IMC's Creative About Music Podcast

In this episode, IMC’s director Kenneth Kileen and guest host Matthew Winkler caught up with jazz guitarist Joe O’Callaghan. Matthew is a Dublin-based guitarist and has been running a YouTube channel with a series called Dublin Guitar Duets, and Joe - who was mostly self-taught guitar - has played with many leading Irish and international jazz musicians.Joe O’Callaghan is a genuine force in Irish jazz guitar, his playing characterised by extended tasteful lines, contemporary chord shapes and an instinct for rocking out when the need arises. A leading figure in the scene, Joe has performed with Irish and international jazz musicians including Ronan Guilfoyle, Louis Stewart, Richie Buckley, Michael Buckley, Honor Heffernans, Dave Liebman, Tom Rainey, & Nils Wogram.Throughout their conversation, Joe talks about how his journey as a guitarist began. Although his father was a part-time musician and his uncle was a drummer who was very interested in jazz music, Joe initially had no interest in guitar. He mentions the pivotal moment in his life which encouraged him to pursue guitar and led him to become an influential and genuine force in Irish jazz guitar.Joe speaks about the major influencers in his life that opened up the world of jazz and guitar for him and also gets into what helped him find his individual and independent sound. He talks about the change in music and the evolution of jazz over the years. People now don’t have as much definition about what the music is – there are now many influences from all cultures and its become more difficult to define as one entity. Joe makes capitvating points about how jazz has become a meta-genre as there is now much more assimilation. Find Joe’s work on his Bandcamp: https://joeocallaghan.bandcamp.com/album/the-silent-treeIf you enjoy this podcast please Subscribe and leave us a review!Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusic@improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramImprovised Music Company is an Arts Council funded promoter and resource organisation www.improvisedmusic.ieThanks to Justin Carroll's Togetherness for our podcast theme https://justincarroll.bandcamp.com/album/togetherness 

In this episode, IMC’s director Kenneth Killeen sat down with US pianist Craig Taborn to discuss all things improvisation prior to his triumphant Dublin concert. Craig was kicking off his European tour in support of his latest ECM solo release,  “Shadow Plays” - released 10 years after his first offering, “Avenging Angels.”In this wide ranging conversation, they talked about Craig’s approach to improvisation and how it forms his distinctive process of spontaneous composition; Taborn is famed for developing complex, rich, dynamic and beautiful soundscapes entirely “in the moment”.Throughout, Craig talks about the variety of approaches that he incorporates, including the use of themes and structural frameworks. “One of the most challenging aspects of creating improvised music is that you can so easily get lost in your own imagination while performing”; Craig mentions a few tricks and devices that he uses to get out of his head to enforce continuity throughout his creative process.One of Craig’s most compelling points is the idea of considering himself as an audience member during his performances - Taborn feels that there is no separation between him and the audience as he is also listening in the same way as the audience members within the concert hall.Dive into this wide-ranging and informative chat now and be sure to share it with your friends if you enjoyed it!Find Craig's work on his website: https://craigtaborn.comFollow him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craig.taborn and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craigtaborn/ If you enjoy this podcast please Subscribe and leave us a review!Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusic@improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramImprovised Music Company is an Arts Council funded promoter and resource organisation www.improvisedmusic.ieThanks to Justin Carroll's Togetherness for our podcast theme https://justincarroll.bandcamp.com/album/togetherness

In this episode, IMC’s Kenneth Killeen caught up with Segun Akano & Uché Gabriel Akujobi from Yankari Afrobeat Collective at The Sugar Club. They talked about what makes Afrobeat - the culture, rhythm, & message that’s essential to it, and about identity, and transforming identities bringing cultures together. We also got a great insight into Yankari’s creative process, and how they work together making music.Die-hard Fela fans, Dublin-based band Yankari, aspire to advance the original Afrobeat genre by incorporating contemporary sounds, such as, jazz, funk, dance, rock-and-roll whilst keeping the traditional groove elements of Afrobeat. This new sound has world-wide appeal and the Yankari fan base stretches from Ireland to Japan, Brazil to Spain, Nigeria to the US.Yankari founding members, brothers Segun and Michael Akano along with Uché Gabriel Akujobi, are originally from Nigeria and came together in Dublin while playing at various gigs around the city. Gradually through the love of music and rhythms from their Yoruba and Igbo cultures they created the groovy and energetic sound that is reminiscent of Afrobeat of the 60's and 70's but with a modern twist. That sound is called Yankari.Find Yankari’s work on their website: https://yankarimusic.com/homeFollow them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yankarimusic/, Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yankarimusic/ or Bandcamp: https://yankari.bandcamp.com/More of Segun’s music is on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/segun-akano He also gave a recent interview to Hot Press which you can read here https://www.hotpress.com/music/yankari-afrobeat-collectives-segun-akano-on-what-to-expect-from-tonights-sugar-club-show-22885040 and spoke to us about what Afrobeat is in a previous interview for Hotter than July which you can read here (including a playlist of Afrobeat essentials): https://www.improvisedmusic.ie/news/other-side-of-the-tracks-qa-with-segun-from-yankari-afrobeat-collective You can find more of Gabriel’s music and acting work on his website http://uchegabriel.com/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/uchegabrielakujobi/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/uchegabriela If you enjoy this podcast please Subscribe and leave us a review!Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusic@improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramImprovised Music Company is an Arts Council funded promoter and resource organisation www.improvisedmusic.ieThanks to Justin Carroll's Togetherness for our podcast theme https://justincarroll.bandcamp.com/album/togetherness 

