_{David Lyttle: deep in the heart of Down}

Coming towards the end of his latest tour with an appearance tonight at the Down Arts Centre in Downpatrick and a date at much loved Dublin jazz spot JJ Smyth's tomorrow night, David Lyttle, touring with US hard bop trumpeter Terell Stafford the featured artist joining the drummer, saxophonists Meilana Gillard and Tom Harrison, bassist Damian Evans, who appears on Linley Hamilton's new album In Transition, and keyboardist Jamil Sheriff, says: “I first invited Terell to tour with my band back in 2009 and this is our third tour together. He plays with a lot of energy and fire, and for a drummer especially it's a lot of fun to work with someone like this. I wanted to feature Meilana Gillard, one of the top talents to have settled in Ireland recently, and I’ve been working with Tom and Jamil over the past year in other projects too."

Expanding on his influences the drummer, whose latest album was the jazz, hip-hop, and soul album Interlude two years ago comments: “My earliest and fondest memories of jazz are of being obsessed with the Jazz Messengers, so touring with a sextet and featuring a trumpeter of such prestige has been really great. Everyone’s brought a standard arrangement and Terell and I have brought two originals. We’ve stopped in Belfast, Derry and Portstewart so far and have been very pleased with how the music has developed and how the audiences have responded.”