THE GALWAY JAZZ Festival returns to the city from Wednesday October 2 to Sunday 6, with shows by musicians from Italy, Norway, Slovenia, and Britain, as well as Ireland.
The themes of this year's festival are sustainability and environment, and three special GJF commissions will be premiered: Lauren Kinsella's 'Saoirse', an exploration Connemara sean nós through a prism of contemporary composition; Sean Carpio's 'Bog Bodies', which fuses original music with field recordings; and Roxy's Head Is Melted, by playwright Donal O'Kelly, a jazz contemplation on the state of the world as seen through the eyes of Greta Thunberg's dog, Roxy.
Among the concert highlight's will be Italy's Daniele De Bonaventura and his songs of resistance; Norwegian fiddle player Nils Okland and his band in St Nicholas' Collegiate Church; Slovenian piano duo Kaja Draksler and Eve Risser; Trish Clowes and her band will represent the vibrant new wave of young British improvising musicians; and a Sunday concert from the London Gay Big Band.
Irish musicians at the festival include The Cormac McCarthy trio, Zrazy, Galway indie-electro singer-songwriter Anna Mullarky, Joe O'Callaghan, Sue Rynhart, and Dermot Dunne, while young Limerick musician Andreas Varady, who Quincy Jones has taken under his wing, plays a headline show in An Taidhbhearc on Friday 4.
Other shows include The Johnny Taylor Trio in the foyer of UHG during visiting hours on Sunday; a show for children with Emilie Conway's The Smashing Reed Kite's Blues; as well as workshops and masterclasses with visiting musicians, and a bat walk.
For more information see www.galwayjazz.ie