At The Sugar Club before a vibrant performance by Niwel Tsumbu’s Hearbeat (with special guest Shayan Coohe), IMC’s Kenneth Killeen caught up with Niwel in a long chat about musical explorations while growing up in Congo, falling in love with the guitar, meeting and collaborating with Irish-based musicians, and more. Since arriving in Ireland in 2004 from the Congo, Niwel Tsumbu has developed an enviable reputation as a masterfully elegant and fluent guitarist, vocalist, musician, collaborator and composer. He has performed with the finest Irish and international musicians while continuing to craft his own distinctive fusion of new jazz, rhumba, world, flamenco, rock, soukous and classical.An exceptional talent who quickly became a prominent face on the Irish scene, having collaborated extensively with some of the most celebrated names in Irish Music such as Sinéad O'Connor, Liam O'Maonlaí, and Dónal Dineen, among others, as well as international stars such as Ma Xiaohui (composer of the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon soundtrack), Senegalese legend Baaba Maal, and Nigel Kennedy. He has released 2 albums to critical acclaim ("Songs of the Nations", and "S'all Vibration"), and was funded by Cork City Council Arts Office to write a symphony known as 'The Big Bang Symphony' with The Clear Sky Ensemble, an assembled group of musicians from all over the world. The list of artists that Niwel has performed with continues to grow with each year. Recently Niwel and Trasna (Mel Mercier, Liam O Maonlai) appeared at the Festival of World Culturesand in China at Expo 2010 alongside Xiaohui Ma. Niwel has shared the stage with Baaba Maal and played concerts in his native Congo and Paris. His performances of ‘Electric Counterpoint’ at The Reich Festival in front of composer Steve Reich and at Kilkenny Arts Festival were a triumph.He continues to collaborate with leading DJ Donal Dineen on his Parish live act, the Crash Ensemble, composer Roger Doyle, Eamon Cagney’s Treelan ensemble, Dave Flynn’s DFF, and many more.Find more of Niwel’s work on his Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/Niwel-Tsumbu-Sounds-212103155519751 You can find him on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/niweltsumbu/Or on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/NiwelTsumbu  Niwel’s class in fingerstyle guitar is available on World Music Method https://worldmusicmethod.com/product-category/tribal-congolese-fingerstyle-guitar/ His recent duo release with Eamonn Cagney is available to buy here https://www.eamonncagney.com/product/the-art-of-duo/ or on Bandcamp https://eamonncagney.bandcamp.com/releases If you enjoy this podcast please Subscribe and leave us a review!Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusic@improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramImprovised Music Company is an Arts Council funded promoter and resource organisation www.improvisedmusic.ieThanks to Justin Carroll's Togetherness for our podcast theme https://justincarroll.bandcamp.com/album/togetherness

At the Sin É before a beautiful performance, IMC’s Kenneth Killeen caught up with singer Christine Tobin and guitarist Phil Robson in a long chat about returning to Ireland, approaches to creating music from poetry, working together and influence on each other’s work, jazz scenes in NY and the UK, and some words of advice for young musicians. Christine TobinRenowned for her kaleidoscopic musical palette, she can be a junkyard blues philosopher, snappy beat seductress, a conduit for exquisite zen-like harmonies or reflective Americana. Dublin native Christine has been an integral part of both the New York City and London scenes for many years, has recently returned to Ireland and now resides in Roscommon. Her authentic sound was described by The Guardian as ‘Tobin’s 24 carat voice’ while praising her both for the poetry of her compositions and the warmth of her golden voice. Her style, although rooted in jazz, is eclectic and draws on a broad range of influences. The Irish Times called it ‘music that veers from grungy, post-industrial grooves to wispy romanticism to abstracted contemporary classical’. MOJO Music Magazine said of her ‘Christine Tobin really transcends glib genre-fication. Her expressive range acknowledges finely acquired folk, jazz and 20th-century classical influences, which already sets her apart. And everything is shot through with an unmistakable refinement, free-spirited earthiness and giddy romanticism, this singer-songwriter is in a field of one.’ Find more about Christine on her website: http://www.christine-tobin.com/Follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineTobinSinger Watch a beautiful performance from with Christine and Phil from this year’s Limerick Jazz: https://youtu.be/GH219ExFuC0  Phil RobsonChristine’s partner – in life and on stage is respected London guitarist Phil Robson. As well as being one of the leading jazz guitarists in Europe, Phil is also celebrated as an innovative composer. As a band leader Robson has fronted many innovative projects including ‘The Immeasurable Code Quintet,’ ‘Six strings & the beat,’ Phil Robson Trio, Quartet, Octet. His latest solo project is an organ trio with the incredible Ross Stanley & Gene Calderazzo which toured the UK in 2014/15 & released their new album, ‘The Cut Off Point’, on May 18, 2015 to great acclaim.Robeson also co-leads the cult band Partisans with Julian Siegel which has been a major influence on the European contemporary scene & beyond. They completed a major tour of North America in June 2014 which included appearances at Rochester, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa international festivals as well as Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola & many other venues to pre-promote their award winning CD Swamp, released in Sept ’14 on Whirlwind Records.Find out more about Phil on his website: http://philrobson.net/ Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/philrobsonmusic If you enjoy this podcast please Subscribe and leave us a review!Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusic@improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramImprovised Music Company is an Arts Council funded promoter and resource organisation www.improvisedmusic.ieThanks to Justin Carroll's T

