Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE JUNE 19 2019

Sligo Jazz Project launches its 2019 festival programme in Andersons, Sligo on Wednesday 26 June at 8pm, with music by MOBO-nominated composer and drummer David Lyttle’s Trio featuring the Murray Brothers. Sligo Jazz Project’s international summer school and festival week runs from July 23-28 this year with a mix of seasoned performers and some of the most precocious young jazz talent in the world.

Artists from USA, Italy, Slovakia, Brazil, Australia, Germany, Ireland, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales will be gracing the Hawks Well Theatre and many other Sligo venues over the week in question. SJP has become renowned for hosting one of the biggest and most inclusive summer schools in the world, with a holistic approach to jazz education being the key to its annual programme, drawing from world music as well as the jazz tradition. This year’s presentation includes, in addition to tuition in jazz instruments and vocals, some world music elements such as Indian Konnakol percussion and overtone singing. Anna-Maria Hefele, one of the world’s greatest exponents of the art of overtone singing, will give workshops and perform an intimate acoustic concert at the Hamilton gallery. Ghatam Giridhar Udupa, renowned Indian percussionist, will be present through the week, giving workshops on Konnakol, the Indian percussion language, and performing with several ensembles.

Straight ahead jazz is well represented this year with an Ireland-exclusive Nat King Cole 100 birthday celebration concert at the Hawk’s Well by New Yorker Sachal Vasandani and a specially formed SJP International Band on July 26. This will also feature Liane Carroll and Sara Colman, SJP’s other two voice tutors and an incredible international line up of musicians including Jean Toussaint, Paul Booth, Shannon Barnett, Ryan Quigley and Malcolm Edmonstone, performing arrangements by US arranger John Clayton.

The festival has many free events in its programme including a spectacular line-up of new and familiar faces in the now legendary Hargadons sessions at 4:30pm each afternoon in Sligo’s famous gastropub. From Cathy Jordan’s first foray into the world of jazz teaming up with London session legend Paul Clarvis, to Sligo’s newest and brightest young instrumental talents, The Little Big Band, ranging in age from 14-18. Guitarists will have three world class tutors giving workshops and performing during the week, led by Sligo’s own Mike Nielsen. As the festival is run by Sligo bassist Eddie Lee, there is always a bass feature and this year there’s a veritable feast, with Band-in-Residence Malafede Trio, led by internet bass sensation Federico Malaman giving workshops and masterclasses as well as performances at Sligo Jazz 2019. Precocious young Brazilian bassist Michael Pipoquinha gives a masterclass at IT Sligo and plays the Hawks Well with his quartet on Thursday July 25, plus SJP’s perennial double bass tutor and WDR Big Band Koln bassist extraordinaire, John Goldsby, holds the double bass chair once again for the week. That’s not all the big band action either, with a one-off Ireland exclusive performance of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra of Scotland and special guest, renowned British-Bahraini trumpeter Yazz Ahmed (Hawk’s Well 24 July). Sligo Jazz 2019 All Stars make their 26-strong presence felt on the Saturday night, as has become a tradition with small and large ensemble features drawn from the stellar 2019 summer school faculty of Irish and international musicians.

The legendary jam sessions have moved house this year, to Andersons, at 6pm each evening and 10pm each night, you’ll be able to witness a spectacular array of jazz talent of all ages. This year’s festival club will feature a band and jam session each night. From Tuesday to Friday our amazing 26 strong musician panel will be performing a nightly set in various combinations as well as the jam session. Expect much spontaneous magic from some of the finest musicians you will ever hear.

All these musicians will be giving masterclasses and workshops and there is still time to enrol on Sligo International Jazz Summer School. If you do, you’ll get all the Hawk’s Well series of concerts included in the fee.