feats including human pyramids and contortion. They are based in Cork and often teach in Cork Circus workshops, schools and youth clubs.

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Farmleigh Affair Tickets Available 04/07/08

FREE tickets for the Farmleigh Affair will be available from tomorrow, Friday 4th July on www.farmleighaffair.com

Be in with a chance to get a ticket to experience one of Dublin's most exquisite properties being opened for two days of music from around the world.

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OPW Salon Music Series 200801/07/08

OPW opens three historic buildings for free salon music concerts from across the globe.

OPW Salon Music Series
July 2008
Farmleigh | Castletown | Kilkenny Castle
English Acoustic Collective | Muzsikas | Lunfardia | Ballake Cissokho, Driss El Maloumi, Rajery
Tickets are free (awarded by lottery)
To be in with a chance go to: www.salonmusic.ie

In 2008, OPW's salon music series spreads its wings to take in three beautiful locations within the OPW's portfolio of historic properties, with Kilkenny Castle's Great Hall and Castletown's Long Gallery now joining the ballroom at Farmleigh as the place to be for the summer's most memorable concerts. All three have a perfect ambience and natural acoustic, and are set in the most dramatic surroundings a music lover could ask for.

The English Acoustic Collective get the Salon Music series off to a glowing start in the glorious surroundings of the beloved Ballroom in Farmleigh, Dublin. BBC Music describes their work as "Compelling, sinewy stuff ... anyone who cherishes musical adventure with a firm grounding will be enthralled." And many have. The English Acoustic Collective have won countless hearts and minds with their raw and passionate explorations of England's folk music, old and new. Fittingly, the collective brings together three innate storytellers in Rob Harbron, John Dipper and renaissance man Chris Wood, a regular visitor to Ireland for always highly anticipated solo concerts.

Next the musical line-up travels to Hungary. Now in their 25th year together, Muzsikas have always been fuelled by the revival in traditional music that was taking place in Hungary a quarter of a century ago, just as it was here. Few stones have since remained unturned, and they have truly brought their music to the world, recording ten albums, often accompanying their compatriot Marta Sebestyen, most memorably in The English Patient soundtrack, performing in the great halls like New York's Carnegie, and working with groups like The Balanescu Quartet. In the hands of these four superb musicians, the lines we draw between the classical and the traditional cease to be important, and all that remains is life affirming music.

Dublin based Lunfardia take you on a trip to the New World, as their freewheeling repertoire embraces Tangos and Milongas from Buenos Aires, rough-hewn Chacareras from the Argentinean pampas, breezy Bolivian Huaynos, grooving Joropos from Venezuela and speedy choros from Brazil. So much musical ground is covered with casual artistry and engaging authenticity, a combination brought together by the charismatic and enduring partnership of Argentinean guitarist and singer Ariel Hernandez, and Ireland's leading classical accordionist Dermot Dunne. Ioana Petcu-Colan's bright singing violin takes flight here, while Malachy Robinson, her bass playing colleague from the Irish Chamber Orchestra, is also liberated in his gutsy rhythmic role alongside the outstanding Peruvian percussionist Frank Vidal.

The closing of July brings a collaboration of African stars together in a remarkable finale to the Salon Music series. Ballake Sissoko, Driss El Maloumi, and Rajery would each have been a fine conclusion in their own right, but to host all three of them together could be something very special. Mali's Ballake Sissoko is a master of the kora, the intoxicating 21 stringed harp that is central to West Africa's unique culture of the griot musician and storyteller. From the Maghreb comes Morocco's Driss el Maloumi, whose nickname "the oud magician" accurately conveys his mastery of the lute like instrument that's so broodily evocative of life in the Arabic world. From far out in the Indian Ocean, comes Rajery, under whose hands the zither-like valiha, the national instrument of his native Madagascar, sings brightly. Together they've found effortless common ground where west, north and east Africa converging in an uplifting string symphony.

Curated by the Improvised Music Company, these concerts bring the world's leading jazz, traditional and classical musicians into the very heart of Irish heritage.

Tickets to each of these intimate salon concerts are awarded by a lottery system online and are limited, so your earliest online application is advised to avoid disappointment. For further information on ticketing please visit www.salonmusic.ie

-ends-

Listings Information:

English Acoustic Collective

Tuesday 1st July, 8pm: The Ballroom, Farmleigh, Castleknock, Dublin 15

Wednesday 2nd July, 8pm: The Long Gallery, Castletown House, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

Thursday 3rd July, 8pm: The Great Hall, Kilkenny Castle, Co Kilkenny

Chris Wood-vocals, guitar, fiddle | Rob Harbron–concertina | John Dipper – fiddle

"Compelling, sinewy stuff ... anyone who cherishes musical adventure with a firm grounding will be enthralled." - BBC Music

Raw and passionate explorations of England's folk music, old and new. The collective brings together three innate storytellers in Rob Harbron, John Dipper and renaissance man Chris Wood

Muzsikas

Tuesday 8th July, 8pm : The Great Hall, Kilkenny Castle, Co Kilkenny

Wednesday 9th July, 8pm: The Long Gallery, Castletown House, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

Thursday 10th July, 8pm: The Ballroom, Farmleigh, Castleknock, Dublin 15

Mihály Sipos - violin, citera, vocal | László Porteleki -violin, koboz, vocal | Péter Éri -viola, mandolin, flutes, vocal | Dániel Hamar - bass, gardon, vocal

"Raucously beautiful music." – The New York Times

Few stones have been left unturned by these revivalists of Hungarian traditional music over the past 25 years. In the hands of these four superb musicians, the lines we draw between the classical and the traditional cease to be important, and all that remains is life affirming music.

