WHEN LEGENDARY jazz-fusion pianist Chick Corea calls anyone "a creative genius", it is a good reason to pay attention. Add a string of awards, rave reviews, and collaborations with leading jazz players, and suddenly Gwylim Simcocks becomes a 'must see' musician.
Gwylim Simcocks headlines the 'pop-up' Galway Jazz Festival this Saturday, in The Mick Lally Theatre, Druid Lane - a 14 hour marathon of performances, workshops, discussions, food, wine, and craft beer, organised by Headford musician Matthew Berrill.
It opens at 10.30am with a workshop for local musicians by the internationally acclaimed guitarist Mike Nielsen; followed at 1pm by the much-lauded CEO Experiment featuring pianist Micheal Buckley. At 2.30pm there will be a panel discussion about the state of jazz in Ireland, and the future of the Galway Jazz Festival, with saxophonist Matthew Berrill; The Irish Times's Cormac Larkin; The Bray Jazz Festival's George Jacob; Improvised Music Company's Aoife Concannon; and the city arts officer James Harrold.
The festivities resume with the main concert at 8pm, where Gwilym Simcocks performs live on a Steinway piano. Hear why MOJO called him "a major talent”; "a formidable musician as well as a formidable pianist" (The Telegraph ); and "a stupendous improviser" (The Observer ). The event concludes at 10.30pm with the Frank Kilkelly Trio and guests. Frank's gypsy-jazz virtuosity on guitar is well known to jazz fans in Galway.
Tickets are available from The Mick Lally Theatre (091 - 568660 and druid.ie ).
