Jazz Scene Ireland

The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival 2006 weekend is about to begin. This year promises some truly fantastic shows with the likes of Branford Marsalis, Jimmy Scott, Joe Lovano, Randy Weston and many many more. The gig listing is in the Pages section Guinness Cork Jazz Festival 2006 in the middle column of this site. Don’t miss this great festival!

Also of note the Kinsale Fringe Jazz Festival is also on this weekend with listings in the middle as well…

David Lyttle joins forces with prominent New York musicians Ron Gozzo and Carlo DeRosa for an evening of originals and standards in the contemporary swing idiom. Ron Gozzo has worked with musicians such as Butch Norris and Dave Valentine. Carlo Rosa has worked with Ravi Coltrane, John Scofield and Kurt Rosenwinkel among others.

David Lyttle is a 22 year old drummer performing extensively on the Irish jazz scene. He is a graduate of the University of Ulster and has won scholarships to study at the Banff Centre (Canada), working with Dave Douglas and Greg Osby, and Skidmore Jazz Institute (NY). He has also received private tuition in New York with international drummers such as Carl Allen, Ralph Peterson and Ari Hoenig. In Ireland David has performed with leading players such as Mike Nielsen, Michael Buckley, Karl Rooney, Greg Felton, Myles Drennan and Tommy Halferty, and an assortment of visiting international musicians.

Ron Gozzo (NYC), Carlo DeRosa (NYC) & David Lyttle (IRL)

Wed 25th October @ No Alibis Bookstore, Belfast.
8pm / Admission: £6 / £7.50
www.davidlyttle.com
www.noalibis.com

No Alibis Bookstore,
Botanic Ave., Belfast.
Tel: 028 9031 9607

JazzXchange live at Bacchus Kinsale, photo John Allen

After many months in limbo Jazz Scene Ireland is back online. This site is a two-man show brought to you for the sheer pleasure of sharing the Irish Jazz Scene. Many Irish Jazz sites have long since been abandoned so here’s to keeping up the flame.

We have no affiliation to promoters or companies, the site is entirely self-run and self-funded, so if you feel like helping out please feel free…

We will publish all listings, review all albums and attend all shows possible. Although based in the Cork area, we are connected worldwide and will travel to help Irish Jazz. Let us know what you have happening!

Thanks to all who have sent listings during our hiatus, you haven’t been forgotten.

Cork based Irish composer Martin Vallely’’s new release “Debut” is a charm. This nine song album recorded in Amsterdam shows off Vallely’’s jazz songwriting for the first time with great results.
From the fun Circus Waltz to the haunting June Light this CD introduces a new force in Irish jazz. Backed by the talents of Mark Reinke - piano, rhodes and organ; Natalio Sued - tenor sax; Uli Genenger - drums and percussion, Martin’’s bass playing lays down a velvety carpet for the songs and musicians to lift from. All in all a fine debut with
great promise for the future and another example of Cork and Ireland’’s burgeoning jazz scene.

With an Irish tour planned for 2006, the
Martin Vallely Quartet should be high on any jazz lovers list of new talent to hear and see.

Martin can be reached via email at martinvallely@yahoo.co.uk for information about upcoming gigs and where to purchase the new CD.
Here are two excerpts from the Martin Vallely Quartet’’s release “Debut”
Circus Waltz Excerpt
June Light Excerpt

Sonny Greenwich becomes a Member of the Order of Canada for his exceptional contribution to Canada in the area of Performing Arts/Music.
In jazz circles Sonny Greenwich is a legend. He is a demanding performer totally dedicated to his art and uncompromising in his standards. An innovator, who has created his own distinct style for the guitar, he has many proteges, both in jazz and rock music. Rock bands such as ‘’Pink Floyd'’ and ‘’Genesis'’ have been influenced at some level by his music.

Born in Hamilton Ontario, Greenwich called Toronto home until the late ‘’60s. He has resided exclusively in Montreal since l974.

The press describes Greenwich’’s musical command as absolute, his combination of serenity and power bring beauty and clarity to every note he plays, which leaves his audiences enthralled in reverent silence. Ultimately, it is the open expression and caring in his music that people completely relate to. His network of fans is as far reaching as the former Soviet Union.

This world-renowned jazz guitarist has played in major Canadian and American cities including a concert at Carnegie Hall and with such ‘’greats'’ as Miles Davis, Charles Lloyd, Wayne Shorter, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea, saxophonist John Handy and Sun-Ra. Read the rest of this entry »