Lunfardia

Tuesday 15th July, 8pm: The Great Hall, Kilkenny Castle, Co Kilkenny

Wednesday 16th July, 8pm: The Long Gallery, Castletown House, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

Thursday 17th July, 8pm: The Ballroom, Farmleigh, Castleknock, Dublin 15

Ariel Hernandez - guitars, vocals | Dermot Dunne – accordion | Ioana Petcu-Colan–violin/Malachy Robinson–bass/Frank Vidal-percussion

"Milongas, tangos and chacareras, each one tumbling after the other with a mix of wry nonchalance and highly disciplined precision." - The Irish Times

A freewheeling repertoire embracing Tangos and Milongas from Buenos Aires, rough-hewn Chacareras from the Argentinean pampas, breezy Bolivian Huaynos, grooving Joropos from Venezuela and speedy choros from Brazil.

Ballake Sissoko, Driss El Maloumi, Rajery

Tuesday 22nd July, 8pm: The Great Hall, Kilkenny Castle, Co Kilkenny

Wednesday 23rd July, 8pm: The Ballroom, Farmleigh, Castleknock, Dublin 15

Thursday 24th July, 8pm: The Long Gallery, Castletown House, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

Ballake Sissoko – kora| Driss El Maloumi – oud | Rajery - valiha

West, north and east Africa converge in an uplifting string symphony, as the trio from Mali, Morocco and Madagascar display unending talent on their native koro, oud and valiha.

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OPW Salon Music Series 2008 - Farmleigh- Castletown- Kilkenny Castle 20/06/08

OPW opens three historic buildings for free salon music concerts from across the globe.
OPW Salon Music

July 2008

Farmleigh | Castletown | Kilkenny Castle

English Acoustic Collective | Muzsikas | Lunfardia | Ballake Cissokho, Driss El Maloumi, Rajery

Tickets are free (awarded by lottery)

To be in with a chance go to: www.salonmusic.ie

In 2008, OPW's salon music series spreads its wings to take in three beautiful locations within the OPW's portfolio of historic properties, with Kilkenny Castle's Great Hall and Castletown's Long Gallery now joining the ballroom at Farmleigh as the place to be for the summer's most memorable concerts. All three have a perfect ambience and natural acoustic, and are set in the most dramatic surroundings a music lover could ask for.

The English Acoustic Collective get the Salon Music series off to a glowing start in the glorious surroundings of the beloved Ballroom in Farmleigh, Dublin. BBC Music describes their work as "Compelling, sinewy stuff ... anyone who cherishes musical adventure with a firm grounding will be enthralled." And many have. The English Acoustic Collective have won countless hearts and minds with their raw and passionate explorations of England's folk music, old and new. Fittingly, the collective brings together three innate storytellers in Rob Harbron, John Dipper and renaissance man Chris Wood, a regular visitor to Ireland for always highly anticipated solo concerts.

Next the musical line-up travels to Hungary. Now in their 25th year together, Muzsikas have always been fuelled by the revival in traditional music that was taking place in Hungary a quarter of a century ago, just as it was here. Few stones have since remained unturned, and they have truly brought their music to the world, recording ten albums, often accompanying their compatriot Marta Sebestyen, most memorably in The English Patient soundtrack, performing in the great halls like New York's Carnegie, and working with groups like The Balanescu Quartet. In the hands of these four superb musicians, the lines we draw between the classical and the traditional cease to be important, and all that remains is life affirming music.

Dublin based Lunfardia take you on a trip to the New World, as their freewheeling repertoire embraces Tangos and Milongas from Buenos Aires, rough-hewn Chacareras from the Argentinean pampas, breezy Bolivian Huaynos, grooving Joropos from Venezuela and speedy choros from Brazil. So much musical ground is covered with casual artistry and engaging authenticity, a combination brought together by the charismatic and enduring partnership of Argentinean guitarist and singer Ariel Hernandez, and Ireland's leading classical accordionist Dermot Dunne. Ioana Petcu-Colan's bright singing violin takes flight here, while Malachy Robinson, her bass playing colleague from the film izle Irish Chamber Orchestra, is also liberated in his gutsy rhythmic role alongside the outstanding Peruvian percussionist Frank Vidal.

The closing of July brings a collaboration of African stars together in a remarkable finale to the Salon Music series. Ballake Sissoko, Driss El Maloumi, and Rajery would each have been a fine conclusion in their own right, but to host all three of them together could be something very special. Mali's Ballake Sissoko is a master of the kora, the intoxicating 21 stringed harp that is central to West Africa's unique culture of the griot musician and storyteller. From the Maghreb comes Morocco's Driss el Maloumi, whose nickname "the oud magician" accurately conveys his mastery of the lute like instrument that's so broodily evocative of life in the Arabic world. From far out in the Indian Ocean, comes Rajery, under whose hands the zither-like valiha, the national instrument of his native Madagascar, sings brightly. Together they've found effortless common ground where west, north and east Africa converging in an uplifting string symphony.

Curated by the Improvised Music Company, these concerts bring the world's leading jazz, traditional and classical musicians into the very heart of Irish heritage.

