OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS Artist Q&A with Joe O’Callaghan
Limerick’s Joe O’Callaghan is a genuine force in Irish jazz guitar, with extended tasteful lines, contemporary chord shapes and an instinct for rocking out when the need arises. His newest ensemble, the Joe O'Callaghan Trio features pianist Izumi Kimura and bassist Derek Whyte. Ahead of their performance at Signal Series on Thursday 5th September, we spoke to Joe about influences from Zen Buddhism, the openness to create new experiences with each performance and visions of the future.
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OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS Artist Q&A with Zeropunkt
Zeropunkt plays freely improvised expressivist psychedelia tinged with the digressive energies of free jazz and no wave. The trio operates instinctively, without charts, heads, precepts or concepts, in performances that respond directly to the space they find themselves in. Despite a para-generic approach, their music springs from a deep bedrock, at times recalling the meditativeness of Alice Coltrane, the frenzy of Faust, or the chaos of the Contortions.
Ahead of Zeropunkt's performance at the Fumbally Stables on the 12th of August, Damien Lennon (bass, effects) and Jamie Davis (drums, percussion, saxophone) spoke to us about the power of music in connection, the build-up of experience which inspire music, and the challenges of making purely spontaneous improvised music.
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OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS Artist Q&A with Han-Earl Park, Eris 136199
Described by Brian Morton as “a musical philosopher… a delightful shape-shifter”, guitarist and composer Han-earl Park is drawn to real-time cyborg configurations in which artifacts and bodies collide. He has performed with some of the finest practitioners of improvised music, leads Sirene 1009 with Dominic Lash, Mark Sanders and Caroline Pugh, and is part of Numbers with Richard Barrett. Together, Park, guitarist Nick Didkovsky and saxophonist Catherine Sikora forge an improvisative space where melody can be melody, noise can be noise, meter can be meter, metal becomes metal, bluegrass turns to bluegrass, jazz transforms into jazz, all there, all necessary without imploding under idiomatic pressures.
Ahead of Eris136199's performance on Monday 12th August at the Fumbally Stables, Han-Earl told us a bit about his approach to music, unusual inspirations from politics, to cinema to pop music, and the particular collisions which make up the music of Eris136199.
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OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS: Forró music with Namangaia
Performing at Hotter than July this Sunday 28th July, Forró Namangaia is a Dublin-based Brazilian quintet formed in 2015, who promise to bring you on a musical trip through forró rhythm across the globe in an elegant and innovative form, featuring rich cultural elements harmonies driven by powerful rhythmical and typical influence from Brazil. Percussionist and vocalist Marcio Tarkatarov brought us through a little primer on forró music for the curious and confused.
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OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS Artist Q&A with Segun from Yankari Afrobeat Collective
Yankari Afrobeat Collective close Hotter than July 2019 with a bang this Sunday 28th at 3pm! Segun from Yankari told us a bit about their style of Afrobeat, the authenticity and power of this kind of music, and blending Afrobeat with influences like hip-hop to appeal to people and make the kind of music the world needs to hear.
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Jazz Connective Ljubljana Notes & Observations by Cormac Larkin
Musician, Irish Times journalist and Jazz Connective delegate Cormac Larkin reflects on Jazz Connective's Ljubljana conference and the future of jazz, encompassing topics including transnational mobility, inclusivity, the climate crisis, audience development, and the changing face of jazz as a genre.
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OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS Artist Q&A with Maracatu Ilha Brilhante
Maracatu Ilha Brilhante kick off Hotter than July this Sunday 28th at 3pm! We spoke to Tom Duffy from the group, to learn a bit about where their style of music comes form, how it's learned and what is special about maracatu.
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OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS Artist Q&A with Kakatsitsi
Steve from Kakatsitsi spoke to us about the ensemble of master drummers from Ghana - how they mix together drums of varying Ghanaian tribes, influences of electronic dance music, learning to become a master drummer, and finding an intimate connection with the audience, similar to the connection between people in authentic settings for these kinds of drumming.
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