Saturday 4
Dirty Jazz Club
Arthurs, Dublin, arthurspub.ie
One of the live music success stories of 2019, the monthly Dirty Jazz Club sessions at Arthurs on a Saturday night are beginning to take on an almost mythical status. It's the sort of long-running residency that people will nod sagely about in years to come and say they were there, even if they weren't. Claim the high ground in that future conversation by, y'know, actually going and checking out this talent-rich band with a sense of adventure. Drummer Conor Murray, keyboardist Darragh O'Kelly, bassist Derek Whyte, trumpeter Bill Blackmore, trombonist Colm O'Hara, saxophonist Cathal Roche have all been playing together long enough to find their own way into the music of Miles, Shorter, Zawinul and others. Arrive early, leave late.
Sunday 5
The Art of Collaboration with Tulca & Friends
Workman's Club, Dublin, facebook.com/dublinjazzcoop
Singer Jennifer McMahon's stewardship of the Dublin Jazz Co-Op series ends with a less-than-ordinary night of music directed by clarinettist and educator Paul Roe. Roe is a classical musician and former clarinettist with the National Symphony Orchestra, with a particular interest in pedagogy and creative development, and he has assembled a multi-national line-up for the night that includes Shahab Coohe on santoor, Shayan Coohe on tar and tombec, Ultan O'Brien on fiddle and Roe himself on clarinets. The night offers to "explore the variety of natures, qualities and experiences of differing performance practices, and crucially, what can be learned from those understandings while offering audiences a unique insight and heightened understanding of the mind and of the performer". So there.
Thursday 9
Bobby Mc and the Dukes
Arthurs, Dublin, arthurspub.ie
Meath vocalist Bobby McQuaid wears his love for Gregory Porter on his sleeve with this unabashed tribute to the lovable California-born crooner. Take Me To The Alley – a reference to Porter's Grammy-winning 2016 album – features McQuaid's take on Porter tunes like Hey Laura, Water Under Bridges and Be Good, with a six-piece band the names of whom have not been announced in advance.
Saturday 11
The Docks
Arthurs, Dublin, arthurspub.ie
Dublin-based Ukrainian composer and vocalist Olesya Zdorovetska's describes her Docks project as a "sonic response to political dystopia", drawing on a broad range of influences including noise, jazz, classical and electronic music. The powerful band she has assembled to help her includes some of the Dublin scene's most adventurous instrumentalists, including Keith Lindsay on electronics, Colm O'Hara on trombone, Derek Whyte on bass and Matthew Jacobson on drums.