Kenneth Killeen of IMC caught up with legendary Detroit-born drummer Jim Black amidst his pan-European tour as a mentor of a musical laboratory,  Criss Cross Europe.Jim is currently coaching the band of six rising stars of the European jazz scene, whose tour stops in Dublin at the Freemasons’ Hall on Thursday 9th December 2021. https://www.improvisedmusic.ie/events/details/criss-cross-dublin Berlin-based American drummer Jim Black - is one of the most influential voices in contemporary jazz. The Wire referred to Black as a ‘’complete musician and wonderfully fertile composer”.  Black is internationally acknowledged for his virtuosic but highly personal approach to contemporary jazz. He stands at the forefront of a new generation of jazz innovators through projects like Human Feel, Tim Berne's Bloodcount, Ellery Eskelin's trio, Pachora, and Dave Douglas' Tiny Bell Trio. “Wickedly inventive… A revelation.” - CMJ If you enjoy this podcast please Subscribe and leave us a review!Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusic@improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramImprovised Music Company is an Arts Council funded promoter and resource organisation www.improvisedmusic.ieThanks to Justin Carroll's Togetherness for our podcast theme https://justincarroll.bandcamp.com/album/togetherness

Welcome to the sixth Blind Date Jazz episode of IMC’s Creative About Music Podcast. For this musical blind date, we paired up guitarist Chris Guilfoyle with tenor saxophonist Meilana Gillard.Each episode in Blind Date Jazz is a new encounter between 2 artists , playing ‘blind’ with no knowledge who the other person is, no advance preparation or even an indication of instrumentation. Halfway through we drop the curtain and they suddenly see who their new improvising partner is - can you hear a change in the music? Meilana Gillard is a saxophonist and composer based in Northern Ireland since 2012.  She has two albums under her name (Day One ’09, Dream Within A Dream ’17), both of which received critical acclaim. Currently, she is one third of Ireland’s own RBG Trio featuring Dave Redmond and Kevin Brady. They released their first single ‘Black Hole Sun’ in October 2020 and are recording a full-length album in 2021. Born in London, Meilana grew up in Ohio and studied music in New York city, where she had the chance to perform with several of her heroes. Since moving to Northern Ireland, she has made a great impact on the Irish jazz scene and is in demand as a player. Often praised for her big sound and story-telling improvisations, memorable melodic compositions and lyricism, she remains a perpetual student. Find more of her work at her website www.meilanaontenor.comChris Guilfoyle is an Irish guitarist, composer, bandleader, and educator who tours regularly around Ireland and abroad including the UK, The Netherlands, Belgium and France. Since 2011, Chris has been a member of faculty on Newpark Music Centre’s BA in Jazz Performance program, and has since become a Jazz Lecturer at Dublin City University where he teaches guitar and ensemble studies. Chris leads his own group Umbra, a critically acclaimed quintet featuring some of the most promising musicians in Ireland. Umbra have released two records in the last two years and have toured extensively in Ireland and Europe. In his relatively short career, Chris has played with some of the biggest names in jazz including Dave Liebman, Jim Black, Tom Rainey, Theo Bleckmann, Nils Wogram, Ralph Peterson, John O’Gallagher, and David Binney. He also performs with Ronan Guilfoyle, Conor Guilfoyle, Sean Carpio and Michael Buckley, some of the most highly regarded musicians on the Irish jazz scene. Find more of Chris' work at his website chrisguilfoyle.com or follow Umbra on Twitter or Facebook.Blind Date Jazz is an exploration in listening, intuition, skill and spontaneity, all unique hallmarks of the improvising artist.You can watch this Blind Date Jazz in full video form on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEhYAFH6KtEIf you enjoy this podcast please Subscribe and leave us a review!Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusic@improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramImprovised Music Company is an Arts Council funded promoter and resource organisation www.improvisedmusic.ieThanks to Justin Carroll's Togetherness for our podcast theme https://justincarroll.bandcamp.com/album/togetherness

