Funding for the arts is essential, but without the right approach it can blunt artists’ entrepreneurial skills, writes Toner Quinn

Kevin Stevens travels to Ethiopia to find a tradition that has flourished against the odds.

The Jerome Hynes Commission Opportunity for Young Composers, IrelandDeadline: 31 December 2009Open to composers under the age of 30, who are resident or domiciled in Ireland.

Lester Young — musical visionary and ensemble journeyman, hipster icon and distant loner — was the most influential instrumentalist in early jazz but, in his prime, never led his own band.

LISTINGS FROM THE IMPROVISED MUSIC COMPANY CDS Buckley, Hugh, The Last Session, A Fond Farewell, Celtic Connections, Liffey Publishing Ltd/Saint Music, CCCD060 Francesco Turrisi Trio, jazz piano trio, Si Dolce è il Tormento, Diatribe Recor

Classical/Early   CD Review Andrew McGregor Sat, 9:00am www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/cdreview/Classical Collection Sarah Walker Mon–Fri, 10:00am www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/classicalcollection Composer of the Week Donal...

Mouthpiece, Diatribe (DIACD009)

Trygve Seim and Frode Haltli / Laura Macdonald and Tom Bancroft, Islay Jazz Festival, Finlaggan, Isle of Islay, 11 September 2009

Barra Ó Séaghdha asks where the British free jazz movement fits within definitions of jazz

Mike Hanrahan, Cork, writes:While I welcome Bill Whelan’s commentary on the digital rights debacle (Aug-Sept), and indeed his call to arms to all concerned authors and composers, a part of me cannot but feel it’s all a little too late.

Barra Ó Séaghdha finds a disapproving account of paganism and the occult

This is really out there

This is really happening

The Olympia Theatre, Dublin10–11 June 2009Ry Cooder’s career has included so many reinventions it has been hard to keep track.

Harry Beckett (trumpet), Ian Smith (flugelhorn) Robert Jarvis, Alan Tomlinson (trombones), Andrew Robinson (recorders), Neil Metcalfe (flute), Terry Day (reed pipes & recorder), Lol Coxhill, Adrian Northover, Evan Parker (soprano saxes)

Trying not to be pigeonholed, many jazz musicians have stopped describing themselves as such.

OvernightReMark RecordsOver the last couple of years, the young Belfast guitarist Mark McKnight has been quietly building on a stateside jazz education in New York and Boston, completed in 2006.

Double TrioDiatribe Recordings DIACD006Double Trio is the product of Ian Wilson’s year-long residency in the Glencullen electoral area south of Dublin.

ZeitgeistFresh Sound New Talent LRP 005It is nearly three years since drummer Kevin Brady formed his current trio with fellow Dubliner Dave Redmond and the mercurial American pianist Bill Carrothers.

The roll of jazz in Eastern Europe through the decades

TogethernessLiving Room Project (LRP 004)Since its debut early last year, the Dublin quartet Togetherness has grown into one of the leading lights of the Irish jazz scene. Impressive performances at 12Points!

Si Dolce è il TormentoDiatribe DIACD003Francesco Turrisi is an Italian pianist, accordionist and percussionist who has been brightening the Irish jazz scene with his unique blend of influences since moving to Dublin three years ago.

Café Oto, London9–11 March 2009Otomo Yoshihide and Sachiko M’s three-day residency at Café Oto featured them in solo and duo performances, in addition to group improvisations alongside musicians such as Eddie Prévost, Christian...

J.J. Smyth’s, Dublin15 March 2009It is surprising that jazz, which owes so much to its African roots, does not return to the creative well of African culture more often.

A period of freedom – and tension – in Chicago jazz through the playing of Anthony Braxton and the AACM

Kuljit Bhamra, Shahid Khan, the Orlando Consort and Jonathan Mayer Described as ‘musical conversations across the Indian Ocean’, Mantra is a new work cultivated by the National Centre for Early Music (York) which combines sixteenth-century

Ethan Iverson (piano), Tim Berne (alto saxophone), Hank Roberts (cello), Dave King (drums)The Sugar Club, Dublin28 January 2009What happens when buffaloes collide? A lot of dust and thunder.