Tickets to each of these intimate salon concerts are awarded by a lottery system online and are limited, so your earliest online application is advised to avoid disappointment. For further information on ticketing please visit www.salonmusic.ie

-ends-

Listings Information:

English Acoustic Collective

Tuesday 1st July, 8pm: The Ballroom, Farmleigh, Castleknock, Dublin 15

Wednesday 2nd July, 8pm: The Long Gallery, Castletown House, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

Thursday 3rd July, 8pm: The Great Hall, Kilkenny Castle, Co Kilkenny

Chris Wood-vocals, guitar, fiddle | Rob Harbron–concertina | John Dipper – fiddle

"Compelling, sinewy stuff ... anyone who cherishes musical adventure with a firm grounding will be enthralled." - BBC Music

Raw and passionate explorations of England's folk music, old and new. The collective brings together three innate storytellers in Rob Harbron, John Dipper and renaissance man Chris Wood

Muzsikas

Tuesday 8th July, 8pm : The Great Hall, Kilkenny Castle, Co Kilkenny

Wednesday 9th July, 8pm: The Long Gallery, Castletown House, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

Thursday 10th July, 8pm: The Ballroom, Farmleigh, Castleknock, Dublin 15

Mihály Sipos - violin, citera, vocal | László Porteleki -violin, koboz, vocal | Péter Éri -viola, mandolin, flutes, vocal | Dániel Hamar - bass, gardon, vocal

"Raucously beautiful music." – The New York Times

Few stones have been left unturned by these revivalists of Hungarian traditional music over the past 25 years. In the hands of these four superb musicians, the lines we draw between the classical and the traditional cease to be important, and all that remains is life affirming music.

Lunfardia

Tuesday 15th July, 8pm: The Great Hall, Kilkenny Castle, Co Kilkenny

Wednesday 16th July, 8pm: The Long Gallery, Castletown House, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

Thursday 17th July, 8pm: The Ballroom, Farmleigh, Castleknock, Dublin 15

Ariel Hernandez - guitars, vocals | Dermot Dunne – accordion | Ioana Petcu-Colan–violin/Malachy Robinson–bass/Frank Vidal-percussion

"Milongas, tangos and chacareras, each one tumbling after the other with a mix of wry nonchalance and highly disciplined precision." - The Irish Times

A freewheeling repertoire embracing Tangos and Milongas from Buenos Aires, rough-hewn Chacareras from the Argentinean pampas, breezy Bolivian Huaynos, grooving Joropos from Venezuela and speedy choros from Brazil.

Ballake Sissoko, Driss El Maloumi, Rajery

Tuesday 22nd July, 8pm: The Great Hall, Kilkenny Castle, Co Kilkenny

Wednesday 23rd July, 8pm: The Ballroom, Farmleigh, Castleknock, Dublin 15

Thursday 24th July, 8pm: The Long Gallery, Castletown House, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

Ballake Sissoko – kora| Driss El Maloumi – oud | Rajery - valiha

West, north and east Africa converge in an uplifting string symphony, as the trio from Mali, Morocco and Madagascar display unending talent on their native koro, oud and valiha.

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Changes to John McLaughlin Line-up22/05/08

Change to the John McLaughlin line up as Hadrien Feraud has broken his metacarpal bone on his right hand and Mike Nielsen added to bill

Hadrien Feraud had an accident and broke one of his fingers on his right hand. It was thought he could join the tour after May 28th after having his finger in a splint for almost three weeks. Unfortunately he had to be operated last Saturday and will not be able to play during this in Vicar Street.

In this bad luck, we are lucky that Dominique Di Piazza, John's previous bassist, is available and will replace Hadrien for the whole tour.

The IMC would like to wish Hadrien Feraud a speedy recovery.

Other news is that the evening will feature an open slot from Sligo-born guitarist Mike Nielsen who, as the Sunday Tribune describes 'stands out as the most original voice of the younger generation'

Further details on artists:

Hadrien Feraud: www.myspace.com/feraudhadrien

Dominique Di Piazza: http://www.myspace.com/dominiquedipiazza
Mike Nielsen: http://www.mikenielsenmusic.com/

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Dave Binney Quartet - Irish Tour23/04/08

Improvised Music Company

Presents

From New York

Dave Binney Quartet

Dave Binney-alto sax/ Craig Taborn-piano / Scott Colley-bass / Brian Blade-drums

"A strikingly original composer, bandleader and conceptualist." - Downbeat

"A performance of extraordinary flexibility and invention." – The Irish Times

Not many musicians could assemble a pool of talent that includes Wayne Shorter's drummer, Jim Hall's bassist and New York's currently hippest pianist, but such is the regard in which the world's leading players hold saxophonist and composer Dave Binney.

He's no stranger to Irish audiences, who've grown to appreciate his remarkable gift for melody and small group orchestration, most recently in a jammed Whelan's in November 2005.

The clear incentive for artists of the calibre of Brian Blade, Craig Taborn and Scott Colley, each pillars of creativity in their own right, is Binney's brilliant and wholly original music. Here is a musician who embodies the dictum of 'jazz as the sound of surprise', with a unique compositional signature that romps freely across all manner of genres, from asymmetric funk and power chords to free improv and moody electronica.

Unburdened by jazz history, yet clearly steeped in it, Binney conjures up multifaceted music that succeeds on every level, poised between eclecticism and purity, access and intrigue, and always tempered by a genuine lyricism.

Tour Details:

Venue: Solstice, Railway Street, Navan;

Date/ Time: Saturday 10th May - 7.30pm

Tickets: €23/ 20

Box Office: 046 909 2300

Website: www.solsticeartscentre.com

------------------------------------------------------------

Venue: Black Box, Hill Street, Belfast;

Date/ Time: Sunday 11th May – 8pm

Tickets: £10.00

Box Office: +44 (0) 28 9024 6609

Website: www.cqaf.com

----------------------------------------------------------

Venue: Whelans, Wexford Street, Dublin 2

Date/ Time: Monday 12^th May – 8pm

Tickets: €23

Box Office: 01 670 3885

Website: www.ticketmaster.ie

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Dave Binney Quartet - Irish Tour23/04/08

Improvised Music Company

Presents

From New York

Dave Binney Quartet

Dave Binney-alto sax/ Craig Taborn-piano / Scott Colley-bass / Brian Blade-drums

"A strikingly original composer, bandleader and conceptualist." - Downbeat

"A performance of extraordinary flexibility and invention." – The Irish Times

Not many musicians could assemble a pool of talent that includes Wayne Shorter's drummer, Jim Hall's bassist and New York's currently hippest pianist, but such is the regard in which the world's leading players hold saxophonist and composer Dave Binney.

