Rob Luft

Hugh Buckley

Jimmy Smyth

Tourism Ireland

Belfast Telegraph

Mark Williams is a Belfast-born guitarist, composer, and educator who relocated to Newcastle upon Tyne in 1999 to pursue a BMus (Hons) in Jazz, Popular, and Commercial Music. Upon completing his degree, he established himself as a prominent figure in the contemporary music scene.

In December, Williams released Long Way Out, the highly anticipated third album from his trio. The album showcases a blend of jazz and rock influences, offering a particularly intelligent brand of fusion that makes for very rewarding listening. The trio finds a lot to say within the format of the guitar trio, delivering distinctive compositions and an innovative use of effects and loops. This approach crafts a unique modern sound that distinguishes them from traditional guitar-led jazz trios.

For their upcoming performances, the trio will perform a selection of material from Long Way Out, along with brand new compositions, continuing to push the boundaries of contemporary jazz.

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Here it is: Born from the collaboration of lead guitarist Mateusz Chmielewski, violinist Niall Lynch, rhythm guitarist Nicolas Deschatrettes and bassist Bill Johnston, Belleville brings together influences from Swing, Bop, Gypsy Jazz and Country Western to deliver a foot-taping and finger-snapping jazz experience.

Exceptionally for Scott's Bill, Mateusz and Nicolas will be joined by violinist Rudi Bado. From a family of musicians in Slovakia, Rudi has become a key figure in the gypsy jazz scene in Ireland through international performances, collaborations, and appearances at major festivals. He performed as a main act at the International Gypsy Jazz Festival in Brazil, as well as on main stage at international gypsy jazz festivals in Ireland for the past 6 years and collaborated on stage with artists such as Romane Manetti, Robin Nolan, Dario Napoli, Paulus Schafer and many others. The last time Belleville performed at Scott's Jazz Club the show sold out, so book early for this one!

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Derry-born but Dublin-residing guitarist Tommy Halferty has been a defining force in Ireland’s jazz scene for over four decades. He has played with some of jazz’s finest musicians, such as Lee Konitz and Benny Golson. Now approaching his 80th year, Tommy’s life is the subject of an 11-part documentary series from Director / Producer Peter Moc that explores his remarkable journey— from his early influences and formative encounters to his extensive career as a performer, composer, and educator.

Joining Tommy will be two of Ireland’s most original and in-demand rhythm section players: acclaimed drummer and educator Kevin Brady and Sean Maynard Smith on bass.

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We’re thrilled to welcome one of Ireland’s leading jazz bassists to Scott’s Jazz Club with his band for their debut album All In Motion!

Known for his international collaborations with visiting musicians to Ireland, Dublin-based Dave Redmond has assembled an all-star cast for this record: George Colligan is one of the world’s leading jazz musicians and pianists; Stéphane Mercier is one of the most in-demand saxophonists on the European jazz scene, and when coupled with Darren Beckett's dynamic drumming, this exciting ensemble create a captivating sonic landscape that transcends traditional jazz boundaries.

Listeners can expect a rich tapestry of sound, where each track unfolds with a perfect balance of structure and spontaneity. Redmond’s compositions, characterized by intricate melodies and thoughtful arrangements, provide the perfect canvas for the quartet’s collective improvisation.

From the pulsating rhythms, jaw dropping piano solos, soulful saxophone solos, and
the deep resonance of the double bass, this quartet takes the audience on a
mesmerizing journey through the realms of contemporary jazz.

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Vienna born London based musician Guido Spannocchi predominantly known for his woodwind skills, especially alto and baritone saxophone as well as flute, has come to international attention since the release of his entirely analogue album "Ahead Only" in 2017. Spannocchi has since focused on composing and performing his original music in various settings and ensembles and has published over 10 albums and EPs on his label audioguido records. His most recent albums "Perihelion" 2022 and "Live at Porgy & Bess" 2023 have gained him international press coverage and critical acclaim in print media like Jazzwise, Die Presse, Wiener Zeitung and The Wire as well as significant radio presence on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 6, JazzFM, OE1, WWFMU and many more.

Spannocchi has played with artists like The Sun Ra Arkestra, Joe Zawinul, Bobby McFerrin and more, he has had official concerts and recordings with Nubya Garcia, Larry Bartley, Tony Kofi, Nigel Price, Jay Phelps, Maria Chiara Argiro, Alabaster DePlume, Ruth Goller, Simon Bolivar Orchestra (El Sistema) and many more.

Spannocchi was artist in residence at Vogue Fashion Week Tokyo 2019 and hosts a local London radio show runs a youth orchestra in a council school in East London as well as publishes articles for the Independent Society of Musicians and runs several regular nights in London. Spannocchi regularly contributes to the London Jazz Festival with his own performances as well as with programming for various clubs.

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Formed by drummer Art Blakey in the 1950s as a collective, The Jazz Messengers occupies a special place in the annals of Jazz music in the twentieth century.