John Field Room, National Concert Hall, Dublin22 January 2009In the Country is a piano trio with strong pop leanings and Nordic sensibilities.

Peter Rosser on the intimacy and ritual of live music

The 12 Points! festival overrides old ‘European jazz’ tags

Gerry Godley introduces Way Out West, a free recording of new Irish jazz by the Improvised Music Company which accompanies our April–May issue

Breathing TimeDiatribe DIACD004 Since forming in Dublin four years ago, the lively, progressive quartet Trihornophone has been intriguing audiences with improvised music that is playful, open, and always fresh.

Kevin Stevens meets the innovative saxophonist David Murray

Unlocking the Archive / Session with the Pipers /Music Recording / Casadh Arís / Temple Bar Trad / Música Nueva de Mexico / Outof Time / New Books on Music in Ireland / Winteriser / Happy to Meet, Sorry toPart / Dublin Philharmonic in USA /

Sean Carpio plays drums ‘with friends and family’. He was a student and teacher in the Newpark Music Centre and studied Carnatic classical percussion in Bangalore, India.

Various venues, Dublin23–26 October 2008Electronic noise: either you view it as an irritating addendum to the intended functions of analogue technologies, or you take your lead from today’s sound artists and technophiles and celebrate it as

Royal Festival Hall, London1 December 2008Euphoric applause greeted Keith Jarrett as he slowly ambled his way towards the spotlit Steinway.

Liquid SunshineLiving Room Project LRP 003The Hammond organ has a venerable jazz history.

John Abercrombie (guitar), Michael Buckley (saxophone), Ronan Guilfoyle (bass), Joey Baron (drums)Whelan’s, Dublin14 September 2008Since moving from Berklee College to New York City in 1969, guitarist John Abercrombie has brought his superb

Simon Jermyn’s Trot A MouseFSNT 318Dublin bassist Simon Jermyn’s new recording on the Barcelona label Fresh Sounds has been gestating for a while.

Jazz in Marciac in the south of France, and Dún Laoghaire’s Festival of World Cultures

For over a decade, John Kelly has been broadcasting his own distinct mix of music on national radio, first with the BBC, then Eclectic Ballroom on Radio Ireland (now Today FM) and Mystery Train on RTÉ Radio 1, establishing a reputation as a

Classical/EarlyCD Review – Andrew McGregor, Sat, 9am, www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/cdreview/Classical Collection – Sarah Walker, Mon–Fri, 10am, www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/classicalcollectionComposer of the Week – Donal Macleod, Mon–Fri, 12pm,...

Kevin Stevens meets two new collectives in the Irish jazz scene.

Islands Tour; The Reel Deal; The West Awake; Free State IV; Globalising Irish Music – Podcast by Bill Whelan; DEAF; Creative Spaces; Béal Tuinne and Conal Ó Gráda at the Cork Folk Festival; Eliza Carthy in Enniskillen; Seán Ó Riada Memorial

CascadeImprovised Music Company The release of Cascade is an important event, not just because of the quality of the music, which I’ll get to in a moment, but also for the circumstances of its origin and production.

The Art of DreamingCandid Records, CCD 79853Cormac Kenevey has been busy this year: a slew of Irish gigs, a pair of nights at the iconic Ronnie Scott’s Club in Soho, radio and television appearances, and album launches in Dublin, London and

Now in its ninth year, the Bray Jazz festival in May has emerged as the leading Irish jazz festival after Cork. Kevin Stevens was there.

