Having toured and recorded with Jacqui Dankworth in the ‘Noughties’ Linley has a successful weekly jazz show on BBC Radio Ulster with recent guests including Wynton Marsalis, Jan Garbareck, John Abercrombie, Walter Becker and Billy Cobham. In 2001 he released his debut album ‘Up to Now’ and toured extensively with a line up that included Dublin Saxophone phenomenon Derek O’Connor. Renowned as a bebop and hard bop player, Linley shows a love for all styles modern and has a lyrical approach to the Flugel Horn which has played a more substantial role in his work of recent years.

In 2009 Linley went ‘back to school’ and studied at DIT in Dublin under Mike Neilsen where he achieved a 1st in Master of Jazz performance and won the Student Academic Excellence Award along with it. He has recently penned a Kind of Blue Theatre Show and is touring with it in Ireland in April 2010 and embarks on a PhD in Jazz in September this year.

Derek ‘Doc’ O’Connor has played saxophone from the age of nine and turned professional at age seventeen. His style is very much high intensity in the Bob Berg, Michael Brecker mold and his live playing is always an exciting experience. Derek toured with the European Jazz Youth Orchestra in 2001 representing Ireland and divides his time between recording sessions,touring and live gigs.

Derek has performed with many top artists including Paul Brady. Van Morrison, Chaka Khan and Jeffrey Osborne to name but a few. He is currently the house saxophonist on ‘Tubridy Tonight’ which airs every saturday night and also ’You’re a Star’ on Sundays during the autumn. Derek has recently received rave reviews for his playing on Niall O’Niell’s debut album ’As If’ with the band Reverse Trust featuring Ireland’s top session musicians.

Mikkel Ploug (DK) - guitar

Simon Jermyn (IRL) - bass guitar

Kevin Brow (CAN/DK) - drums

Pete Robbins (age 31) moved to New York in September, 2002, and immediately became “a welcome presence on the creative music scene.”   He has since performed or recorded with John Zorn, Mark Dresser, Craig Taborn, Ben Monder, Mario Pavone, and Kenny Wollesen, and has performed at festivals and clubs in the US, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic.

Robbins’ leads “an ambitious ensemble that combines spacious avant-gardism with the melodic punch of rock” (NY Times).  His studio releases “Waits and Measures” (Playscape) and “Do The Hate Laugh Shimmy” (Fresh Sound/New Talent) were both named as top-10 jazz releases in 2006 and 2008, respectively; his fourth album as a bandleader is scheduled for release in May, 2010 on Robbins’ own Hate Laugh Music label, and a trio album with bassist Mario Pavone and drummer Tyshawn Sorey is also in the works for a 2010 release.

Robbins has been featured in New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Boston Phoenix, JazzTimes, JazzWise, Jazzman, Politikken, andNational Public Radio.  For his compositional achievements, Chamber Music America recently awarded Robbins with their prestigious “New Works: Creation and Presentation” grant, as well as their “New Works: Encore” award on behalf of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.  Robbins was also a 2009 guest panelist at the Brooklyn Arts Council.

He has performed professionally in Ireland, the US, Canada, Britain and Europe, with a wide variety of internationally acclaimed artists, including Greg Osby, David Liebman, JeanToussaint, Tommy Smith, Jaleel Shaw, Soweto Kinch, Jonathan Kreisberg and Louis Stewart. Touring with the David Lyttle Group for the second time is US trumpet great Terell Stafford, with hard-swinging original music by Lyttle and Stafford being featured. Also in the group is leading young Irish guitarist Mark McKnight, and the prominent Dublin residing Australian bassist Damian Evans.

New York trumpet ace Terell Stafford has been hailed as “one of the great players of our time” by piano legend McCoy Tyner. Known for being a gifted and versatile player with a voice all his own, Stafford combines lyricism and a deep love of melody with a spirited, adventurous edge. This uniquely expressive, well-defined musical talent allows Stafford the ability to dance in and around the rich trumpet tradition of his predecessors while making his own inroads.

