Saxophone Emigrés #2 - Daniel Rorke (Australia)

Event Description

The Sofa Sessions presents Saxophone Emigré Series 2018

Ireland’s music community has been enriched over the last two decades by the arrival of so many talented musicians from around the world, we decided to celebrate that diversity by showcasing three very different foreign-born saxophonists who have all made a home in Ireland.

In light of the recent unfortunate - and entirely unrepresentative - expressions of intolerance in our home city of Kilkenny, we offer this series as a gesture of love and welcome to our brothers and sisters from around the world who have honoured us with their presence.

Saxophone Emigré Series #2

Daniel Rorke (Australia)
with
Phil Ware (UK)
Damian Evans (Australia)
Cormac Larkin (Carlow)

9pm / No Cover Charge


Dublin-based Irish-Australian tenor and soprano saxophonist Daniel Rorke has lived and worked in Ireland, Iceland, Australia, Norway, New York, and toured throughout the world. His performance career has included work with many well known Nordic musicians such as Hilmar Jensson, Per Oddvar Johansen, Rune Nergaard, Veli Kujala, Samúel Jon Samúelsson, Sigtryggur Baldursson, Australian piano giant Alister Spence and many others. His latest recording "The Dark" is now available through the Norwegian Jazz labe"Just For The Records".

Rorke holds a PhD in music from the University of New England, a Masters in Jazz Performance from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology's Jazzlinja in Trondheim, and graduated with first class honours from the Bachelor of Jazz studies programme at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. He is the recipient on numerous grants and awards and has lectured at Dublin's Newpark School of Music Bachelor of the Arts, and Berklee School of Music programme in the field of Jazz, composition and musicianship.

"A heavyweight... a full-blooded performer"

Lasse Haugen - Jazznytt 2011

"Warm, sparse, compelling and regularly challenging"

John O'Brien - Radio RTRFM

Since arriving on these shores nearly two decades ago, Phil Ware has been one of Ireland’s most sought after jazz pianists. Phil's career as an instrumentalist and jazz educator has taken him throughout Europe and as far afield as America, Asia and the Middle East. His long-standing piano trio, with bassist Dave Redmond and drummer Kevin Brady, was chosen to represent Ireland at the 2008 Eurojazz Festival in Mexico City. As a sideman, he has played with international figures such as Guy Barker, Peter Ind, Ian Shaw, Gene Caldarazzo and heroes of the Acid Jazz revival, Pucho and the Latin Soul Brothers. A regular at the Sofa Sessions, Phil’s hard swinging approach and his deep knowledge of the jazz tradition have made him a hugely popular addition to Ireland’s jazz community.

Damian Evans is a double bassist and jazz academic from Perth, Australia who has been a major contributor to the Irish jazz scene since his arrival in 1997. He is leader of the Damian Evans Trio and co-leader of the Boylan/Buckley/ Evans Trio. Damian has worked with major touring artists visiting Ireland including Terrel Stafford, Johnathon Kriesburg, Jean Toussant, Jason Rebello and Soweto Kinch as well as fellow Australians Jamie Oehlers and Paul Williamson. Damian has also been involved in the traditional Irish music scene, working and touring extensively with Alan Kelly, Arty McGlynn and Sean Keane, and recording with Sharon Shannon, John Prine and Gerry O’Connor.

Cormac Larkin has been a prominent figure on the Irish music scene, as a performer, as a promoter and as a film-maker and journalist, since he emerged on the Dublin scene in the early 90s. A student of the great American drummer Keith Copeland, Cormac’s groups over the years have featured many of Ireland leading jazz musicians, including guitarist Tommy Halferty and pianist Phil Ware. He is a member of legendary guitarist Jimmy Smyth’s trio and also co-leads an organ trio with keyboardist Scott Flanigan and guitarist Chris Guilfoyle. Cormac is founder and curator of the Sofa Sessions and writes regularly on music and the arts for the Irish Times.

Location of event

Venue Information - Billy Byrnes

Billy Byrnes is a family run tradional Irish bar and first opened its doors in 1954. We are centrally located in Kilkenny City, just around the corner from the train and bus station.