Dave Binney (alto saxophone), Craig Taborn (piano), Scott Colley (bass), Brian Blade (drums)Whelan’s, Dublin 12 May 2008 Over the last few months, music fans here have been treated to a steady flow of visiting artists who, in one way or ano

Francesco Turrisi (piano), Gabrielle Mirabassi (clarinet), Roman Bunka (oud), Ronan Guilfoyle (bass), Bijan Chemirani (percussion)National Concert Hall, Dublin24 April 2008Two Italians, a German, an Irishman and a Franco-Iranian (or Irano-F

Kevin Stevens considers the career of guitarist John McLaughlin ahead of his first appearance in Dublin.

Filmmaker Daragh McCarthy remembers the American composer and producer Teo Macero.

The jazz scene in Ireland has witnessed a rush of young talent and now plays host to a long list of international artists. Kevin Stevens looks at the range of music out there and explores the next steps for Irish jazz.

Michael Buckley (tenor saxophone, flute), Justin Carroll (piano), Ronan Guilfoyle (bass), David Lyttle (drums) & Greg Osby (alto saxophone)JJ Smyth’s, Dublin24 February 2008The enrichment of jazz education in Ireland in recent years has

Pharoah Sanders Tripod, Dublin3 February 2008 Though tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders has been performing and recording steadily for over half a century, most listeners associate him with the short period over forty years ago when he playe

Common GroundLRP Music, LRP002Among the notable features of the Irish jazz scene in recent years has been the emergence of several outstanding keyboard trios, including the Phil Ware Trio and Organics, both of which are rhythmically anchore

Harpists gather outside Dáil Eireann to protest the routing of the M3 though Tara (Photo: Lucy Clarke). JMI Seeks Marketing ExecutiveJMI welcomes letters of application for the new post of Marketing & Promotions Executive.

Tomasz Stanko (trumpet), Marcin Wasilewski (piano), Slawomir Kurkiewicz (bass) & Michal Miskiewicz (drums)Vicar Street, Dublin18 September 2007Tomasz Stanko has been around.

Spiegeltent, Dublin Fringe Festival19 September 2007Clear Sky Ensemble is almost a feature writer’s dream.

On the fortieth anniversary of John Coltrane’s death, and in the context of recent commemorative events in Dublin, Kevin Stevens looks at the life and work of one of the greatest of jazz innovators

Barra Ó Séaghdha, Dublin, writes: Having complained so much about the poverty of debate on cultural matters in Ireland, I must thank Leith Davis, Ronan Guilfoyle and Barra Boydell for having taken the trouble to respond to recent articles o

JJ Smyth’s, Dublin12 August 2007 In 1963, 22-year-old Frank Zappa played a concerto for bicycles and pre-recorded tape on ABC Television’s Steve Allen Show.

Music Appointments at the Arts CouncilThere have been two recent music appointments in the Arts Council. Rosemary Collier has been appointed as Head of Music and Opera, while Paul Flynn has been appointed Head of Traditional Arts.

DOYLE WINS MAGISTERIUM AWARDIrish composer Roger Doyle has won the prestigious Magisterium Award at the Bourges International Electro-acoustic Music Competition in France for his work The Ninth Set.

Ronan Guifoyle, Artistic Director of the 2007 RTÉ Living Music Festival, writes:I would like to respond to a couple of points about the RTÉ LMF made in the last issue of the JMI. First off, with regard to Barra Ó Séaghdha’s...

The Hayes/Cahill brand has extended far beyond the conventional audience for traditional music, a fact that makes them natural candidates for crossover experiments such as the recent series of gigs with guitarist Bill Frisell.

Project Arts Centre, Temple Bar, Dublin 227 April 2007Improvised Music Company’s 12 Points!

In Our Own TimePewter Music (689076561365)The English pianist Phil Ware is a familiar figure on the Irish jazz scene.

Paul Williamson (trumpet), Michael Buckley (saxes and flute), Joe O Callaghan (guitar), Justin Carroll (keyboards), Ronan Guilfoyle (bass), Sean Carpio (drums)Projects Arts Centre, Dublin, 7 April 2007Ronan Guilfoyle’s seven-part suite Term

A review of the recent RTÉ Living Music Festival which focused on jazz and the music of American composer John Adams.