Welcome to the fifth Blind Date Jazz episode of IMC’s Creative About Music Podcast. For this musical blind date, we paired up percussionist Sean Carpio with trombone players Colm O’Hara.Each episode in Blind Date Jazz is a new encounter between 2 artists , playing ‘blind’ with no knowledge who the other person is, no advance preparation or even an indication of instrumentation. Halfway through we drop the curtain and they can see who their new improvising partner is -can we hear a change in the music? Trombonist, multi-instrumentalist and composer Colm O’Hara has played with some of Ireland’s most innovative and interesting ensembles, including amongst others, the Crash Ensemble, the Dirty Jazz Club, Yurodny, Havana ‘che, and quartet ReDiviDeR, whose recent release ‘Mere Nation’ was praised by All About Jazz for their  “beguiling hybrid of simplicity and complexity, tunefulness and adventure”.  As a composer, he has recently been commissioned to write for flautist Lina Andonovska and drummer Matthew Jacobson, and has collaborated with sculptor Rory Tangney on a commission for Solstice Arts Centre Navan. Find more about Colm's work on his website: https://colmoharamusic.com/Sean Carpio is a drummer and multi-instrumentalist, described by the Irish Times as “maybe the finest drummer ever produced here". His full-length debut WoWos in 2013 was called by DIY Mag “a determinist streak of nature loving excitability”. A prolific collaborator, he has played with the likes of Louis Stewart, Mikkel Ploug, Nina Hynes, Robert Stillman, Ronan Guilfoyle, and many more, as well as the National Symphony Orchestra & RTE Concert Orchestra. Recent work has included multimedia trio Bog Bodies, exploring electro-acoustic spontaneous composition. Other recent collaborations include work with guitarists Simon Jermyn and Cian Nugent, and with the National Concert Hall’s Echo Band. Find more of Seán's work at his website: https://www.seancarpio.com/You can watch this Blind Date Jazz in full video form on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/28kHyzB4ogg If you enjoy this podcast please Subscribe and leave us a review!Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusic@improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramImprovised Music Company is an Arts Council funded promoter and resource organisation www.improvisedmusic.ieThanks to Justin Carroll's Togetherness for our podcast theme - the track is their 'Feelgood Factor' from 2009 album 'Togetherness'. You can listen to the rest here: https://justincarroll.bandcamp.com/album/togetherness

Welcome to the second Blind Date Jazz episode of IMC’s Creative About Music Podcast. For this musical blind date, we paired up guitarist Hugh Buckley with bassist Derek Whyte. Each episode in Blind Date Jazz is a new encounter between 2 artists , playing ‘blind’ with no knowledge who the other person is, no advance preparation or even an indication of instrumentation. Halfway through we drop the curtain and they can see who their new improvising partner is -can we hear a change in the music? Hugh Buckley is a Dublin born and based, self-taught guitarist, composer, arranger, educator and author. He has performed with a wide array of internationally acclaimed artists including James Williams, Peter Bernstein, Ronnie Drew and Van Morrison. He has released a number of acclaimed albums as a leader, including, “Yes Indeed”, “Spirit Level” and “Sketches of Now”, besides featuring on numerous recordings as a sideman. Find out more about his work at his website http://www.hughbuckleymusic.com/ Bassist Derek Whyte is involved in many of the Dublin Jazz scene's more experimental Jazz groups, including ReDiviDeR, Fuzzy Logic and The Troupe, and plays consistently with leading jazz musicians across Ireland and in the U.K. Derek also lectures in ensembles, rhythm, transcription and instrumental skills at Dublin City University’s Centre for Jazz Performance. Find more of his work at his Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-756581033-474138186 You can watch this Blind Date Jazz in full video form on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/ilKDE9O2ZnE If you enjoy this podcast please Subscribe and leave us a review!Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusic@improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramImprovised Music Company is an Arts Council funded promoter and resource organisation www.improvisedmusic.ieThanks to Justin Carroll's Togetherness for our podcast theme - the track is their 'Feelgood Factor' from 2009 album 'Togetherness'. You can listen to the rest here: https://justincarroll.bandcamp.com/album/togetherness

Welcome to the second Blind Date Jazz episode of IMC’s Creative About Music Podcast. For this musical blind date, we paired up guitarist Mike Nielsen and saxophonist/clarinetist Cathal Roche.Each episode in Blind Date Jazz is a new encounter between 2 artists , playing ‘blind’ with no knowledge who the other person is, no advance preparation or even an indication of instrumentation. Halfway through we drop the curtain and they can see who their new improvising partner is -can we hear a change in the music? Director of Jazz Performance at the TU Dublin Conservatoire, and a leading exponent of microtonal music in Ireland, Mike Nielsen is considered “one of Europe’s most distinctive and iconoclastic guitar voices, equally innovative on electric and acoustic guitars.” [Sunday Tribune]. He holds a PhD in microtonal performance, MPhil in physics and microtonal music, LTCL in classical guitar performance and received a Jim Hall Incentive Award to attend Berklee College of Music, Boston. Among many other highlights, his work features in The Contemporary Guitar by Grammy Award winning guitarist, John Schneider, has published a book on rhythm for Schott, Germany, and has taken the stages of jazz festivals including the Wangaratta Jazz Festival Australia, with Dave Liebman. Mike features on 23 CDs. Find out more about his work here: https://www.improvisedmusic.ie/artists/details/mike_nielsen Cathal Roche is composer-performer based in the North-West of Ireland specialising in solo saxophone performance-installation. Working 20 years as an improviser, Cathal has developed his practice through countless innovative projects and recordings exploring extended saxophone techniques, improvisational forms, speech transcription and immersive installation. Long-term musical collaborators include The Dirty Jazz Club, Izumi Kimura, Rafael Kolachi (DAO), Ian Wilson (crOw), Vanbrugh and ConTempo string quartets, the Sligo Jazz Project and many others. Find more of his work at: https://www.cathalroche.org/ You can watch this Blind Date Jazz in full video form on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/YARi1ya6WmI If you enjoy this podcast please Subscribe and leave us a review!Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusic@improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramImprovised Music Company is an Arts Council funded promoter and resource organisation www.improvisedmusic.ieThanks to Justin Carroll's Togetherness for our podcast theme - the track is their 'Feelgood Factor' from 2009 album 'Togetherness'. You can listen to the rest here: https://justincarroll.bandcamp.com/album/togetherness