Stafford has worked in the groups of McCoy Tyner, Bobby Watson, Benny Golson, Jon Faddis, Cedar Walton, Frank Wess, Jimmy Heath, Kenny Barron, Wycliffe Gordon and Matt Wilson. He has also performed with the Mingus Big Band, Wynton Marsalis’ Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and is currently a member of the Grammy-nominated Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Clayton Brothers Quintet and Trumpet Summit, with Randy Brecker and Jon Faddis. Stafford appears on over forty albums as a sideman, including Diana Krall’s Grammy-nominated ‘From This Moment On’ (2006), and has released four albums as a leader, featuring musicians of the calibre of Mulgrew Miller, Steve Wilson, Dick Oatts and Derrick Hodge.

The press on David Lyttle:

“…notably assured technique, greased lightning reflexes and an unfailing sense of swing…a prolific composer too.” Jazzwise (UK)

“…a drummer of real talent.” - All About Jazz (USA)

“… such discretion and awareness…with a tonal sense that’s as refreshing as it is creative.” - The Herald (UK)

“…one of the busiest musicians on the island.” - The Sunday Tribune

“…a rapidly maturing talent, who is already highly accomplished both as a musician and as a composer.” - The Irish News

“…one of the most significant and interesting figures on the Belfast music scene…” - Hot Press

An international trio, featuring three of the leading contemporary jazz musicians of their respective countries -  British saxophonist Julian Arguelles, the Irish bassist Ronan Guilfoyle, and the American drummer Jim Black – will undertake a tour of the UK and Ireland in March 2010.

The saxophone trio has a long and important history in jazz and some of the most highly regarded live recordings in jazz have featured this format. Arguelles/Guilfoyle/Black continue this tradition while at the same time reflecting the vibrancy of contemporary jazz. An international trio, featuring three of the leading contemporary jazz musicians of their generation and respective countries -  British saxophonist Julian Arguelles, the Irish
bassist Ronan Guilfoyle, and the American drummer Jim Black – their new recording ‘Live in Dublin’ captures the excitement and ‘in the moment’ feel of live saxophone trio playing, and gives a taste of what is to come in their concert performances.

Playing a programme mixing original compositions and standards, the trio’s music features a free-wheeling spontaneity and powerful rhythmic drive, with each member of the trio showing an almost telepathic response to the playing of the others -  the music unfolds  seamlessly with a great sense of swing and much rhythmic intrigue.

‘This is a fun-filled gem through and through’

Downtown Music Gallery, New York  - reviewing ‘Live in Dublin (Auand 9009)

“It was intense, exhilarating and a credit to all concerned, with Black in particular little short of astonishing in his range of invention. If jazz is the sound of surprises, this was full of them”.

Irish Times

“Julian Arguelles, Ronan Guilfoyle and Jim Black produced a concert of enthralling and frequently breathtaking music. Black in particular was mesmerising, throwing spanner after spanner into the works from a seemingly limitless toolkit of ideas.”

Sunday Tribune

Andreas Varady is twelve years old and hails from Slovakia. This young man is an anomaly. Andreas’ dad Bandi, put a guitar in his hand first when he was two years of age and he hasn’t looked back since.

Andreas has a talent that has to be seen and heard to be believed. It’s out of the ordinary to see such a young man play with this great musicianship, tone and technique, and still have a strong sense of his own artistic expression, not to mention he loves it!
Taking influence from such greats as Charlie Parker and George Benson, Andreas plays regularly with The Limerick Jazz Workshops and continues to amaze as he plays to a standard that takes most people years to achieve.

