Galway is hosting its first jazz festival this summer. Singer Honor Heffernan, Australian saxophonist Jamie Oehlers and guitarist Mike Nielsen are among the artists booked for the event, from August 5th to 7th.
The Organics, a young Irish group led by Justin Carroll, are also lined up for the programme, which was endorsed by legendary jazz musician Louis Stewart at a function in Galway last night.
Oehlers is regarded as one of Australia's most outstanding jazz musicians, and won the 2003 White Foundation World Saxophone Competition at the Montreux Jazz Festival. His group played to a full house at last year's Galway Arts Festival, and he has performed with Pat Metheny, Dave Liebman, George Coleman, Geri Allen and Cindy Blackman.
The event opens with The Organics, involving young musicians Carroll (Hammond organ), John Moriarty (guitar) and Kevin Brady (drums). Last year they received critical acclaim for their group performance with saxophonist Bobby Watson (Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers) at the 2004 Cork Jazz Festival.
Heffernan will perform her range of rock, blues and jazz with the Jim Doherty Trio, and two solo concerts will be staged by Carroll and Nielsen.
The event will include workshops for young drummers, an improvisation session with Nielsen, and vocal technique workshops with Heffernan. Festival sponsors Bang and Olufsen are hosting "listening sessions" on Saturday and Sunday.
Impromptu sessions are also anticipated at the festival club in the Radisson SAS Hotel. Programmes and ticket details are available at Galway's Town Hall Theatre, (091) 569777 and at the Galway city tourist office, Forster Street (091) 537700.
The Galway Film Fleadh opens on July 5th and the arts festival begins on July 11th.
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