Limerick City will host top international and Irish artists for the eighth annual Limerick Jazz Festival, which runs from 26 to 29 September 2019. Four days of top quality performers will take place at various locations across the city.
This year’s headline acts are:
- The Darius Brubeck Quartet, led by the son of jazz legend Dave Brubeck with a programme celebrating his father’s centenary
- Rising London-based singer-songwriter Sarah Gillespie leading a quintet featuring outstanding pianist Kit Downes and performing material reflecting her jazz, folk and alt-country roots
- Septeto Internacional a group of Cuban, Brazilian and European musicians who play music for the ears and the legs with a hot and spicy Latin groove
- Beats and Pieces from the UK, fourteen musicians who bring a modern take on the classic big-band tradition with rocking energy and infectious floor-filling rhythms
- UK jazz guitar virtuoso Ant Law
- Irish-based vocalist Gemma Sugrue performing with the Julien Colarossi Quartet
All this year’s ticketed events take place in the award-winning Dolan’s Pub venue. Free events include Thursday nights jazz trail at seven different venues across the city and on Saturday there is a Music for Kids workshop in Limerick Youth Theatre and a public masterclass with Ant Law at the Hunt Museum.
Mayor of the City and County of Limerick Cllr Michael Sheahan said: “The Limerick Jazz Festival continues to go from strength to strength and this is seen in the calibre of performers this year. It is fantastic to hear the sounds of the jazz echoing through the streets of Limerick. The festival has cemented its place in the autumn calendar of cultural events in Limerick. Huge congratulations must go to the organisers for once again coming up with a rich and varied programme of events.”
The announcement of this year’s festival was welcomed by Riverdance composer Bill Whelan. “The Limerick Jazz Festival is a natural development of the very strong jazz scene in the Mid-West,” Mr Whelan said. “This year’s line-up features wonderful music with a very broad audience appeal. The organisers have made a big effort to keep ticket prices down and I hope that will encourage the public to attend even if they are not jazz fans already,” he added.
John Daly from the Limerick Jazz Festival said they are hoping for another successful year. “We are delighted to be staging the eighth annual Limerick Jazz Festival. Our nearly 40 years of programming experience with the Limerick Jazz Society has allowed us to bring world-class artists here once again and all the concerts will suit both long-time jazz fans and music-lovers who might like to try something new,” said Mr Daly.
“We have more free events than ever before throughout the weekend and we really hope people will come out and support us again, especially as we’ve worked very hard to make all the ticketed events really affordable,” he added.
Limerick Jazz Festival is promoted by the Limerick Jazz Society. It is supported by Limerick City and County Council and the Arts Council It is sponsored by Sirius Aviation Capital.
Limerick Jazz Society is the longest continually active jazz society in Ireland and celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2017. Its regular spring and autumn seasons feature performances by leading international and Irish performers.
Since 2007 it has also provided jazz education programs through Limerick Jazz Workshop, the only regular jazz workshop in Ireland outside Dublin.
For more information and full listings visit www.limerickjazzfestival.com or search ‘Limerick Jazz Festival’ on www.limerick.ie.