David Lyttle is a Jazz drummer based in Ireland. Self-taught on the drum kit since the age of eight, Lyttle also received classical training on cello but began to focus his efforts towards the drums in his late teens after taking a serious interest in jazz.
Lyttle has worked professionally in the US, Canada, Britain and Europe, with a wide variety of internationally-respected artists. In the Jazz world, these include Greg Osby, David Liebman, Jean Toussaint, Soweto Kinch, Matt Penman, Dave Allen, Jamie Baum, Jonathan Kreisberg, Louis Stewart, Robert Mitchell, Jacqui Dankworth, Ronan Guilfoyle and Michael Buckley, who features on ‘True Story’, Lyttle’s acclaimed debut album on his ‘Lyte Records’ label.
We’ll soon be able to add Andreas Varady to that list.

Andreas and David will debut at The Shannon Rowing Club in late February. Playing with them on the night will be Martin Bencat~Double Bass and Bandi Varady~Bass.
It promises to be a stunning evening of stimulating and first class Jazz, you won’t want to miss this one!

Sí’s guests on the night will be Laura Sheehan and Vertigo Smyth.

Laura Sheeran is a 22 year old solo artist based in Dublin. Her musical path began at the age of 15 when asked by friend Clodagh Simonds (Mellow Candle, current 93) to do some singing for a then embryonic project later to be known as Fovea Hex.   Since then she has continued to sing with Fovea Hex in the studio and also for live performances (where she plays accordion and bowed saw also) along-side Cora Venus lunny (ICC ensemble, Yurodny) Kate Ellis (Crash ensemble) and Michael Begg (Human Greed). Other contributors to this project include the likes of Roger Doyle, Brian Eno, Roger Eno, Robert Fripp, Percy Jones, Donal Lunny, Andrew Mckenzie, Matmos and Steven Wilson.  Laura’s solo music is highly atmospheric, lending itself well for use in theater and other visual media like film. Over the past few months Laura has been putting the finishing touches to her debut record which has developed into a double album. in making this record Laura explored various musical places, deciding early on that she would abandon the idea of writing with piano or guitar she has been experimenting with many instruments she would never before have written for, for example the harp, flute and accordion. She also had a lot of fun writing for strings and of course did a lot of vocal experimentation. Entitled ‘lust of pig and the fresh blood’ the album is due for release this year.

Straight out of Ennis, comes Vertigo Smyth. This is normally a paragraph where you find out about Vertigo Smyth. However, it has proven quite difficult to get any useful biographical data out of the man. We know for certain he is from Co. Clare and is an Aries. There is strong anecdotal evidence to suggest that he now resides in Limerick, or perhaps Clare, or even Galway. Not much is known about his musical background but it is understood that he came quite late to music and music making. In the past few years he has supported such acts as Mick Flannery, Cathy Davey, Gemma Hayes and Juana Molina. On his recorded material he is credited with guitar, banjo, ukulele and keys but has been keen to stress that; “There is a difference between owning a multitude of instruments and being a multi-instrumentalist”. He writes all his own material but finds ironing his own shirts quite a struggle.

Later in the night when the live music has been all played away, Ms.Skull will be waiting to take off, in her own particular fashion on the decks. Ms.Skull has a very broad repertoire of music and is eminently skilled at getting the room moving in time with the tunes!

LJW is now in its fourth year of promoting jazz education in the mid-west and has four ensembles involving over 20 singers and musicians.  It is the only organization of its type in Ireland outside of Dublin and is a vital part of the very active Limerick jazz scene.  We have recently expanded our activities by staging regular jam sessions on Tuesday night in Bentleys, O’Connell St. and establishing a Saturday afternoon junior workshop.

We welcome guests who just want to enjoy the music or who might want to get involved as well.

LJW is supported by UCH’s Participation and Education Programme, the Peter Dee Academy of Music and Limerick City Council.

Euan Burton - Bass

James Maddren - Drums

Since graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2006 Mark McKnight has gone on to establish himself as one of Ireland’s most prominent young jazz musicians, winning such international recognition as 3rd place in the 2008 Montreux International Jazz Guitar Competition 2008 (open at all guitarists under 30 worldwide).  2009 was his busiest and most successful year to date with numerous tours throughout Ireland, UK and Europe, the release of his debut album as a leader (Overnight), being named Best Young Irish Jazz Musician at the Cork Jazz Festival and receiving the UK Musicians Benevolent Fund Development Award.

