Thursday – Double Bill: Emilie Conway Trio/Magical Dog

Emilie Conway Trio

Line-Up:

Emilie Conway – Vocals

Johnny Taylor – Piano

Derek Whyte – Bass

Emilie Conway’s innovative and multifaceted work as vocal jazz artist, activist, and pyschotherapist paint a portrait of an individual deeply dedicated to artistic expression, social justice, and the power of human connection.

Emilie Conway is an award-winning vocal jazz artist, composer, and lyricist based in Dublin, Ireland, celebrated for her innovative approach to music. She weaves together original compositions, spoken word, and both improvised and composed music passages, frequently drawing inspiration from literature and visual arts with projects like You Won’t Forget Me: Celebrating Maeve Brennan in Words and Music, Yeats + Tagore, Ireland Meets India (in America) and her current Mondrian work. Conway’s artistic explorations also delve into compelling themes such as the interplay between jazz and other art forms, the unique perspectives shaped by her lived experience as a disabled person, and the creation of jazz for young audiences with shows like The Red Kite’s Blues and commission with the Ark, Solid, Space, Sound.

This multifaceted approach has garnered international recognition, notably including acknowledgement from the United Nations for her contributions on International Jazz Day, highlighting the global impact of her unique artistic vision. New York’s global centre for culture, The 92nd Street Y, also commissioned her to deliver a series of lectures, The Musical Art of Piet Mondrian.

Emilie has performed across Ireland, the US, and Europe at festivals and venues including, Belles Artes, Santo Domingo, Carnegie Hall’s Migrations Festival NYC, The Village Trip Greenwich Village Festival, the Cornelia St. Cafe, The American Irish Historical Society, Sligo International Jazz Festival, The American Writers’ Museum Chicago, Ranelagh Arts Festival, The Bray Jazz Festival, Galway Jazz Festival, Copenhagen Jazz Festival, and many more.

Informed by her own lived experience of disability and the improvisatory responsiveness of jazz Emilie drives innovation in making art and cultural spaces more inclusive and engaging for all. Solid, Space, Sound is the name she has given to a process in which she creates inclusive musical, lyrical/audio described, movement, sculptural and tactile experiences. Though intended for blind and visually impaired audiences, Solid, Space, Sound has been found to have broad appeal – for children, the elderly and non-disabled! Emilie works with the National Gallery of Ireland, the Royal Hibernian Academy, The Ark Children’s Cultural Centre, the Irish Architecture Foundation and Open House and more. Most recently she has been awarded a bursary from the Arts Council of Ireland to support a deeper phase of research and development of this approach in partnership with the Project Arts Centre.

emilieconway.ie

Magical Dog

Line-Up:

Darragh O’Kelly – Keys

Joe O’ Callaghan – Guitar

Shane O’Donovan – Drums

Derek Whyte – Bass

Named after an explosive Jan Hammer composition, ‘Magical Dog’ is a new quartet dedicated to the high energy and explorative approach of the classic jazz fusion period. Their focus is on the raw driving grooves and collective improvisation associated with the genre. With a combined deep knowledge and experience playing this genre, each member also brings their own unique voice to the ensemble. Expect tunes from some of the most important composers from the fusion era, including John Mclaughlin, Jan Hammer and Steve Grossman.