He's no stranger to Irish audiences, who've grown to appreciate his remarkable gift for melody and small group orchestration, most recently in a jammed Whelan's in November 2005.

The clear incentive for artists of the calibre of Brian Blade, Craig Taborn and Scott Colley, each pillars of creativity in their own right, is Binney's brilliant and wholly original music. Here is a musician who embodies the dictum of 'jazz as the sound of surprise', with a unique compositional signature that romps freely across all manner of genres, from asymmetric funk and power chords to free improv and moody electronica.

Unburdened by jazz history, yet clearly steeped in it, Binney conjures up multifaceted music that succeeds on every level, poised between eclecticism and purity, access and intrigue, and always tempered by a genuine lyricism.

Tour Details:

Venue: Solstice, Railway Street, Navan;

Date/ Time: Saturday 10th May - 7.30pm

Tickets: €23/ 20

Box Office: 046 909 2300

Website: www.solsticeartscentre.com

------------------------------------------------------------

Venue: Black Box, Hill Street, Belfast;

Date/ Time: Sunday 11th May – 8pm

Tickets: £10.00

Box Office: +44 (0) 28 9024 6609

Website: www.cqaf.com

----------------------------------------------------------

Venue: Whelans, Wexford Street, Dublin 2

Date/ Time: Monday 12^th May – 8pm

Tickets: €23

Box Office: 01 670 3885

Website: www.ticketmaster.ie

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Second annual 12 Points! festival to take place 5-8th of March01/02/08

Improvised Music Company
Supported by

The Goethe-Institut & Culture Ireland

Present

12 Points!
Europe’s New Jazz

Wednesday 5th – Saturday 8th March 2008

Doors open at 7pm each night

Project Arts Centre, East Essex Street, Temple Bar D2

Tickets on sale now through Project Arts Centre

Tel: 01 8819613/4 11am to 7pm Monday to Saturday
or go to www.project.ie

"A four day event hot wired into the changing dynamic of the contemporary European jazz scene.” – The Observer

"12 Points showed just how diverse, vibrant and imaginative music has become in the Old World. Already unique, it has the potential to grow into something important, like the Sundance film festival." - The Irish Times

12 Points! May be a precocious child of only two, but already the festival of new European jazz has endeared itself to music devotees in Dublin, joining the dots to Europe’s other creative hubs, and carving out a niche as an indispensable showcase for exciting talent from across the union.

This year, we’ve left no European stone unturned in identifying the twelve bands that will light up The Project Arts Centre from Wednesday 5th to Saturday 8th March. 2008’s points of departure are Estonia, Lithuania, Austria, Germany, Finland, Denmark, Norway, UK, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy and Ireland.

The inaugural 12 Points! Identified some genuine contenders for musical greatness, and we’re confident that the class of 2008 has similar gems in store. It could be pianists Mathew Bourne, Urs Bollhalder or Giovanni Guidi who lead groups from Leeds, Lucerne and Rome respectively, Copenhagen’s noisy organ trio Ibrahim Electric, Oslo’s finest post-Coltrane evangelists The Core, Luxembourger and virtuoso vibist Paschal Schumacher, Viennese string quartet with a difference R.S.Q.V., this years strong Baltic contingent with The Saga Quartet from Vilnius and singer Kadri Voorand from Tallinn, or the very persuasive compositional focus of Dublin’s Togetherness, Helsinki’s Oddarrang or Cologne's Matthias Schriefl and Shreefpunk.

Together, they’re powerful evidence that jazz is Europe’s shared musical language, a conduit for creative dialogue that transcends borders and a celebration of regional accents while individually, they embrace all the wilful diversity that keeps jazz young.

In March 2008, the future of European jazz is in Dublin. Come and join us.

12 Points! 2008 Nightly line up

Wed 5th March:19:30 Giovanni Guidi 4tet( Rome)
                           21:00 Shreefpunk (Cologne)
                           22:30 Paschal Schumacher (Luxembourg)

Thu 6th March: 19:30 Saga 4tet (Vilnius)
                           21:00 Kadri Voorand (Tallinn)
                           22:30 Oddarrang (Helsinki)

Fri 7th March: 19:30 Urs Bollhalder Trio (Lucerne),
                          21:00 Togetherness (Dublin)
                          22:30 Ibrahim Electric (Copenhagen)

Sat 8th March: 19:30 Radio String Quartet Vienna (Vienna)
                          21:00 Bourne/Davis/Kane (Leeds/Dublin),
                          22:30 The Core (Oslo)

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MADE ON MONDAYS- news music at JJ's all through November22/10/07

We're happy to announce that 9 brand new Irish jazz projects will be displaying their wares at JJ Smyth's throughout the month of November.

The series will be called Made on Mondays and will give you the chance to sample brand spanking new jazz projects from some of the Irish jazz scene's best and brightest!

There will be new projects from Ariel Hernandez, Paul Williamson, Zoid and Caomhin O' Raghallaigh, vocalists Dorothy Murphy, Sue Rhynhart and Tuula Voutilainen and sax players Nick Roth and Cathal Roche. There will also be three new free improv trio's in the shape of Clog, Akward Silence and The Laboratory as well as projects from Sean Og and Francesco Turrisi.

Two or three acts will play each night with doors opening at 8:30pm. Admission is 10 euro.