Sami MoukaddemResistance: Soul FoodBA42072-012The themes tackled in Sami Moukaddem’s latest album are as diverse as the musical styles on offer.

J.J.

This is Living, Candid Records, CCD 79846 The front and back covers for This is Living suggest a rather jaded theme.

Bob Gilmore discusses the upcoming RTÉ Living Music Festival with Artistic Director Ronan Guilfoyle.

An Interview by composer Benjamin Dwyer with double-bassist and composer Barry Guy.

NEW CMC CD & SEMINARThe Contemporary Music Centre has released Contemporary Music from Ireland Volume Six, showcasing works composed over the last five years by eleven Irish composers, including Linda Buckley, Ian Wilson, Ed Bennett, Si

Sean Carpio, Simon Jermyn and Joachim BadenhorstSean Carpio’s front room14 September 2006It was the first evening of three on which drummer Sean Carpio and a varying selection of musical accomplices were due to play in his flat as part of t

(chaturangi – 22-string guitar)Farmleigh Salon Series (programmed by Improvised Music Company), Farmleigh, Castleknock, Dublin, 17 July 2006A large black dog nearly put paid to this review – and, for a very long minute or two, it seemed li

Recent work by Cork guitarist Mark O'Leary.

TRADITIONAL MUSIC ARCHIVE MOVESIn the course of a week in mid-July, the Irish Traditional Music Archive moved from its long-time home in 63 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, to new premises at 73 Merrion Square.

VIJAY IYERSugar Club, Dublin27 April 2006Contemporary jazz is an exacting art.

The Bray Jazz Festival 2006.

PROJECT 06 IN GALWAYPROJECT 06 is a one-off arts festival which will coincide with the Galway Arts Festival on 17-30 July.

Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, 23 February 2006The challenge for Trihornophone was clear from the start: trumpet, alto sax, baritone sax, and drum kit appeared – where’s the rest of the band?

-- This open article is from the Journal of Music archive, 2000–2009.For 39 euro per year, you receive six copies in the post plus full online access to all the latest issues.Visit www.journalofmusic.com/subscribe-- Mermaid Arts Centre, Bra

Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co.

The Festival de Jazz et de Free Music in Mulhouse, France.

AOSDÁNA ELECT LUNNYDonal Lunny has been elected to Aosdána, the Irish state-sponsored academy of artists. The influential musician, arranger and producer is the first professional traditional musician to be elected to this body.

Alliance Française, Dublin, 3 February 2006 As part of a drive to promote leading figures in Irish jazz, 2006 sees the Improvised Music Company running a series of concerts that feature an Irish musician performing in a complimentary intern

The Boom Boom Room, Dublin28 January 2006The Remote Viewing Workshops are a series of monthly nights organised by Wire Horizon, a Dublin-based collective of musicians and promoters (www.wirehorizon.com).

Whelan’s, Dublin, 17 November 2005The appearance of Jon Balke’s Magnetic North Orchestra at Whelan’s on 17 November was one of the last in a year-long series of concerts presented by the Improvised Music Company and the Jazz Architects and.

Firkin Crane, Cork, 30 Oct 2005Rick Peckham, musical director; Aoife Doyle, voice; Simone Mendonca, violin; Matt Berrill, alto sax, clarinet; Bill Blackmore, trumpet; Colm O’Hara, trombone; Julie Cruickshank, piano; Stephen McFarlane, guita

12.1.06 The Atlantean – a talk by film-maker Bob Quinn, with particular reference to traditional Irish and North African music, Douglas Hyde Gallery, Trinity College, Dublin 2, 7pm.

Vicar Street, Dublin, 24 November 2005Rachid Taha is a leading figure among the new French-Algerian musicians who blend techno-trance/dance influences with rai and other North African sounds.

If pulse-based music is the norm in our society, are most contemporary composers hopelessly out of touch? Does choosing to create pulse-based music mean one is succumbing to American cultural imperialism?