Great Vibes and Super Sax : Limerick Jazz at Dolan's

Great Limerick Music Venue

I ran across John Daly, percussionist and chairperson of Limerick Jazz Society at a gig recently and he reminded me that there were a few events remaining in their Spring season. Despite having lived  for almost six years in the Shannon region, I have not heard much  jazz locally so with the evening bright and sunny, I was tempted by the promise of quality musicianship of international renown  to take the highway in to Dolans Pub Limerick city to hear the Duo Elegance, a minimalist pairing of David Friedman on vibraphone and Peter Weniger on sax.  I haven't heard a vibraphone live  since Lionel Hampton brought his band to Cork years ago and I was looking forward to this relatively unfamiliar timbre. The  duo as promised were indeed mesmerising,  casting a spell over the gathering in the upstairs room in Dolan's Pub on Dock Rd with a mix of newly minted composition and improvisations on jazz standards.

 Friedman particularly showed impressive virtuosity , so accomplished but not showy and there was a  sense of musical rapport between the two that comes from a long period of playing together.  Judge for yourself in  their take on Johnny Mandel's classic 'Emily' which was included in the set list tonight. The amplification was unobtrusive as usual from sound man, Sean Harrold . There was a mix of age groups in the respectable but  regrettably, not capacity house who listened intently to both sets. Musicians  in the audience included Finnish singer Laura Hilska, guitarist Alan Colfer and drummer Bart Kiely.

A great night of live music. I am glad the duo had sunshine for their sightseeing trip to the Cliffs. Bravo  Limerick Jazz !






Read more about Friedman and his many collaborations  in this excellent blog post by Doug Payne http://dougpayne.blogspot.com/2010/10/david-friedman-vibes.html

The last session of the Spring season takes place Wed 9th May at Dolan's . Limerick Jazz Society

London Calling - A quick visit by Nanny Goat*

 

Sean Palmer and the Crazy For You chorus girls

*Jazz Clubs  Pizza Express / G Funk 
                         Ronnie Scotts /Ray Gelato 

*Movie           The Artist at The Vue Leicester Square

*Free Stuff     Royal Festival Hall Afternoon Tea Dance

*Musical         Crazy For You  
*Events          Lord Mayor’s New Year's Day Parade

*Sacred          Vespers at Westminster Cathedral

*Buskers       Opera Girl / Infamous Irish Dancer 

With the gloom of twixtmas setting in, I escaped for a few days to the bright lights of London. We arrived too late for a traditional theatre  show  so there was nothing for it but to head for the jazz clubs in Soho on our first night in the capital.

Legendary jazz club 

Gelato  at Ronnie Scott's

First we called to Pizza Express Jazz Club on Dean Street, Soho.This super cool jazz night spot has been running for 40 years or so and is easy to miss, as it operates in the basemen tof a unassuming pizza chain restaurant. But soon we are ushered through the diners to the basement stairs to the downstairs cavern where G Funk were just launching their second set of the evening. A quartet made up of American brothers Gary and Gerry Grainger on bass and drums with Myles Gilderdale and Fred Whyte of Acoustic Alchemy . The atmosphere is intimate and patrons are up close and personal to the artists. There is the sense that the musicians are playing to each other  as much as to the audience. It is super cool and you can eat pizza and quaff red wine while you indulge your jazz habit which we do . It was such fun that we carried on to our second jazz club of the evening. Outside Ronnie Scott's, Ray Gelato and his crew were having a short  break on Frith Street. We queued and were ushered in just before the late second house This was more upmarket slick entertainment than the previous venue and  Gunther Kurmayr’s tinkling of the acoustic ivories was the most satisfying musical aspect of the set. Cover charge to both venues was £20