MADE ON MONDAYS
A FRESH BATCH OF THE LATEST PROJECTS FROM THE IRISH JAZZ SCENE EVERY MONDAY THROUGHOUT NOVEMBER
Doors 8:30pm
Admission:10 euro

Monday 5th : Ariel Hernandez Trio/Savage Monkey

Jazz originals, Brazilian choros and Argentine folk tunes in an expansive trio setting with Ariel Hernandez (guitar), Francesco Turrisi (accordion) and Cormac O’Brien (bass) plus new songs by Australian trumpeter Paul Williamson that favour space and spontaneity, and performed by Francesco Turrisi (piano), Matt Jacobson (drums) and Ronan Guilfoyle (bass)

Monday 12th: Zoid vs. Caoimhin 0’Raghallaigh/Voices/Suparyse

A triple header of brand new projects including Suparyse, an improvising duo of saxophonists Cathal Roche and Nick Roth exploring concepts of colour and tone, followed by singers Dorothy Murphy, Sue Rynhart and Tuula Voutilainen introducing themes inspired by children’s songs and sacred music. To finish, an intriguing prospect in a first live encounter between two creative musicians from very different idioms, with traditional fiddler Caoimhin O’Raghallaigh and electronic composer Zoid.

Monday 19th: Clog/ The Laboratory/Awkward Silence

A brace of free improv trios opening with Clog, comprising Rob Casey (piano), David Lacey (percussion) and Sean Og (woodwinds), followed by the noisy warp and weave of vocalist Regan O’Brien, guitarist/sitarist Dara O’Brien and clarinetist Alex McMahon. Awkward Silence is guitarists Simon Jermyn and Shane Latimer, with the addition of two saxophones courtesy of Seán Óg and Cathal Roche plus two drummers Matt Jacobson and Shane O'Donovan, and inspired by the looping beats of Aphex Twin.

Monday 26th: Sean Og’s Oversold/Francesco Turrisi Trio

Oversold is a suite for two alto saxophones and electronics performed by Berliner Christian Weidner and Dubliner Sean Og and is an affectionate deconstruction of the jazz tradition, aebersold playalongs and playing out of tune. Itialian pianist Francesco Turrisi makes a first foray into the durable trio format of piano, bass and drums in order to explore medieval, arabic and mediterranean melodies, joined by bassist Dan Bodwell and drummer Sean Carpio.

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Fred Hersch Trio to play 3 date tour in November27/09/07

Described by the Boston Globe as "A pristine pianist with a poet's soul" Hersch, a pianist noted for his extraordinary technique will be joined by two other exceptional musicians, bassist John Hebert and drummer Eric McPherson, for this short Irish tour.

The tour will take in Aula Maxima in Galway on the 15th of November, Triskel Arts Centre in Cork on the 16th and finally Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire Co. Dublin on Sunday 17th .

For full information go to the IMC events calendar

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Boban Marcovic Orkestar to play 5 date tour this December 27/09/07

In the wake of the Tomasz Stanko Quartet's highly successful nationwide tour and in anticipation of Paolo Fresu's Sonos E' Memoria on the 7th of October, IMC is happy to announce the imminent arrival of yet another of the World's great trumpet players: Boban Markovic.

Hailing from Serbia, Markovic's breath-taking virtuosity has won him renown both within his own Balkan tradition and on the international stage and is considered by most to be the greatest living Balkan trumpeter.

Markovic, whose 14 piece brass orchestra has delighted audiences worldwide touring extensively throughout Europe and America, will play 5 dates around the country in December:

5th of December- Donegal Arts Centre Letterkenny

6th of December - Model & Niland Arts Centre Sligo

7th of Decmeber- Mermaid Arts Centre Bray

8th of December- Curtis Auditorium Cork

9th of December- Button Factory (formerly TBMC) Dublin

For full information go to the IMC events calendar

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Paolo Fresu's Sonos 'E Memoria 20/09/07

In association with Pioneer Investments Supported by
The Italian Cultural Institute, UniCredito Italiano & Morgan StanleyMusic for the film by Gianfranco Cabbidu
Paolo Fresu – trumpet, flugelhorn
Furio di Castri - bass
Elena Ledda – vocals
Luigi Lai - launeddas
Mauro Palmas – mandola
Antonello Salis - accordion
Federico Sanesi – percussion
Carlo Cabiddu - violoncello

The voices of Concordu ‘e su Rosariu
Mario Corona – contra
Giovanni Ardu - bassu
Antonio Migheli ‘oghe
Roberto Iriu – contraltu

Sunday 7th October
8pm Vicar Street, Dublin 8
Adm: €28 DTF Box Office: 01 677 8899(2€ booking fee per ticket)
internet bookings www.dublintheatrefestival.com

Italian filmmaker Gianfranco Cabbidu was researching an entirely different project when he discovered lost footage of life in Sardinia in the 1930s, now vividly re-animated in this collaboration with the celebrated Italian trumpeter Paulo Fresu.
With its evocation of island life and its rugged cultural identity, Sonos ‘E Memoria carries a powerful resonance, reminiscent of films like Man Of Aran, and the traditional music of offshore islands like Tory.
And music is at the core of Sonos ‘E Memoria, performed by a stellar gathering that embraces the island’s robust tradition with singer Elena Ledda and Concordu ‘e su Rosario, four men steeped in the unique polyphony of the island, while Luigi Lai is its most expressive voice on launeddas, a distant relation of the uilleann pipes, and equally   haunting.

They’re joined by an island diaspora that includes exquisite Italian jazz musicians in bassist Furio Di Castri and the unpredictable   accordionist Antonella Salis, led throughout by Fresu’s lyrical trumpet, evoking Miles Davis as much as Sardinia.

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Stanko Quartet play 5 Irish dates in September15/08/07

Soundings* Tour September   2007

18-23rd of September 2007

As he enters his 6th decade, trumpeter Tomasz Stanko is enjoying the level of recognition that his career long artistry so clearly warrants, and much of it has been stimulated by his recent output for ECM, for whom he has now recorded seven titles as leader. With 2002’s Soul of Things and more recent work like Suspended Night and Lontana, his prodigious gift is distilling down into crystalline documents that attest to the power of time, experience and single minded pursuit of the artist’s own voice.

