Paddy Groenland. Photo: Devi Anna.
New Jazz On The Block
On Tuesday, 26 June a double bill from two new jazz ensembles at the Back Loft Studios features Dublin-based Leafzang launching their eponymous first album, and visitors from Boston, the Matthew Halpin Group as part of an Irish tour.
Leafzang is an instrumental sextet led by Paddy Groenland on guitar, ‘taking its cue from ECM European jazz and soundrack-like atmosphericisms’, featuring Lioba Petrie on cello, Matthew Berrill on clarinet, Matthew Halpin on saxophone, Neil O’Loghlen on upright bass, and Andre Antunes on drums. The launch event features art and photography from Kathrina Rupit and Nina ‘Core’ Franco.
The Matthew Halpin Group – Halpin on sax, Christian Li on piano, Mike Bono on guitar, Jared Henderson on bass, and Roberto Giaquinto on drums – are visiting from Berklee College of Music, and play both traditional and contemporary jazz. Halpin says that ‘the style of music that I’m writing is a result of the music that I’ve been playing and studying in the past three years, taking influence from jazz standards and the original music we have worked on together. What I am trying to make most prominent in the music is the enjoyment and humor that we find in playing together and which has always come naturally to us, while being true to the intensity and emotional depth of the music which we all love.’
The Back Loft is at 7/11 St. Augustine Street, Dublin 8, and the event starts at 7.30pm, with tickets priced at €8/10.
The Matthew Halpin Group is also playing the following dates:
19 and 21 June (doing standards) at the International Bar, Dublin 2 at 9pm.
22 June at Achill Sound on Achill Island, Co. Mayo at 9pm.
24 June at JJ Smyth’s, Dublin at 7.30pm.
27 June at Campbell’s Tavern in Headford, Co. Galway (Double bill with Matthew Berrill Group).
28 June at The Roundy, Cork at 9.15pm.
Published on 19 June 2012
