“By turns cerebral, visceral, and disarmingly emotive, The Bad Plus boast a rare onstage magnetism that transcends genre” Time Out New York

Over the past ten years The Bad Plus Reid Anderson, Ethan Iverson and David King have broken down the walls of jazz convention and created an uncompromising body of work. Few jazz groups in recent memory have amassed such popularity and critical acclaim. While the bulk of their output has been original music, they are equally at home with tunes by Blondie, Bacharach, Nirvana and Aphex Twin. ON SACRED GROUND sees the piano trio take on Stravinsky’s iconic Rite of Spring. The famed ballet that caused a riot on its premiere, opened the door to 20th Century music and animated Disney’s Fantasia. The Rite is a touchstone rooted in tribal and Russian folk music. Virtuoso, playful and visceral, The Bad Plus’ mutli-media show, On Sacred Ground, breathes new life into this popular masterpiece.

“It’s about as badass as highbrow gets.” Rolling Stone

“If the Coen Brothers put together a jazz trio, perhaps it would be like this, the comic and the dramatic rolled together.” The Guardian

“Audacious, rule-breaking jazz trio crunches and at times pulverizes swing to let improvisational freedom shine…Dynamics play a huge roll in the act’s music, as does humor, an element sorely lacking in most of contemporary jazz. But beauty is also key… jazz purists tremble while the vanguard flocks.” Billboard

Limerick Jazz Workshop’s summer performance celebrates five years of successful jazz education in the mid-west. Five ensembles will be taking part, including both juniors and beginners, so there will be a relatively early start at 8pm.

The student performances will encompass many different styles of jazz, and the work they have put in over the year is reflected in a very high standard of performance.  We confidently expect the usual party atmosphere to build as the night goes on. Why not chance the €5 entry and get a first look at the stars of the future!

In the course of their musical partnership, David Friedman and Peter Weniger have developed a kind of intuitive and interactive sense and a love for spontaneous music making. As a result they decided to go into the studio without any preparation or pre-conceived concepts. They used compositions drawn from the great american songbook as a kind of loose framework and turned these pieces into “on the spot”, intimate musical landscapes.

The results of this informal recording turned out to be so compelling, that they decided to release this material as a CD, entitled “Rétro”.

The press response has been nothing short of astounding. “Music of incredible depth and beauty”, said “Jazz Podium. “The best jazz release of 2010!” praised “Jazz Thing”. Rétro has already been nominated for a German Grammy.

Live, this duo is nothing short of spellbinding. Their combined sound has an orchestral quality, way beyond the seeming reality of only two musicians playing together. Their highest priority is, simply, the moment. Continue reading →