Its a voice that readily acknowledges the influence of Miles Davis both in practise and in spirit, and Soul of Things drew unanimous praise for its evocation of the landmark that is Kind of Blue, a comparison not made lightly among jazz aficionados. Stanko wears the mantle with ease, and in his ability to manipulate space and time, his control of group chemistry, and textural shifts from convention to dissonance, its clear a similar alchemy is at work.

His description of his own musical journey as one “from chaos to order, from fury to lyricism” is apt. Like many of his peers, the free music of the 60’s exerted a gravitational pull, and his formative years were spent with key European groups like the Globe Unity Orchestra, a lengthy sojourn with Finland’s Edward Vesala, and occasional projects with Cecil Taylor. Later, his work with Polish film composer Krzysztof Komeda would stimulate a more reflective aspect, and Stanko’s own compositions today carry a similar quality of sombre, film noir.

Like Miles, Stanko has the gift of mentoring, and since 1994, he has fostered an extraordinary trio of young Polish musicians in pianist Marcin Wasilewski, bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz and drummer Michal Miskiewicz, with whom he has built an almost telepathic rapport. Still in their early 20’s, his protégés have made their own ECM debut and in Kurkiewicz, the label has another pianist of poetic scope.
Between them, these four musicians span the generations and articulate the notion of a European jazz aesthetic with an irresistible clarity. For Stanko, one of its most independent spirits, its just reward for a lifetime’s commitment to jazz and its governing principles, the primacy of the individual, freedom borne of discipline and the beauty in discovery. See up-coming events calendar for full details

*The Tomasz Stanko Tour is funded by The Touring Experiment and   produced by IMC on behalf of The Soundings Partnership of Limerick and Galway Jazz Societies, Sligo Jazz Project, Moving On Music, Triskel, Mermaid, Solstice , Garter Lane & Source Arts Centres. For information on further Soundings Tours, see www.improvisedmusic.ie

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Farmleigh Affair Information04/08/07

TICKETING

While the Farmleigh Affair is a free event, admittance is strictly by ticket only, without exception. You will require tickets to gain entrance to The Pleasure Gardens, to the rear of the house, where the Farmleigh Affair takes place. Please note that all other amenities at Farmleigh will be open as normal, including the organic market, boathouse restaurant, galleries and tours, and no tickets are required for these activities. If you wish to avail of these other amenities while attending The Farmleigh Affair, make sure to retain your ticket stub for re-admittance to the concert site. If you have received tickets surplus to your requirements, please return them to us on the day. IMC will have a small pagoda tent in front of the house, which you will pass on your way to the Pleasure Gardens, where you can drop off any tickets you don't need.

Please note that under 18s must be accompanied by an adult.

TIMES

The Farmleigh estate will open as normal on both days at 10am. However, please note that access to The Pleasure Grounds, where the Farmleigh Affair takes place, is from 12 noon. First act is on stage at 12.30pm and we really encourage you to get along early in the day to catch all of the great musicians playing The Farmleigh Affair. Last act is on stage at 6.30pm , and music finishes at 7.30pm. Last entrance to the estate is at 4.45pm.

GETTING THERE

Farmleigh is accessed via the Phoenix Park. If you're travelling by car, enter the Phoenix Park from Parkgate Street, follow the main avenue almost to the end, taking the last turn on the left signposted for Farmleigh. Entering the Phoenix Park from Castleknock, take the first turn on the right signposted for Farmleigh. If travelling by Dublin Bus Take the number 37 bus from Hawkins Street to the Castleknock Gate. Enter the Phoenix Park and take the pedestrian pathway to your right. Following the directional signs, Farmleigh is a fifteen-minute walk from the Castleknock Gate.

PARKING

Free Parking is available on the estate. The Office of Public Works cannot accept liability for damages to vehicles while parked on the estate.

WEATHER

Blizzards and snow drifts on Sunday, followed by twisters and tropical thunderstorms on Monday… well you never know. Here's what Met Eireann have to say on Ireland's favourite topic.
SUNDAY: Brighter, showery weather for Sunday and temperatures will reach the high teens generally, with light variable or north-westerly breezes. MONDAY: some bight or sunny spells, showery rain will develop across some areas. Temperatures will reach the high teens generally, possibly touching 20 degrees Celsius during brighter periods, with moderate north-westerly breezes.

CATERING

we have an eclectic line up of caterers at The Farmleigh Affair, including a wood fired barbeque, fresh strawberries, italian coffee, organic wines, Mr Whippy and that strange grass covered van that delivers Innocent smooothies! Farmleigh is great for al fresco eating and we encourage you to bring along your own spread if you like - we've created a seated picnic area at the rear of the concert site. Also, some of Ireland's finest artisan food producers will be at Farmleigh's organic market on both Sunday and Monday if you want to purchase other treats, but please remember to retain your ticket stub for re-admittance to the concert area.

WHAT TO BRING?

Farmleigh does not have an ATM, so do bring cash if you want to make purchases on site, such as food, drinks or CDs by participating artists. Seating will not be provided at The Farmleigh Affair, so feel free to bring along picnic blankets, cushions etc. Please be aware that the area immediately in front of the stage will be standing room only. Also, make sure to bring appropriate clothing in case of changeable weather, which looks like it may be on the cards.

WHO IS PERFORMING?