Welcome to the second Blind Date Jazz episode of IMC’s Creative About Music Podcast. For this musical blind date, we paired up pianist Izumi Kimura with flautist Lina Andonovska.Each episode in Blind Date Jazz is a new encounter between 2 artists , playing ‘blind’ with no knowledge who the other person is, no advance preparation or even an indication of instrumentation. Half way through we drop the curtain and they can see who their new improvising partner is -can we hear a change in the music? Japanese-born, Irish-based pianist Izumi Kimura has worked with many of the top names in contemporary and improvised music and performed all over the world, and is praised by the Irish Times for her “heroic level of technical fearlessness”.Her most recent release is ‘Floating’, in collaboration with Cora Venus Lunny and Anthony Kelly on the Farpoint Recordings label: https://www.farpointrecordings.com/product-page/izumi-kimura-cora-venus-lunny-anthony-kelly-folding Find more of her work at her website http://www.izumikimura.com/ Lina Andonovska has been an important figure in contemporary music for some time now and has built a reputation as a flute-player who is equally at home in contemporary jazz and classical music. She has been especially prominent in Ireland where she has played with groups such as Crash Ensemble, and performed works by Irish composers such as Ann Cleare, Linda Buckley, Anna Murray and Michael Gallen. Check out her album ‘A Way A Lone A Last’ at https://shop.diatribe.ie/album/a-way-a-lone-a-last Find other work at http://www.linaandonovska.com/You can watch this Blind Date Jazz in full video form on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/2LS9XKxepcg If you enjoy this podcast please Subscribe and leave us a review!Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusic@improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramImprovised Music Company is an Arts Council funded promoter and resource organisation www.improvisedmusic.ieThanks to Justin Carroll's Togetherness for our podcast theme - the track is their 'Feelgood Factor' from 2009 album 'Togetherness'. You can listen to the rest here: https://justincarroll.bandcamp.com/album/togetherness

Welcome to the first Blind Date Jazz episode of IMC’s Creative About Music Podcast. For this musical blind date, we paired up vocalist and pianist Olesya Zdorovetska with percussionist Matthew Jacobson.Blind Date Jazz brings listening and creative improvisation into focus, with some of Ireland’s leading improvisers coming into the studio to create an exciting, new, musical conversation.The twist?Neither musician has any idea who they are playing with. Hear the musicians reflect on what improvisation means to them, and then join them on the journey into the studio, completely hidden from each other by a curtain. Unseen, unknown, unrehearsed, they can only interact purely musically, until at some point, the curtain drops and they can continue their musical conversation face-to-face. Does the interaction change? Listen to find out.Matthew Jacobson is an Irish drummer, improviser, composer, educator and producer. As well as leading his own groups Insufficient Funs and ReDiviDeR, he regularly tours, performs and records with foremost improvisers all around the world. He is also co-director of independent Irish record label Diatribe, a jazz lecturer at Dublin City University. Find more of his work at his website http://www.matthewjacobsonmusic.com/ Olesya Zdorovetska is a powerful and innovative voice in new music as a soloist, collaborator, and composer crossing the fields of improvised, jazz, Afro-Caribbean, contemporary classical and experimental music. A dynamic figure on the Irish scene, she is noted for her curation of the Phonica series, and her work with Diatribe Records on the critically-acclaimed Haivka recording by Yurodny Ensemble. Find more of her work at https://zdorovetska.com/ You can watch this Blind Date Jazz in full video form on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/ZM7hKM1mmBU If you enjoy this podcast please Subscribe and leave us a review!You can also find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusicCheck out great performances and artist resources on our YouTube @improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramImprovised Music Company (IMC) is an Irish Arts Council funded resource organisation for Irish and Irish-based jazz musicians, and a specialist promoter of jazz, improvised and ethnic music in Ireland. www.improvisedmusic.ieThanks to Justin Carroll's Togetherness for our podcast theme - the track is their 'Feelgood Factor' from 2009 album 'Togetherness'. You can listen to the rest here: https://justincarroll.bandcamp.com/album/togetherness

