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Event Description
“Breathe In & Let Go” EP Launch with the Johnny Taylor Trio
It seems fitting that Cork vocalist and composer Laoise Leahy will officially launch her ‘Breathe In & Let Go’ EP with a special performance in the Green Room, Cork Opera House, as part of the Cork Jazz Festival 2025 as it was throughout her artist residency here in 2023 that these songs and sound took shape and flight…
A native of Cork and a contemporary voice lecturer at MTU Cork School of Music, Laoise has established herself as one of Ireland’s most compelling and versatile vocalists. Known for her rich, soulful tone and fearless improvisation, she has performed and recorded with leading artists on the jazz, soul, folk, and contemporary music scenes, while nurturing the next generation of performers through her work as an educator.
Her debut EP, “Breathe In & Let Go”,produced by Christian Best, represents a new chapter in her artistic journey. The music draws inspiration from the ocean, nature, space, time and the rhythm of breath, weaving together jazz harmony, soul grooves, folk storytelling, and subtle electronic textures. The result is a sound that is deeply atmospheric and emotionally resonant.
Speaking about the project, Laoise says:
“This EP grew out of a desire to capture both the stillness and the intensity of being alive - the calm and the chaos. For me, music is about connection, release and freedom, and , in response to the demanding and busy modern world, I wanted this project to embody that.”
For this special 70-minute performance, Laoise will be joined by the acclaimed Johnny Taylor Trio, bringing their incredible studio performances to life alongside reimagined jazz works and spontaneous improvisation…
Audiences can expect a performance that is intimate, expansive, and profoundly moving - a celebration not only of an exciting new body of work and the joy and magic of live jazz, song and improvisation but also of Laoise’s deep roots in the Cork music community..
“This record, composed with the company of virtuosic musicians, is more than an EP. It is an unfolding and a becoming. It is an homage to the revolution that goes unseen when we pause, heed, and allow ourselves to be moved. In a world so frequently rushed and indiscriminate, "Breathe In & Let Go" is a surprise gift: the promise that art can be both reflection and refuge, jazz that fixes you so still you forget about the clock completely. Time releases; the world outside blurs. Here, music isn't merely something you hear, but something you participate in - a place that you can choose to lose yourself in for a while.”
PowHer Sound - Music Blog 2025
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Location of event
Venue Information - Cork Opera House
The region's premier arts and entertainment venue, presenting and producing a diverse programme of performances for each and every member of our community