Sunday 5th

the affair kicks off with cello wielding songbird Vyvienne Long (12.30), flanked by fellow cellists either side, a jazz rhythm section and a repertoire of quirky and engaging songs honed on the road during world tours with Damien Rice. Dance music from opposite sides of the planet to follow, with The North Strand Klezmer Band (14.00), Dublin 3’s finest purveyors of the irrepressible music of the Ashkenazi Jews, and then from slightly further afield, Clube do Balanco (15.30), on the last date of a lengthy European tour before returning to their native Sao Paulo, and back to the samba –rock revival they’ve spearheaded. Sunday builds to a rootsy finale with some genuine foot stomping Acadian music from The Bebert Orchestra, (17.00) led by accordionist Yves Lambert, ex-leader of La Bottine Souriante and something of a Quebecois institution. After 96 years in the business, the mighty Kilfenora Ceili Band (18.30) are also a national treasure and will know exactly what buttons to push to bring proceedings to an energetic conclusion.

Monday 6th

Bank Holiday Monday starts with strange noises from down under and the twelve strapping blokes of The Spooky Men’s Chorale, (12.30) who combine medieval polyphony with original songs about power tools and growing beards. Trust us, it works. A little more local, but no less exotic, Julie Fowlis (14.00) will seduce you with beautiful Scots Gaelic songs from the isle of Uist in the windswept Outer Hebrides, and this award winning folk singer will be performing with leading Irish and Scottish musicians. Dobet Gnahore (15.30) sings in the Bété language of The Ivory Coast, and she’s one of the most vivacious young performers in today’s fertile West African music scene, with a percussion driven band that features the balafon, with its ingenious system of rosewood keys and dried resonating gourds. Very special guest at this years Farmleigh Affair is 21st century troubadour, conscious raiser and proud Dubliner Damien Dempsey (17.00) with songs from his critically acclaimed new CD To Hell or Barbados. Finally, we have the fabulous Kocani Orchestra from Macedonia (18.30), rocking Farmleigh’s foundations with their mighty Balkan brass and percussion.

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Lieb, An Appreciation20/07/07

Four days of music in celebration of saxophonist David Liebman

Wed 22nd - Sat 25th August 2007

"Liebman is arguably the reigning king of the soprano, as well as one of the most complete improvisers in modern music."- Chicago Tribune

Happy Birthday Lieb, 60 this year. Over the last twenty, the New Yorker, whose distinguished career includes extended periods with Miles Davis and Elvin Jones plus his own important groups like Quest and Lookout Farm, has taken the most active interest in jazz from Ireland as performer, mentor and educator.
With his darkly intense tone, sinuous lines and masterful control of volatile chromaticism, Liebman has a unique musical vocabulary that is emotive, powerful and direct. He’s also one of the most generous spirits and independent thinkers in jazz today, an inspirational teacher and a passionate advocate of the late John Coltrane, who himself would have turned 80 this year. Join us over four days as Liebman illuminates all of these roles, and we celebrate the world’s greatest soprano saxophonist. See up-coming events calendar for more information

David Liebman’s Dublin Project
Wednesday 22nd 8.30pm, JJ Smyth’s Aungier St D2 adm: 15 euro
Coltrane Remembered - a tribute concert
Thursday 23rd 8pm, Meeting House Square, Temple Bar D2 adm: free*

Coltrane Reflected - a public lecture by David Liebman
Friday 24th 8pm, Goethe Institute, 37 Merrion Square D2 Adm:10 euro

Hand, Head, Heart - world premiere
Saturday 25th 8pm, Crawdaddy, Harcourt St D2 Adm:20 euro

Ticket Information
Tickets available from Claddagh Records, Temple Bar & IMC tel: 01 670 3885

*except Meeting House Square available exclusively from Temple Bar Cultural Trust, Temple Bar (from 16th August only)

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Kocani Orkestar, Damien Dempsey and many more set to play Farmleigh Affair 200720/07/07

Some festivals say that they're boutique events, but The Farmleigh Affair is positively snug with just 4,000 tickets, and every one of them is free. 2007 sees our biggest affair yet, with musicians from Africa, Brazil, Australia and The Balkans joining some exceptional Irish talent for a culturally diverse and musically uplifting send off to the last bank holiday of the summer.

Among them is cello wielding songbird Vyvienne Long, flanked by fellow cellists either side, a jazz rhythm section and a repertoire of quirky and engaging songs honed on the road during world tours with Damien Rice. Dance music from opposite sides of the planet to follow, with The North Strand Klezmer Band, Dublin 3's finest purveyors of the irrepressible music of the Ashkenazi Jews, and then from slightly further a field, Clube do Balanco, on the last date of a lengthy European tour before returning to their native Sao Paulo, and back to the samba –rock revival they've spearheaded. Sunday 5th builds to a rootsy finale with some genuine foot stomping Acadian music from The Bebert Orchestra, led by accordionist Yves Lambert, ex-leader of La Bottine Souriante and something of a Quebecois institution.   After 96 years in the business, the mighty Kilfenora Ceili Band are   also a national treasure and   will know exactly what buttons to push to bring proceedings to an energetic conclusion.

Monday 6th starts with strange noises from down under and the twelve strapping blokes of The Spooky Men's Chorale, who combine medieval polyphony with original songs about power tools and growing beards. Trust us, it works. A little more local, but no less exotic, Julie Fowlis will seduce you with beautiful   Scots Gaelic songs from the isle of Uist in the windswept Outer Hebrides.   Dobet Gnahore sings in the Bété language of The Ivory Coast, and she's one of the most vivacious young performers in West Africa today, with a percussion driven band that features the balafon, with its ingenious system of rosewood keys and dried resonating gourds. Very special guest at this year’s Farmleigh Affair is 21 st century troubadour, conscious raiser and proud Dubliner Damien Dempsey, with songs from his critically acclaimed new CD To Hell or Barbados. Finally, we have the fabulous Kocani Orchestra from Macedonia, rocking Farmleigh's foundations with their mighty Balkan brass and   percussion.