Welcome to a new episode of IMC’s weekly BAN BAM podcast, where we explore creative work from inspiration to execution, through conversations with a host of women working in jazz and creative improvised music today. Our guest today is researcher and author Dr. Sarah Raine.We talk about her roots in anthropology and museum work, dance, and her interest in the experiences of women in music. She shares thoughts about women, and the representation of women in different roles in jazz, from the very young stages of education and upwards, and the context of gender expectations in society. We discuss giving voices to women through her research, and exploring darker issues such as sexual harassment of women in music. Dr. Sarah Raine is a Postdoctoral Researcher in Ethnomusicology at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance (University of Limerick), working on a variety of projects including Festiversities. She also continues to contribute to a research project at Edinburgh Napier University (PLACE Scottish Government funded) mapping the jazz and blues scenes in Scotland. In 2019, Sarah completed a Midlands3Cities Creative Economy Engagement Fellowship, working in collaboration with Cheltenham Jazz Festival on their Keychange pledge and a gender balanced schedule by 2022. More generally, Sarah specialises in the study of multigenerational music scenes, focusing in particular on issues of gender, generation, authenticity, and history. She is also the co-Managing Editor of Riffs, a Book Series Editor for Equinox Publishing, and an editor for Jazz Research Journal. In addition to a range of articles and book chapters, she is the author of Authenticity and Belonging in the Northern Soul Scene (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020) and the co-editor of Towards Gender Equality in the Music Industry (Bloomsbury, 2019) and The Northern Soul Scene (Equinox Publishing, 2019).https://www.festiversities.com/ https://www.keychange.eu/ Improvised Music Company (IMC) is an Irish Arts Council funded resource organisation for Irish and Irish-based jazz musicians, and a specialist promoter of jazz, improvised and ethnic music in Ireland.  BAN BAM is an activity which began in 2017 to develop and support the work of women in jazz and improvised music, particularly female instrumentalists and composers, who are underrepresented in this genre.www.improvisedmusic.ieIf you enjoy this podcast please Subscribe and leave us a review!You can also find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusicCheck out great performances and artist resources on our YouTube @improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramOur podcast theme tune is a track by Irish jazz artist Justin Carroll's Togetherness. 

Welcome to a new episode of IMC’s weekly BAN BAM podcast, where we explore creative work from inspiration to execution, through conversations with a host of women working in jazz and creative improvised music today. Our guest today is jazz singer, composer and lyricist Emilie Conway from Dublin.We chat about how music has been a guiding light for her throughout her life, as a person with serious visual impairment. She shares about her interdisciplinary approach to creativity and recent projects including a commission by the National Gallery of Ireland 'Music for Mondrian',   as well as her passion for working with children and young people.Emilie also mentions a Covid-lockdown children's music video collaboration 'It All Works Out' with St. Colmcille's S.N.S. - you can enjoy that lovely piece here! www.emilieconway.comEmilie Conway is an award winning jazz singer, composer and lyricist . Her music is informed and complemented by her love of literature, poetry, sound and silence. She blends her own compositions, spoken word / poetry, with improvised or composed music and her interpretation of familiar and less familiar jazz standards.Emilie’s current projects centre around her quest to continuously develop as a vocal jazz artist through deepening her collaborative relationship with her long-standing musicians, Johnny Taylor, Dominic Mullan and Barry Donohue through careful choice of creatively challenging and innovative projects in inspiring contexts and settings.She is a passionate advocate for disability rights within the arts, and has been funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and Dublin City Council for her creative work in this area.Improvised Music Company (IMC) is an Irish Arts Council funded resource organisation for Irish and Irish-based jazz musicians, and a specialist promoter of jazz, improvised and ethnic music in Ireland.  BAN BAM is an activity which began in 2017 to develop and support the work of women in jazz and improvised music, particular female instrumentalists and composers which are underrepresented in this genre.www.improvisedmusic.ieIf you enjoy this podcast please Subscribe and leave us a review!You can also f us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusicCheck out great performances and artist resources on our YouTube @improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramOur podcast theme tune is a track by Irish jazz artist Justin Carroll's Togetherness. 

Welcome to a new episode of IMC’s weekly BAN BAM podcast, where we explore creative work from inspiration to execution, through conversations with a host of women working in jazz and creative improvised music today. Our guest today is Catherine Sikora, a powerful saxophonist and improviser born and raised in West Cork, and based in New York for over 20 years.We chat about her teenage determination to learn the saxophone, despite many obstacles. The gently discipline of her creativity - an evolution of viewing instrument practice as an energy practice, a sanctuary of exploration, instead of a chore or place of self-criticism, her recent journey into blogging (a 'must read' for any jazz musician, educator or student), and the importance of decolonizing music education. www.catherinesikora.wordpress.comSikora has devoted her life to researching the magic of that sound with her saxophones, particularly in her solo work, which forms the main backbone of her creative output.In addition to her solo work, Sikora works frequently in duo and larger settings, with Eric Mingus, Brian Chase, Ethan Winogrand, Ross Hammond, Christopher Culpo and Matteo Liberatore. She is proud to be one third of the joyful rowdiness that is Eris 136199.Sikora is active as an educator, working with students on advanced concepts of improvisation and strategies for creativity, as well as on overcoming performance anxiety and other musical inhibitions. She teaches masterclasses and private lessons, both in person and online.Explore more of Catherine's music HERE including the recording 'Backbone' featured on the show. Improvised Music Company (IMC) is an Irish Arts Council funded resource organisation for Irish and Irish-based jazz musicians, and a specialist promoter of jazz, improvised and ethnic music in Ireland.  BAN BAM is an activity which began in 2017 to develop and support the work of women in jazz and improvised music, particular female instrumentalists and composers which are underrepresented in this genre.www.improvisedmusic.ieIf you enjoy this podcast please Subscribe and leave us a review! You can also f us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusicCheck out great performances and artist resources on our YouTube @improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramOur podcast theme tune is a track by Irish jazz artist Justin Carroll's Togetherness. 

