2010, and the land known for it's traditional Choons & Spoons is alive and well. The Emerald Isle's musical heritage has survived to this day, handed down by the generations and exported to far flung parts of the world where it has been welcomed with opened arms in its adopted countries.
However, this sadly is not the case when it comes to Jazz. If your father played in a band and was paid for playing a straight dancing repertoire, then he was bound to have a few old Count Basie albums in his collection to help get him through the day job. The term niche applies aptly here because only a small coterie of national broadcasters began their life journey through university and had access to extensive record libraries and the overseas airways of BBC broadcasting – and the best in UK and American Jazz.
Most radio programmes that played songs were sponsored on the Irish State's Radio Network by commercial companies and naturally they broadened their appeal by playing the popular music of the day. As more independent record shops sprung up in the 60s, the more the US catalogue became available. At the start of the 70s we saw touring jazz artistes that had Movie and TV status packing out houses night after night.
I've had a look at the line up for this year's Cork Jazz Festival and as I had expected, I was n
ot surprised that there are very few Irish jazz bands performing that do original material. Exports to the UK essentially include Louis Stewart, Honor Heffernen, Christine Tobin, Stephen Keogh, etc. Now, after a gap of a decade or so, along comes a young chap called David Lyttle from north of the border who plays drums as part of his quartet with a natural feel for writing, composing and orchestrations. After the obligatory overseas training, he returns a competent multi-instrumentalist having inherited his family's traditional roots in Irish music. Sonic adventures are his stock and trade as his diary can attest to. His current collaborations and recordings include the talents of jazz stalwarts from across the Atlantic, the UK and Europe. Soho’s Pizza Express will host them in the near future. We reckon David Lyttle is one to watch out for in the future.www.davidlyttle.com
Nevertheless, you will find jazz in Ireland. But it is hard sometimes to get people out to jazz gigs. I don't know why for such music-orientated cities as are here. There are tons of phenomenal young local players playing jazz today that really blow me away, more than there ever have been, yet it’s hard to get numbers in a lot of the time. A waste of an amazing gig in many cases. Why don't more people check out these gigs? I'll never know. It’s sad really. Trad still rules.
If you plan to pay a visit to Dublin, the following Jazz & Blues venues are worth checking out. The list was given to us in January 2013 by Ollie Dowling of Quality Music. You can ring Ollie on 00353 87 2878755 for up-to-date information.
SUNDAY
Cary Posavitz
Shelbourne Hotel, St.Stephens Green.
12pm, Free
Stella Bass Quartet
Cafe en Seine, Dawson St.
2pm, Free
Kevin Morrow Duo
Hampton Hotel, Donnybrook
6pm, Free
Eamonn Moran
Eden Bar and Grill
South William St. D2
7.30pm, Free
MONDAY
Hep Cat Club
Twisted Pepper, Middle Abbey St.
7pm, 8 Euros
Essential Big Band
Grainger's, Malahide Rd.
9.30pm, 5 Euros
TUESDAY
The Lounge Quartet
Leeson Lounge, Upr Leeson St.
9pm, Free
Jazz Session
International Bar, Wicklow St.
9.30pm, 5 Euros
WEDNESDAY
Jazz Session
The House, 4 Main St. Howth, Co.Dublin
7.30pm, Free
THURSDAY
Chameleon
JJ Smyths, Aungier St.
8.30pm, 8 Euros
Cary Posavitz
Mint Bar, Westin HoteL, D2
9pm, Free
Jazz Session
International Bar, Wicklow St.
9.30pm, 5 Euros
FRIDAY
Solar Trio
The Gables Rest.
Foxrock, D18
6pm, Free
Bradley Gillis
Brasserie Le Pont
Fitzwilliam Pl. D2
7.30pm, Free
Jazz Session
Sandbar Rest.
193 Clontarf Rd. D3
8pm, Free
SATURDAY
The Jazz Globetrotters
The Globe, Sth Gt Georges St.
4.30pm, Free
Bradley Gillis
Brasserie Le Pont
Fitzwilliam Pl. D2
7.30pm, Free
Jazz Session
Sandbar Rest.
193 Clontarf Rd. D3
8pm, Free
Mike Nielsen Group
KC Peaches, Nassau St. D2.
8pm, 5 Euros
Dorota Konczewska
Le Bon Crubeen, Talbot St. D1
9.30pm, Free
Some bands to take note of......
Swing Cats
The Swing Cats are a live Swing band with a difference; their set list is focused on the more uptempo hits from the swing dance era of the 1940’s and 1950’s. featuring tracks from artists such as Luis Prima from the movie Jungle Book, Luis Jordan’s Choo Choo Ch’Boogie and Bobby Darin.
Paris Swingin' Lovers
The Paris Swingin' Lovers are a truly international phenomenon, not only playing regularly throughout Ireland (the Shelbourne Hotel; Farmleigh House, Dublin, Dromoland Castle, Country Clare; Carton House, Dublin; King House, Boyle, Co Roscommon Markree Castle, Sligo; Coolbawn Quay Marina, Tipperary; Carton House, Maynooth) but also in Belgium, Germany and France,
Café Orchestra
Founded in 1993 by Patrick Collins, Café Orchestra are an Irish Band with an International attitude. Purveyors of fine ambience,and with a reputation for being one of the best live acts in Ireland, nobody can resist their eclectic and entertaining mix of musical styles.
Frank Hess Jazz Trio
Frank is one of Ireland's most well renowned double bass Jazz musicians, having 
accompanied many top international artists on stage such as Matt Monro, Frankie Vaughan, Jimmy Witherspoon and Eddie Lockjaw Davis to name just a few. He is joined on stage by Paul Drennan who is a member of the well known Drennan musical family and is a very in demand musician.
Lounge Lizards
The Lounge Lizards are made up of some of the most highly trained and talented young musicians that Ireland has to offer.These include the well renowned Alex Mathias on Saxophone, Damian Evans on Double Bass, Johnny Taylor on Piano and Dominic Mullan on Drums who together perform an extensive playlist of songs from jazz composers
The Cotton Club
The Cotton Club Quartet, are a joyous vibrant professional Swing Band that are perfect for any drinks reception, party, function or an event requiring a lively, sophisticated atmosphere. The group models itself on the jazz groups of the prohibition era in 1920s America, although. it does also have an extensive Latin & South American repertoire.
© Sandy Brown Jazz and Cado Bell 2010 amended 2013 - 2014