The Irish Women in Jazz Podcast & Gig Series features a new female band leader each month. Doors open at 7.30pm. Join us for the podcast portion and get to know the artist before their show in the second half! Each podcast is recorded live and published online at a later date.

This November, straight from Cork, experience the magic that is vocalist Laoise Leahy and her band – the Johnny Taylor Trio – when they bring their experimental and beautiful Jazz programme to Arthur's Jazz & Blues Club as part of the Irish Women in Jazz Series.

Laoise and her band will explore the darker corners of contemporary jazz music, evocatively journeying through life, love, loss, time, space and hope.

As Jazz Artist-in-Residence at Cork Opera House, Leahy is ready to unveil the fruits of her labour in an unforgettable performance that will include stunning original compositions weaved in with gems from vocal artists such as Esperanza Spalding, Cécile Mc Lorin Salvant, Jazzmeia Horn, Laura Mvula and Aretha Franklin.

Join us for an evening of jazz that is as distinctive as it is captivating, live at Arthur's.

Laoise Leahy (vocals), Johnny Taylor (piano), Barry Donohue (bass), Dominic Mullan (drums)

Bio:

Laoise has developed into one of the most accomplished, versatile and in-demand singers on the Irish jazz and pop scenes. Laoise has performed and recorded with the likes of Bon Iver, Gilbert O’ Sullivan, Damon Albarn, Damien Rice, Brian Deady, Efterklang, Jack O’ Rourke and many others. She is now ready to take wings as a solo artist in her own right and bring some original music to her audience alongside her own unique interpretations of jazz material she has honed over the years.

In 2011 she co-founded Cork's first specialist vocal tuition centre ‘Voiceworks Studio’ with colleague and renowned vocalist and educator, Gemma Sugrue and currently lectures at the MTU Cork School of Music, specialising in pop and jazz vocal performance on degree and postgraduate level courses. Laoise was involved in writing and developing the vocal curriculum of the BA in Popular Music (Hons) degree course at its inception in 2012 and served as course coordinator for five years. The BA in Popular Music is a flourishing degree, producing an exciting roster of graduates.

Laoise regularly performs with many bands and large ensembles such as New Irish Jazz Orchestra, RTE Concert Orchestra, Cork Concert Orchestra, Cork Pops Orchestra, Hothouse Big band, among others and has toured professionally with theatre companies throughout Europe. She has released original music which has been internationally broadcast on BBC, RTE 1, Sky Showcase, RTE Lyric Fm, Newstalk and Today FM among others. She has performed at many festivals including Electric Picnic, Cork Jazz Festival, Limerick Jazz Festival and many more. Now embarking on an exciting new departure into a career as a solo artist, working with stunning collaborative musicians with the support of the Arts Council, Laoise looks forward to a busy season of recording and performing ahead.