Welcome to a new episode of IMC’s weekly BAN BAM podcast, where we explore creative work from inspiration to execution, through conversations with a host of women working in jazz and creative improvised music today. Our guest today is Izumi Kimura, a celebrated pianist, improviser and collaborator based in Co. Wicklow. We explore her musical background, from strict classical training to free improvisation, as well as her reverse compositional approach that is reflective of her intuitive artistry and attitude of acceptance of all ideas, music and collaborators. As well as an interesting reflection of the long road to becoming 'free', personally and musically, to arriving at a place of full expression.   www.izumikimura.comBorn in Japan, but based in Ireland for over 25 years, Kimura is a much-respected figure in the Irish music scene, acclaimed for her gentle but fearless improvisational approach. Her stand out collaborations of recent years include a continuing relationship with jazz heavyweights Barry Guy and Gerry Hemingway, as well as an intuitive connection with Irish improvising violinist Cora Venus Lunny. Her upcoming album 'Folding' with Lunny and sound artist Anthony Kelly is released on 1st July 2021 through Farpoint Recordings, with pre-orders from June 3rd.The featured track ‘For Stephen’ is a lullaby for a baby who was born January 10th and died February 19th 1972, in a Mother and Baby Home. Baby Stephen lies in an unmarked ‘pauper’s grave’ in Deansgrange Cemetery.Improvised Music Company (IMC) is an Irish Arts Council funded resource organisation for Irish and Irish-based jazz musicians, and a specialist promoter of jazz, improvised and ethnic music in Ireland.  BAN BAM is an activity which began in 2017 to develop and support the work of women in jazz and improvised music, particular female instrumentalists and composers which are underrepresented in this genre.www.improvisedmusic.ieIf you enjoy this podcast please Subscribe and leave us a review! You can also f us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusic Check out great performances and artist resources on our YouTube @improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramOur podcast theme tune is a track by Irish jazz artist Justin Carroll's Togetherness. 

Welcome to the sixth episode of IMC’s weekly BAN BAM podcast, where we explore creative work from inspiration to execution, through conversations with a host of women working in jazz and creative improvised music today. Our guest on the show today is Lina Andonovska, a flautist, improviser, composer and collaborator born in Serbia, raised in Australia and who now calls Ireland home. We talk about the importance of capturing moments of inspiration, be it words, melody or collaborative ideas.Her current research around sustainability of artist livelihoods, and artist entrepreneurship in contemporary art music, and of course the continuing issue of survival as a freelance artist. Her surprising background in flamenco dance and evolution into a flautist and into the improvisational world, and her recent experience performing with Izumi Kimura on IMC’s Blind Date Jazz series (check it out here;  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LS9XKxepcg)LINA ANDONOVSKACuriosity, fearlessness and versatility have established Lina Andonovska as a rare breed in the flute world.She released her debut solo album A Way A Lone A Last on Diatribe Records in February 2020 (supported by the Australia Council for the Arts). The album features works by Irish composers including Donnacha Dennehy, Judith Ring, Nick Roth, and Barry O’Halpin. The album has been warmly received by critics, described as "an absorbing blend of cerebral concept and visceral, playful execution," [All About Jazz], and "a tour de force, and well worth a serious listen." [Journal of Music]Improvised Music Company (IMC) is an Irish Arts Council funded resource organisation for Irish and Irish-based jazz musicians, and a specialist promoter of jazz, improvised and ethnic music in Ireland.  BAN BAM is an activity which began in 2017 to develop and support the work of women in jazz and improvised music, particular female instrumentalists and composers which are underrepresented in this genre.www.improvisedmusic.ieFollow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusicCheck out lots of great performance and artist resources on our YouTube @improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramOur podcast theme tune is a track by Irish jazz artist Justin Carroll's Togetherness. 

Welcome to the fifth episode of IMC’s weekly BAN BAM podcast, where we explore creative work from inspiration to execution, through conversations with a host of women working in jazz and creative improvised music today. Our guest on the show today is Meilana Gillard, an impressive tenor saxophonist and composer, originally from Ohio but based in Northern Ireland since 2012. We talk about her multi-instrumental approach to composing, her early experience of playing in a big band in her Junior High school, the importance of this early influence and the "if you see it, you can be it" mentality that is so importance for young girls and women. www.meilanaontenor.com"Gillard is a gutsy, inventive player with a forceful melodic sense and an open, old-school tenor sound." – Cormac Larkin, IRISH TIMESOhio-raised saxophonist and composer Meilana Gillard emerged as a rising star on the New York scene while studying at the New School in the early 2000’s. She has worked with U.S. icons Charli Persip, Christian McBride and also Greg Osby, who released her debut album “Day One” on his ‘Inner Circle Music’ label in 2009. In addition she has collaborated with Debbie Reynolds, Glenn Campbell and was instrumental in the New York all-female band DIVA.Based near Belfast since 2012, she released her second album “Dream Within a Dream” in 2017 on Lyte Records.She performs as RGB Trio with Kevin Brady and Dave Redmond since 2019. Improvised Music Company (IMC) is an Irish Arts Council funded resource organisation for Irish and Irish-based jazz musicians, and a specialist promoter of jazz, improvised and ethnic music in Ireland.  BAN BAM is an activity which began in 2017 to develop and support the work of women in jazz and improvised music, particular female instrumentalists and composers which are underrepresented in this genre.As well as this new podcast series, BAN BAM activities in 2020-21 includes the Commissioning Award from IMC in partnership with Moving On Music. Performances of the new works will be announced later in 2021.The next BAN BAM Commissions will be awarded in 2022.www.improvisedmusic.ieFollow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusicCheck out lots of great performance and artist resources on our YouTube @improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramOur podcast theme tune is a track by Irish jazz artist Justin Carroll's Togetherness. 

