The highlights and lowlights of the year in Jazz
THE HIGHLIGHTS
THE DOUZE POINTS FESTIVAL
February
Four days of the best emerging European jazz talent. It was varied, accessible, comprehensive and, as a result, got a resounding Yes vote from the punters.
ERIK FRIEDLANDER
Dublin and Cork, May
A stunning solo display of virtuosity from the great cellist as he stretched the expressive boundaries of the possible on his instrument, but always musically.
JOHN ABERCROMBIE QUARTET
Whelans, September
This was a magical concert with Michael Buckley, Ronan Guilfoyle and Joey Baron in which the music simply took wing.
LESZEK MOZDZER TRIO
Liberty Hall, November
A superb example of a contemporary jazz trio playing by the brilliant Polish pianist, with Lars Danielsson (bass/cello) and Zohar Fresco (percussion/voice) which got - and deserved - a standing ovation at a packed Liberty Hall.
DEVELOPING JAZZ
Eddie Lee has developed the Sligo Jazz Project summer school/festival and young jazz musicans here, through the Livingroom Project and Bottlenote, which have formed associations to create musical opportunities and encounters not only to play jazz but also to embrace other musical idioms.
LOWLIGHTS
GUINNESS JAZZ FESTIVAL
Cork
The lack of imagination in the programming of the Guinness Jazz Festival.
For the second year in succession I chose not to go; and my criticism of the programming elicited emails and phone calls of support from musicians and others involved in jazz here.
QED - as they say.