Notable for fostering the talents of emerging players Blakey enlisted some of the most significant practitioners in the history of the music. Notable examples are Wayne Shorter, Freddie Hubbard, Benny Golson, Lee Morgan, Curtis Fuller, Woody Shaw, Cedar Walton, and Wynton and Branford Marsalis, to name just a handful.

Paying tribute to this iconic ensemble will be six of Ireland’s leading Jazz Musicians. They will be performing the original arrangements of many of the most iconic works from the Jazz Messengers book – pieces that overflow with joyful hard bop in a way that is always swingin’.

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Joel Frahm is known in the jazz world as an icon of the tenor saxophone. An unsurpassed emotional projection always characterizes his playing which draws on the breadth the American musical tradition. Star pianist Brad Mehldau, his childhood friend, praises his ability of ‘getting to the heart of the song, immediately, from the first note.’ Joel’s trio follows in the footsteps of the legendary sax trios of Sonny Rollins, Joe Henderson and Steve Grossman: an open-hearted, virtuosic style, given a fresh twist by Joel Frahm and co.

Currently living in music city Nashville, Joel Frahm has honed his craft in the jazz clubs of New York for more than thirty years. He has collaborated with, among others, Betty Carter, Kenny Barron en Freddy Cole. He made the duo album Don’t Explain with Brad Mehldau. On our stage he has previously appeared in the bands of Omer Avital. His current trio with bassist Dan Loomis and drummer Ernesto Cervini was founded in Toronto. This fall will see the release of their new album, the follow-up to the widely acclaimed The Bright Side.

The last time this trio performed at Scott’s Jazz Club we had a sell out crowd, so book early for this one!

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Following his headline performance at the Johnstown Jazz Festival this summer, drummer and educator Kevin Lawlor revisits a one-off fusion project from 2016 with a new line-up of musicians. Cluster Funk will perform jazz and groove music by artists including Thundercat, Jamiroquai, Mark Guliana, Joshua Redman and Terrace Blanchard. The band will also use well-known Hip-Hop grooves with jazz standards played over them as an alternative take on jazz fusion. Expect everything from Organ driven Funk to Ambient Jazz.

Kevin Lawlor - drums
Chris Colloton - guitar
Kaelan Zipoli - keys / piano
Meg Lowney - bass
Guest Vocalist - Sophia Zipoli

'Lawlor’s ability to play virtually non-stop yet with great delicacy and subtlety as required makes him one of the most inspirational musicians around' - Jackie Hayden'

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Award winning young pianist Nils Kavanagh launches his highly anticipated debut album, "No Expectations". Audiences will journey through Nils’ unique upbringing, rooted in the north-west of Ireland’s mystic landscapes and joyous fellowship, while also inviting listeners to explore the sense of unity and introspection present in Denmark and broader Scandinavia. Home, joy, family, mythology, folk music, loss and longing are all key to the music, with an overarching focus on warm melody and musical storytelling.

Rising star on the UK and Irish scene, Nils Kavanagh is already making his mark with a unique compositional voice and a fearless approach to improvisation. Winner of Young Irish Jazz Musician of the Year award 2022, and BBC Young Jazz Musician finalist in 2024, the pianist has already been making waves as a promising young musician. With his debut release, Nils is poised to elevate his career as an artist and bandleader. Having a six-date Irish tour under their belt already in 2023, the band is ready to bring this new release on the road.

Nils Kavanagh - Piano
Marcus Baber - Bass
Sam Green - Drums

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London-based saxophonist Leo Richardson, widely recognised to be one of the UK's leading Jazz Tenor Saxophonists, is best known for his honest, straight-ahead, contemporary hard-bop style. His most significant influences include John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Dexter Gordon, Horace Silver and Art Blakey.

Joining Leo is Glengormley native Darren Beckett, who was Madeleine Peyroux's drummer for 9 years and tours with Brandon Flowers of 'The Killers' playing on and touring his 2 solo albums, and is credited as co-writer on the lead single 'Can't Deny My Love' on Brandon Flowers' number one charting second solo album, 'The Desired Effect'. He has toured with Lauryn Hill, Beth Orten, Mercury Rev, Sinead O'Conner, and most recently toured in the US with Amen Dunes, and LA singer songwriter Bedouine. He has worked with notable producers Daniel Lanois (U2) Stuart Price (Madonna, The Killers) Mark Platti (David Bowie) Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell). 

He is a member of New York Indie rock band Ambulance Ltd who released their debut record on TVT records to global acclaim.

Since returning to the U.K. he has been very active also on the UK and European jazz scene, playing with Jason Rebello, Gilad Atzmon, Jim Mullen, Claire Martin, Norma Winstone, and Damon Brown. Also very active in the studio scene in Dublin and London playing on film/tv soundtracks.

