Eddie Lee. We are not worthy. They’ve had to hire extra tutors to cope with the demand way out west.
It’s hard to pin down exactly why... maybe it’s the anniversary thing, the summer school-festival ten years down the road. Or Sligo’s ancient musical and literary appeal... or the 150th anniversary of the birth of that well known jazzman, Yeats.
Maybe more to the point, it’s this lot:
The Impossible Gentlemen are band-in-residence, now there’s a thought. Worth getting on the plane to Knock and booking a cab to get to Sligo the Connacht way.They’re Sligo Jazz Project’s band-in-residence, a new initiative for 2015. You might have to share the ride with a few Dan Dares because Mister Chuck Rainey is guest of honour too this year, simply a coup.
The Gents’ appearance will follow not long on from a new recording stint as the band bunkered down in Sussex to work on tracks for their third album earlier in the year. Bassist ex-Pat Metheny Group fusion legend Steve Rodby, a popular newcomer to the Sligo set-up last year, has been tempted back by festival director Eddie Lee and the Illinois-born player has been in deep conflab with the No Crows' bassist via Skype about this year’s musical plans bringing him together and invigoratingly out of context with fellow Gents Welsh-born jazz and classical pianist Gwilym Simcock, Salford guitar hotshot Mike Walker, and cult drummer Adam Nussbaum, the rhythm rainmaker intrinsic to the early period “Sco flow” when John Scofield was getting his thing together from the late-1970s on.
Singer Liane Carroll who is previewing tracks from Seaside this summer, her new album for Linn Records plus Ernie Watts, the tenor titan best known for his work with Cannonball Adderley as well as Charlie Haden in Quartet West and with Kurt Elling, are also heading Sligowards. Bassist John Goldsby, a longtime member of leading German big band the WDR, will once again be part of the faculty and perform. Dates are 21-26 July.
Gwilym Simcock, top left, Steve Rodby, Adam Nussbaum and Mike Walker. photo: impossiblegentlemen.com