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- Written by: Red Keane
- Parent Category: Jazz Ireland Blog
- Category: Jazz News
Read more: Scott’s Jazz Club to Leave Ballyhackamore Home After Six Remarkable Years
Scott’s Jazz Club has announced that its residency at the Hack Club in Ballyhackamore will come to an end later this month, bringing to a close a remarkable chapter for one of Belfast’s most highly regarded jazz venues. While the loss of its home is a significant blow to the city’s jazz scene, the team behind Scott’s is already looking to the future and hopes to return at a new venue in 2027.
Scott’s Jazz Club has announced that its final concerts at the Hack Club will take place in September, with all concerts scheduled for the remainder of 2026 postponed. Ticket holders for cancelled concerts will receive full refunds.
In a statement, Scott Flanigan, Cormac O’Kane and Richard Brown reflected on six years in Ballyhackamore during which the club welcomed hundreds of musicians and thousands of audience members from around the world. The team is already in discussions with a number of potential venues for 2027 and says it is “extremely hopeful” that Scott’s Jazz Club will return next year.
Read more: Scott’s Jazz Club to Leave Ballyhackamore Home After Six Remarkable Years
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- Written by: Red Keane
- Parent Category: Jazz Ireland Blog
- Category: Jazz News
Read more: Stella Bass Takes Flight with New Big Band Single ‘Time To Fly’
Irish jazz vocalist Stella Bass is set to release her new single Time To Fly on Friday, 28 August 2026, an upbeat original big band number that marks a new chapter in her work as both performer and producer.
Written and arranged by veteran composer and bandleader Dave Gold, Time To Fly has an unusual origin story. The song was written in 2024 following a good-natured bet with a friend who challenged Gold to write and arrange an entire big band song from scratch in just two weeks. Gold, who has more than 60 years in the music business, responded by completing it in just two days.
The resulting song draws on the classic big band sound of the 1940s and '50s and carries an appropriately uplifting message about overcoming fear and self-doubt and taking a leap of faith.
Read more: Stella Bass Takes Flight with New Big Band Single ‘Time To Fly’
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- Written by: Red Keane
- Parent Category: Jazz Ireland Blog
- Category: Jazz News
Read more: Everybody Digs Bill Evans – New Biographical Drama Comes to Irish Cinemas
A new film exploring one of the most significant and turbulent periods in the life of legendary jazz pianist Bill Evans is coming to cinemas across Ireland this September.
*Everybody Digs Bill Evans*, directed by Grant Gee and starring Anders Danielsen Lie as Evans, will be released theatrically in Ireland and the UK on 11 September 2026.
The film takes us to New York in June 1961, when Evans had found what he considered his perfect trio alongside bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. Their celebrated residency at the Village Vanguard culminated in recordings that would produce two landmark live albums, *Sunday at the Village Vanguard* and *Waltz for Debby*.
Just ten days later, LaFaro was killed in a car accident at the age of 25. Devastated by the loss of his musical soulmate, Evans withdrew from performing. *Everybody Digs Bill Evans* explores this period of grief and retreat, as Evans moves between New York and the relative safety of family life while his extraordinary musical voice continues to develop.
Read more: Everybody Digs Bill Evans – New Biographical Drama Comes to Irish Cinemas
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- Written by: Red Keane
- Parent Category: Jazz Ireland Blog
- Category: Jazz News
Read more: Shy Mascot Release New Single How's Tricks
Irish genre-blending band Shy Mascot return with their latest single, How's Tricks, released on 17 July. Known for fusing funk, jazz and hip-hop, the band continue to explore new musical territory with a track that takes listeners on an emotional journey through the process of finding closure and rediscovering freedom after a relationship ends.
How's Tricks uses contrasting musical ideas to reflect the emotional stages of a break-up. The fast-paced verses capture the chaotic thoughts that can follow the end of a relationship, driven by an unusual 7/4 time signature that adds a sense of unease. The chorus then provides a calmer contrast, with Jamel and Fiadh's call-and-response vocals reflecting the back-and-forth exchanges that often accompany the aftermath of a break-up.
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- Written by: Red Keane
- Parent Category: Jazz Ireland Blog
- Category: Jazz News
Applications are now open for the 2026 Musician-in-Residence Programme at King House in Boyle, County Roscommon, a unique professional development opportunity for musicians who are autistic or people with autism.
Presented by Music Network in partnership with Roscommon Arts Office and supported by King House, Roscommon County Council, the Bank of Ireland Community Fund, Community Foundation Ireland and the Tomar Trust, the residency aims to provide a significant opportunity for an established professional musician to develop their artistic practice in an inclusive and supportive environment.
The selected Musician-in-Residence will receive a bursary of €8,000 and access to a dedicated workspace at King House during October and November 2026. The residency is designed to provide time and space for creative development, allowing the musician to focus on creating new work, developing artistic collaborations and advancing their professional practice.
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- Written by: Red Keane
- Parent Category: Jazz Ireland Blog
- Category: Jazz News
Following the international acclaim of his debut album Autorretrato en Tres Colores, Dublin-based Venezuelan guitarist, composer and arranger Orlando Molina has released Antes, Siempre (Before, Always), a deeply personal recording that reimagines beloved Latin American songs through original duo arrangements for voice and nylon-string guitar.
Released on 29 May 2026, Antes, Siempre presents a different side of Molina's artistic voice. While his debut established him as a distinctive contemporary jazz composer and bandleader, this new recording turns towards the music that has long formed part of his cultural and personal heritage.
Across seven carefully crafted tracks, Molina revisits songs from Venezuela, Mexico and Brazil, creating arrangements that balance preservation with reinvention. Familiar melodies are transformed through contemporary harmony, rhythmic sophistication and an expansive approach to the guitar that allows the instrument to function simultaneously as accompaniment, dialogue and orchestral texture.
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- Written by: Red Keane
- Parent Category: Jazz Ireland Blog
- Category: Jazz News
Read more: Limerick Jazz Launches Young Irish Jazz Musician 2026
Limerick Jazz has announced the return of the Young Irish Jazz Musician competition, with applications now open for the 2026 edition of the prestigious award.
The final will take place at University Concert Hall, Limerick on Sunday, 22 November 2026, where selected finalists will perform with a professional house band before a live audience and an expert panel of judges.
Since its launch, Young Irish Jazz Musician has established itself as one of Ireland's leading platforms for emerging jazz talent, providing young musicians with valuable performance opportunities, industry recognition and support for their artistic development.
Read more: Limerick Jazz Launches Young Irish Jazz Musician 2026