There'll be refreshments available, along with tasty treats from organic producers, and Farmleigh is the perfect spot for a picnic if you want to bring your own spread. The Farmleigh Affair is completely free but you will require tickets, limited to four per person and available from www.farmleigh.ie from Friday 6th July onwards. We anticipate huge demand for this unique and much anticipated event so apply for tickets early. You don't want to miss the best gig of the summer, in Lord Iveagh's back garden!

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Stanko Quartet play 5 Irish dates in September20/07/07

Soundings* Tour September   2007

18-23rd of September 2007

As he enters his 6th decade, trumpeter Tomasz Stanko is enjoying the level of recognition that his career long artistry so clearly warrants, and much of it has been stimulated by his recent output for ECM, for whom he has now recorded seven titles as leader. With 2002’s Soul of Things and more recent work like Suspended Night and Lontana, his prodigious gift is distilling down into crystalline documents that attest to the power of time, experience and single minded pursuit of the artist’s own voice.

Its a voice that readily acknowledges the influence of Miles Davis both in practise and in spirit, and Soul of Things drew unanimous praise for its evocation of the landmark that is Kind of Blue, a comparison not made lightly among jazz aficionados. Stanko wears the mantle with ease, and in his ability to manipulate space and time, his control of group chemistry, and textural shifts from convention to dissonance, its clear a similar alchemy is at work.

His description of his own musical journey as one “from chaos to order, from fury to lyricism” is apt. Like many of his peers, the free music of the 60’s exerted a gravitational pull, and his formative years were spent with key European groups like the Globe Unity Orchestra, a lengthy sojourn with Finland’s Edward Vesala, and occasional projects with Cecil Taylor. Later, his work with Polish film composer Krzysztof Komeda would stimulate a more reflective aspect, and Stanko’s own compositions today carry a similar quality of sombre, film noir.

Like Miles, Stanko has the gift of mentoring, and since 1994, he has fostered an extraordinary trio of young Polish musicians in pianist Marcin Wasilewski, bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz and drummer Michal Miskiewicz, with whom he has built an almost telepathic rapport. Still in their early 20’s, his protégés have made their own ECM debut and in Kurkiewicz, the label has another pianist of poetic scope.
Between them, these four musicians span the generations and articulate the notion of a European jazz aesthetic with an irresistible clarity. For Stanko, one of its most independent spirits, its just reward for a lifetime’s commitment to jazz and its governing principles, the primacy of the individual, freedom borne of discipline and the beauty in discovery. See up-coming events calendar for full details

*The Tomasz Stanko Tour is funded by The Touring Experiment and   produced by IMC on behalf of The Soundings Partnership of Limerick and Galway Jazz Societies, Sligo Jazz Project, Moving On Music, Triskel, Mermaid, Solstice , Garter Lane & Source Arts Centres. For information on further Soundings Tours, see www.improvisedmusic.ie

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Yurodny - Myriada Tour 200725/06/07

A photo of the Meeting House Square finale during the Yurodny/Myriada Tour.

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Indian Classical Vocalist Kaushiki Chakrabarty19/04/07

Over the last decade, we’ve set out our stall to introduce you to great artists irrespective of genre, especially when they’ve been on the threshold of major international recognition. In Kaushiki Chakrabarty, our instinct tells us we’ve identified another major vocal artist to add to the IMC roll call of Irish debuts.

Still in her mid 20’s, this native of Calcutta is rightly being hailed across the sub continent as a very bright star in that expansive musical constellation. She sings both the improvisatory khayal and more devotional thumri, the principle styles of Hindustani classical music, and like many of the new generation, is also versed in the carnatic music of the south and the artful film music of composers like RD Burman.

In her focused intensity and ability to construct and maintain the dramatic arc of this demanding long form music, she displays great maturity. Add to that her emerging mastery of its intricate rhythmic web and unerring control over a three-octave range, all of it delivered with a tone of brilliant clarity, and even by the prodigious standard of Indian classical music, you have a remarkable musician.

Inevitably, she is an alumnus of the guru-shishya system, India’s great tradition of master and pupil, and through which this sophisticated music has been transmitted orally over successive generations. Here, its been handed down by her father and guru, the eminent Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, himself a revered figure in the modern pantheon of Indian vocal music.

Those years of devotion at her father’s side are now bearing fruit,. Her debut recording ,Pure, for the UK based Asian connoisseur label Sense, has drawn effusive praise from Indian music’s most exacting critics, who feel a star is born. We do too.

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Phil Ware Trio launch their debut album12/04/07

"It's no surprise that they're one of the hardest-working jazz trios in the country with an appetite for exploration that matched pound for pound with an insistent connection to their listeners...” The Irish Times

Described by The Irish Times as a textbook example of the ongoing vitality of the tradition, Phil Ware’s trio has set a new benchmark for the piano trio here. Born in England but a Dubliner since 2000, Ware’s contribution to the Irish jazz resurgence has been generous to a fault, his tasteful and always supportive playing a leitmotif of many leading groups. As with so many pianists, he has a special affinity for singers, but his penchant for melody is best appreciated when he performs with stalwarts bassist Dave Redmond and drummer Kevin Brady and their hallmark deep groove.

2006 has been the trio's busiest year to date and Summit, their JJ Smyth’s residency, has re-invigorated Monday nights in the capital with a regular infusion of visiting soloists like Ian Shaw and Jim Mullen. It has also tested the mettle of the trio's new material, all of which can be found on this much anticipated debut album. The aptly named "In Our Own Time" sees the Phil Ware Trio in a more reflective mood with explorative interpretations of evergreens such as “Nobody Does It Better” as well as originals from Phil, Kevin and Dave. Directional detours not withstanding, PWT devotees can be assured that there will be no departure from the high levels of musicianship and interplay associated with Ireland’s foremost piano trio.
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