JAZZ
Sligo Jazz Project
Hawk's Well Theatre, Sligo, 8pm, €18/15/9, sligojazz.ie
Europe's westernmost jazz festival closes this weekend with UK pianist and vocalist Liane Carroll (Friday) and the SJP All Stars (Saturday). Her Dublin Morning is one of the best songs every written about the capital. All Stars is one of those frequently abused phrases, but if saxophonist Ernie Watts (Frank Zappa, Aretha Franklin), bassist Chuck Rainey (Steely Dan, the Supremes) and drummer Adam Nussbaum (John Scofield, John Abercrombie) aren't stars, who is?
TRAD
Clare Memory Orchestra
Ballyvaughan Church, 7.30pm, €10-20, clarememoryorchestra.com
A warmer-upper for tomorrow night’s gala concert in Glór, tonight’s performance sees composer Dave Flynn bridge the gap between conventional expectations of traditional and classical idioms with a distinctly trad gathering of musicians (including Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill) engaging with a picaresque repertoire that swings from Ravel to Pachelbel, detouring to take in a tincture of the Clare Concerto en route. A tradition at its living, breathing best.
COMEDY
Vodafone Comedy Festival
Iveagh Gardens Dublin, until Sunday, €20-28
The comedy fest pitches up for its weekend of laughter, insults jibs and jive. Name your favourite Irish comedian and chances are they are on the bill. Among the quality imports are Nina Conti and the Pajama Men.
FOLK
Killarney Folk Festival
INEC, Gleneagle Hotel, all weekend, inec.ie
After the debacle of the cancelled Killarney Festival of Music and Food, along comes a reason to be cheerful. This festival has one of the strongest line-ups of the summer. The Unthanks, Moving Hearts, Martin Hayes and Iarla Ó Lionáird (two fifths of The Gloaming), Liam O’Flynn and Paddy Glackin, Vieux Farka Touré, Catriona McKay and Chris Stout: the list goes on and on. A weekend long folkie blow out to beat them all.
