Dublin City Jazz Orchestra

Its summer in the city, and the former Temple Bar Music Centre, The Button Factory know how to bring in that summer feeling in style as they host the first residency of the Dublin City Jazz Orchestra, a 17 piece band formed in 2007.

Then called the Dublin City Big Band, the group was formed by Ciarán Wilde and Raymond Martin to showcase to children in the Ballymun Wind Project the full experience of a Big Band sound to inspire their own musical projects. After this, they went on to play the Electric Picnic 2008 at the IMC World Music Stage, the reaction for which has spurred this residency into being, which is good news for Dubliners who want to have a great time dancing whilst appreciating fine musicianship.

The orchestra features 5 saxes, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, Piano, bass, drums and guitar all from professional full-time musicians who represent some of the finest in Europe including the likes of Sketches of Now guitarist Hugh Buckley, leader of his piano trio, Phil Ware and Nick Roth, band leader of Klezmer group Yurodny as well as band leader Ciarán Wilde who has been working in recent times with the likes of Josh Ritter. All musicians are prominent in both Irish and international scenes.

As individual session musicians members have performed and recorded with the likes of U2, Oasis, Van Morrison, The Symphony and Concert Orchestra, Movie soundtracks and top visiting artists like Dave Liebman, John Faddis, and Bobby Watson.

On Monday night in the Button Factory you can here the band play music the musicians love to play themselves with arrangements by our own Irish arrangers Brian Byrne, David O’Rourke, Cormac McCarthy as well as USA arrangers, Thad Jones, Count Basie as well as Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones, and Oliver Nelson.

The six week Button Factory residency in Dublin’s Temple Bar will feature a series of guests over the weeks including the great Sinatra man Seán Hession on June 22 and on Monday June 29th the impassioned sounds of Mary Coughlan will join the orchestra. Saxophonist Tim Ries of Rolling Stones fame will also be joining Dublin’s only Big Band, (date tbc). More news on other special guests soon.

So Dubliners grab your suits and skirts, shine your shoes and swing on the dance floor of the Button Factory every Monday to the old sound of the Big Band.