Welcome to the fourth episode of IMC’s weekly BAN BAM podcast, where we explore creative work from inspiration to execution, through conversations with a host of women working in jazz and creative improvised music today. My guest on this show is Ríona Sally Hartman, a vocalist, composer and educator from Dublin. Ríona is also a board member of IMC as a representative of the Irish musician community, and a collaborator with IMC in developing the BAN BAM initiative to support women in jazz. We reflect on how the BAN BAM initiative developed 5 years ago, when IMC and Ríona, as a new board member, began researching and talking to women on the Irish scene, working to influence programming policy and support and promote their work, and question why so few women and girls were, and still are, less visible in jazz, and in the wider music scene. We also chat about the importance of the artist as an activist, Ríona's own work and evolution as an artist, and her own creative processes. www.rionasallyhartman.com​“Ríona Sally Hartman is capable of using her voice like an instrument, but she is a writer too, interested in the observations and speculations of the poet….delicate vocal harmonies and sparse acoustic settings, fresh and unclichéd, perhaps bearing most comparison with intrepid New York singers like Theo Bleckmann and Becca Stevens.”– The Irish Times​Ríona Sally Hartman is a bi-lingual vocalist, composer and songwriter based in Ireland. Her music has become known for its lush vocal harmonies, acoustic softness and the surrealist stories that accompany her songs.Her debut album Big Starving Thing was released in May 2015 and was described by The Irish Times as a "finely crafted debut album...fresh and unclichéd”. As well as leading her own solo project Ríona performs as a member of many varied collaborative projects, and has been awarded both an Emerging Artist Bursary for the Creation of New Work in 2015 and a Professional Development Arts Grant in 2016, both from Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and is a member of the Improvised Music Company’s board of directors as a representative of young, emerging Irish musicians.The song featured on the show 'Bloodmoon' is available here: https://rionasallyhartman.bandcamp.com/Improvised Music Company (IMC) is an Irish Arts Council funded resource organisation for Irish and Irish-based jazz musicians, and a specialist promoter of jazz, improvised and ethnic music in Ireland.  BAN BAM is an activity which began in 2017 to develop and support the work of women in jazz and improvised music, particular female instrumentalists and composers which are underrepresented in this genre.The next BAN BAM Commissions will be awarded in 2022.www.improvisedmusic.ieFollow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusicCheck out lots of great performance and artist resources on our YouTube @improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramOur podcast theme tune is a track by Irish jazz artist Justin Carroll's Togetherness. 

Welcome to the third episode of IMC’s weekly BAN BAM podcast, where we explore creative work from inspiration to execution, through conversations with a host of women working in jazz and creative improvised music today. Our guest on the show today is Úna Monaghan, a harpist, sound artist and composer from Belfast, and one of three recipients of the BAN BAM commissioning award in 2020.We talk about the exciting new work she is developing for the BAN BAM commission award, and the parallels between training and playing music, and training and playing sport.She also shares the many influences and outputs in her diverse creative life, beginning with her strong background in traditional Irish music, and her personal evolution as a musician, the importance of moving towards what sparks interest, definitions of a ‘folk instrument’ in the past and for the 21st century, as well as her work as a sound engineer internationally. www.unamonaghan.comÚna Monaghan is a harper, composer, researcher and sound artist from Belfast. Her recent work has combined traditional music with bronze sculpture, sound art and movement sensors. Her compositions have been presented on BBC and RTÉ television and radio, and in theatre productions, festivals and conferences internationally. She performs with harp and computer, and released an album of her compositions for Irish harp and electronics, named “For” in 2018.Úna gained a PhD from the Sonic Arts Research Centre at Queen’s University Belfast in 2015 and held the Rosamund Harding Research Fellowship in Music at Newnham College, University of Cambridge from 2016-2019. Her research examines the intersections between Irish traditional music, experimental music practices, improvisation and interactive technologies. In 2019 she received the inaugral Liam O’Flynn Award from the Arts Council of Ireland and the National Concert Hall, Dublin.Úna recently published a paper on 'The Impact of Gender on Participation in Traditional Irish Music' as part of an extensive research on gender balance in traditional music in Ireland by Fair Plé.Improvised Music Company (IMC) is an Irish Arts Council funded resource organisation for Irish and Irish-based jazz musicians, and a specialist promoter of jazz, improvised and ethnic music in Ireland.  BAN BAM is an activity which began in 2017 to develop and support the work of women in jazz and improvised music, particular female instrumentalists and composers which are underrepresented in this genre.As well as this new podcast series, BAN BAM activities in 2020-21 includes the Commissioning Award from IMC in partnership with Moving On Music. Performances of the new works will be announced later in 2021.The next BAN BAM Commissions will be awarded in 2022.www.improvisedmusic.ieFollow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/imcmusicCheck out lots of great performance and artist resources on our YouTube @improvisedmusic on Twitter and InstagramOur podcast theme tune is a track by Irish jazz artist Justin Carroll's Togetherness.