Gigs

Rhythm Method was co-founded in 2009 by guitarist Shane Latimer and Bassist Cormac O’Brien. With the addition of Bill Blackmore on trumpet, Darragh O’Kelly on keys and Shane O’Donovan on drums a collaborative project featuring five of Dublin’s most innovative and creative musicians was established.

The writing responsibilities are shared and the music reflects the different creative personalities in the group. With only a few gigs under their belt, the band has already established a cohesive group sound which explores the possibilities of minimalism, groove, free improvisation and odd meters. With a focus on lyricism and musicality over extended forms, Rhythm Method deliver a set of music that is constantly engaging and full of surprises. More Information…

24 year old pianist/composer Kit Downes exploded onto the British Jazz Scene playing with the band Empirical, taking him through Europe and America, and then with Troyka, Fraud and Acoustic Ladyland. Two years on, Kit moved on to his own trio project and this debut album sees him developing as a strong voice both as a performer and composer.  Joined by his two Royal Academy colleagues award winning 24 year old bassist Calum Gourlay and 23 year old rising drum star James Maddren the music displays a level of understanding and intelligence between players that can only come from working closely together for a number of years.  They read each other perfectly.

The band has spent these years developing their own personal sound. The highly original music is immediately arresting and stands repeated listening. It uses melody, inspired from a range of sources ranging from Bela Bartok to Keith Jarrett to Rufus Wainwright, and endeavours both to celebrate the classic piano trio tradition as well as develop it.

Francesco Turrisi is a pianist, accordionist, harpsichordist and percussionist now living in Dublin. In 1997 he left his native Italy to study jazz piano and early music at The Royal Conservatory in the Hague, where he obtained his Master’s degree.   His trio includes Dan Bodwell on double bass and Sean Carpio on drums.

Between 2004 and 2007 he played harpsichord and percussion with acclaimed early music ensemble l’Arpeggiata, performing at many of the most important early music festivals of the world. Since moving to Ireland, he has become a focal point of the domestic jazz scene, and the founder of Tarab, an ensemble experimenting with different elements of Mediterranean music, jazz improvisation and Irish traditional music. Tarab’s 2007 performance at the National Concert Hall was described by The Irish Times as “the most enchanting music I have heard this year”.

His new CD ‘Si Dolce’ is inspired by 17th century Italian melodies, harmonic progressions and forms. The music is orchestrated for Jazz Piano trio, augmented on certain tracks by the addition of a Bass Clarinet, and on two pieces, a rare 17th century extended lute, called the Theorbo.

Francesco has worked with many notable artists from the diverse field of Jazz, Early and World musics, including Dave Liebman, Jean Toussaint, Gianluigi Trovesi, Gabriele Mirabassi, Maria Pia de Vito, John Ruocco, The King’s Singers, Veronique Gens, Dominique Visse, Philippe Jaroussky, Vittorio Ghielmi, Pepe el Habichuela, Lucilla Galeazzi, Bijan Chemirani, Abdullah Chhadeh, Ronan Guilfoyle and Julie Feeney.

Cole Porter is famous for his flamboyant character and his legacy of great songs such as ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’, ‘Night And Day’, ‘Every Time We Say Goodbye’, ‘Love For Sale’ ‘I Get A Kick Out Of You’, ‘In The Still Of The Night’ and many more.  Cormac Kenevey and his band delve enthusiastically into the Cole Porter Songbook to bring an entertaining evening of new interpretations of this timeless music. The critically acclaimed jazz singer’s 2010 schedule included representation of Ireland at Eurojazz Festival in Mexico, Dubai and London and performances with the RTE Concert Orchestra.

“Immediately refreshing, he exudes confidence, wit and style” 4-stars - The Times

“Kenevey brings heart, spirit and warmth to everything he sings” - Jazzwise

“Hugely Impressive” - The Sunday Times

Isa Wiss  vocals

Greg Felton piano

Cormac O’Brien bass

Seán Carpio drums

“Dazzling post-Cecil Taylor banging…” Downbeat Magazine on Greg Felton

Are you sitting comfortably? Brace yourself for a few bombshells as Greg Felton’s trio go head to head with the incomparable vocalist Isa Wiss. Tipped as a major star of the future, Wiss is one of those musicians who defies description; her remarkable technique and three-octave range make her a truly free improviser who can switch from stuttering gasps and cries to honeyed tones in a single phrase. Greg Felton is the perfect foil for Wiss’ vocal acrobatics. Hailed in the Irish Times as “the most gifted young pianist on the scene,” Felton is another fearless improviser whose distinctive compositions and two-fisted technique draw on everything from jazz and folk traditions to South Indian classical music. His intuitive and often playful approach to music is shared by drummer Seán Carpio, whose seductive grooves have made him a regular collaborator with Mikkel Ploug, Sebastien Texier, Louis Stewart and Ronan Guilfoyle. The line-up is completed by bassist Cormac O’Brien, a fellow stalwart on the Irish jazz scene who has also played with international stars such as Bobby Watson, Jamie Baum, Dave Allen, Bjorn Vidar Solli and Bruce Adams.

Mark McKnight is a guitarist from Belfast, Northern Ireland.  Mark began his studies in jazz when awarded a scholarship from the Arts Council of Ireland to study at the Skidmore Jazz Institute, NY.  The following year Mark attended Berklee College of Music on scholarship from which he graduated in 2006, receiving awards for outstanding musicianship. Since returning to Ireland Mark has established himself as one of the country’s leading young jazz musicians, as attested to by his being named the ”Best Young Irish Musician 2009″ at the Cork Jazz Festival, and in addition played with some of the island’s most respected classical and concert orchestras, having featured as a soloist in national broadcasts with both the Ulster and RTE Concert Orchestras.

New York based tenor saxophonist/composer SEAMUS BLAKE is recognized as one of the finest exponents of contemporary jazz. His music is known for its sophistication, bold improvisations and “sheer swagger”.  John Scofield, who hired Seamus for his “Quiet Band,” called him “extraordinary, a total saxophonist.” Seamus Blake’s latest two releases, Bellwether  (Criss Cross Jazz 2009) and Live in Italy (Jazz Eyes 2009), have garnered considerable critical praise for his masterful playing, his fine compositional skills and for his facility as a leader.  Live in Italy was awarded 4.5 stars in Downbeat. Described as “a knockout”,  “one of the elite albums of the year” and “as exhilarating as a shot of espresso”, it is on many Top of the Year lists.