Micheal Buckley’s TRANSLATIONS

Micheal Buckley's TRANSLATIONS

The context is jazz in dialogue with traditional music, the stimulus is The Mermaid Commission, and the recipient is saxophonist Michael Buckley. Poised for international recognition, Buckley is the leading Irish jazz musician of his generation, and brings his considerable gift of lyricism to bear on Translations, an aptly named exploration of the meditative aspect of traditional music as seen from the jazz improviser’s perspective.

Translations took its nascent steps as a short studio project in March 2005, as part of Music Spoken Here, RTE Radio 1’s acclaimed new music series. That brief foray offered up intriguing possiblities, casting these old songs in a most contemporary setting,with washes of harmony, gently implied rhythms, and a compelling union of jazz and traditional instrumentation.

For its live premier, Translations is presented in two chapters. To open, evocative new compositions that are informed by folk songs from Buckley, performed by a stellar quartet of jazz musicians, including Rome based pianist Greg Burk. To follow, a journey into the reflective terrain of slow airs and old songs , with the quartet augmented by leading traditional players including the ascendent sean nos singer Eamonn O’Doncha.