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Howl Quartet is an award winning London based project whose dynamic, expressive music focuses heavily on storytelling through melodic composition and improvisation. Following the successes of their first two releases, Howl Quartet’s third album, Night Song, is set for release in 2025. Formed of old friends and collaborators, this co-led acoustic quartet emerged in 2017 through a passion for developing a collective sound. Taking inspiration from artists such as Endangered Blood, The Bad Plus and Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band, there is an innate freedom and creative intensity to their music.

Having performed at the EFG London Jazz Festival and Vortex Jazz Club, Howl Quartet’s debut album, Life As We See It, was released in early 2021 and has achieved over 103,000 streams on Spotify alone. Their second album, Airglow, was released on the 14th July 2023 to critical acclaim. According to UK Vibe, “The band combine a fiery, passionate energy with a thoughtful, intelligent wistfulness and the results are utterly compelling.’

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This band, featuring some of London's most in demand musicians, is out on tour to promote their new album “Stars and Sand” which is being released with Glasgow based Vibe Collide records. The album has been produced in collaboration with Nostalgia 77 (Ben Lamdin) and the psychedelic, dub aesthetic of the production deepens and enhances the atmosphere of the album and that's the experience we want to give the listener live! Expect deep grooves inspired in equal parts by traditional North African music, Soul Jazz and Berlin in the 70s. This is joyous, life affirming music. Deceptively simple, deeply melodic and with a healthy dose of the other worldly. 

Lineup:

James Allsopp- tenor saxophone and mellotron
Chris Batchelor- trumpet
Tom Herbert- electric bass
Zands Duggan- percussion
Dave Storey- drums

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Composer and guitarist Orlando Molina steps into the spotlight with the release of his debut album Autorretrato en Tres Colores (Self-Portrait in Three Colours) — a sweeping, seven-track reflection on migration, transformation, and the emotional terrain that lies between.

Blending contemporary jazz with the vibrant folk traditions of Latin America, Molina crafts an intricate and deeply personal sonic portrait. Each composition is a chapter of his life, composed during different stages of his journey from Venezuela to Ireland, and informed by the emotional tension between departure and arrival, longing and belonging. With striking clarity, the album reveals the quiet resilience and joy found in cultural hybridity and self-discovery.

At the core of Autorretrato en Tres Colores is a powerful international collaboration. Joining Molina are some of the most distinctive voices in jazz and world music: Matthew Jacobson (drums, Ireland), Scott Flanigan (piano & rhodes, Northern Ireland), Cormac O’Brien (double bass, Ireland), and Steve Welsh (saxophones, USA). The album also features exceptional contributions from guest artists Miguel Siso (Venezuela), Boris Schmidt (Luxembourg), Pablo Contreras (Chile), Freddy Adrian (Venezuela), Gilbert Mansour (Lebanon), Alicia Garcia (Mexico), and Eric Chacón (Venezuela).

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Fabian Willmann and his trio with Jeff Ballard on drums and Arne Huber on bass are "casually celebrating the beauty of melody" (thatjazz).

They strip the music down to the essentials, yet with something to say in every breath, devoid of any chatter, redundancy, or showing off.

All About Jazz compare their "spaciously presented pieces to the groundbreaking trio work of Sonny Rollins in the '50s and Ornette Coleman in the '60s" and describe their debut album Balance as "one of the most unassuming albums of 2022, that may end up being as one of the Best of the Year as well."

This promises to be an enthralling evening with one of the modern greats of jazz drums, Jeff Ballard, playing with this special trio.

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Nigel Mooney, widely regarded as one of Ireland's leading jazz singers and guitarists, is back for his annual Christmas show at Scott's Jazz Club on 12th of December. A charismatic figure on the Dublin jazz and blues scenes since the early 1980's, his Gripewater Blues Band spearheaded the blues movement in Ireland and drew many fans of both jazz and the blues. A self-taught musician, Mooney was influenced by the blues from an early age and his hard-bop style of guitar playing is expressive and melodic with a bluesy groove. He possesses a warm and rich tenor voice and has an almost flawless sense of pitch.

For this welcome return to Scott's Jazz Club, Nigel will be joined by our in-house organist Scott Flanigan, with Dominic Mullan on drums.

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The Scott's Jazz Club annual Christmas bash! Santa has chosen some of Ireland's top jazz players to take to the stage and perform jazz versions of iconic Christmas songs. Joining Scott, Rohan Armstrong and Andrew McCoubrey will be the award-winning singer Katharine Timoney, and Scrooge himself, Kyron Bourke, amongst others!

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The Scott's Jazz Club annual Christmas bash! Santa has chosen some of Ireland's top jazz players to take to the stage and perform jazz versions of iconic Christmas songs. Joining Scott, Rohan Armstrong and Andrew McCoubrey will be the award-winning singer Katharine Timoney, and Scrooge himself, Kyron Bourke, amongst others!

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