Thanks to the latter McKnight hosted a series of performances in Belfast, N. Ireland featuring many of the leading lights in the UK jazz scene and as a result has developed two working trios, one organ based, the other guitar, between them encompassing some of the most significant young players to emerge from the UK jazz scene in recent years.

McKnight’s guitar trio sees him joined by two such musicians, Scottish double bassist Euan Burton (noted for his touring work in the groups of some of New York’s most influential band leaders including Ari Hoenig and Jonathan Jreisberg) and the rising star of UK drumming, London’s James Maddren (Gwilym Simcock, Mark Copland, Stan Sulzmann).

Already developing and exciting and original sound this trio showcase McKnight’s original compositions in addition to some fresh and exciting takes on the standard repertoire.

Press Quotes

“The future of Irish jazz guitar.”  The Irish Times

“(Mark McKnight’s) solos were marvelously constructed and characteristically rather elegant combined with and emotional intensity, a soulfulness.” JazzWise (UK)

“McKnight himself is an exhilarating talent, with his clean melodic statements…and high tensile, very mobile solos that always find the blue notes.” ****  The Glasgow Herald

“…(McKnight’s) style is contemporary, and mixes boppish phrasing with thoughtful note selection…for listeners who are looking for a new voice to add to their library of quality guitarists” Just Jazz Guitar (USA)

Tour Dates

Feb 2nd - University of Ulster, Derry, The Great Hall (1pm)

Feb 2nd - University of Ulster, Coleraine, The Octagon (8pm)

Feb 3rd - Dolan’s, Limerick (8pm)

Feb 4th - Phil Grimes - Waterford (8pm)

Feb 5th - The Oh Yeah Centre, Belfast (8pm)

Feb 7th - J.J. Smyth’s, Dublin (8pm)

Feb 8th - The Con Cellar, London (8pm)

Feb 9th - The 606 Club, London (10pm)

Feb 13th - 12 Points Festival , Norway

Feb 14th - 12 Points Festival, Norway

Feb 15th - The 78, Glasgow (9pm)

Feb 16th - Dempsey’s Cardiff (8pm)

Freeform Foundation are a sporadic formation of talented muso’s whose favourite method of composition, is none at all. The band formed circa 2005 and specialised in extended explorations of grooves and jams and being reactive off one another. Through out the years, band members came and went and plenty of musicians joined in the Foundation. Many a full house in Limerick enjoyed the expansive free styles of Freeform Foundation until a main member, Fergal, decided to up and roam the green fields of France and they went their separate ways. Every so often, when they are all in the same country they get together and let rip! This being a leap year, we are lucky enough to have them here in Limerick and ready to give us an outstanding show.

Freeform Foundation will be Fergal Naughtan~Guitar, Colin Bartley~Bass, Bart Kiely~Drums, Robbie Costello~Sax and who knows who else will drop by! It’s hard to pin down what influences this band, they play anything from Funk to Jazz or anywhere their jam takes them. Above all you could say they play music like it is seldom heard, by fusing it with an eclectic mix of various styles.

It’s not very often you will get a chance to catch this outfit play so grab it while you can.

The venue needs no introduction, The Shannon Rowing Club. It’s possibly the most beautiful building in Limerick City and a great place to listen to great music and have a great night out!

Speakeasy

presents

Freeform Foundation

The Shannon Rowing Club

Thurs Jan 28th

Doors 10pm

Adm 6e/8e after 10.30

• nightly performances by Txutxukan, a French gypsy/swing band featuring Dylan Gully, a former participant in Limerick Jazz Workshop
• Sunday night’s performance by Shashkeen featuring Eamonn Cotter, another LJW participant.