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Event Description
with bassist Michael Riordan
At their upcoming Cobblestone performance, Nikki and Sam will be joined by renowned bassist Michael Riordan for a trio set of jazz standards and originals from their Girl & the Moon EP. The trio will be performing vocal highlights ranging from Billie Holiday, to Dorothy Fields, all way to Thelonius Monk.
Nikki Griffin is a jazz vocalist and vocal coach based in Cork City, Ireland and a graduate of the Cork School of Music. She holds both a First Class Honours Master’s degree in Vocal Performance as well as a BMus. Nikki enjoyed her studies under renowned jazz vocalist Laoise Leahy and esteemed vocal specialist Áine Whelan, who both helped her immensely to discover her sound, her intent, and her love for jazz and songwriting. A familiar presence on the Irish jazz scene, Nikki is a featured local artist during the internationally celebrated Guinness Cork Jazz Festival and performs regularly throughout the year. Her career has brought her to stages across Ireland, Italy, and New York City, where she captivates audiences with her distinctive tone, interpretive sensitivity, and natural stage presence. Nikki’s most recent musical collaborations have been with her musical accomplice Sam Barker, with whom she has released both an original music EP titled ‘Girl & The Moon’, and more recently their album In Her Own Words... Jazz Standards by Women Vol. 1’ released on International Womens Day 2025.
As a vocalist, Nikki has performed alongside artists including Damien Rice, Finbar Wright and Laoise Leahy. Also an accomplished violist, she has performed with internationally acclaimed singers such as Colm Wilkinson, Michael Ball, Sofia Escobar and Michael McCarthy.
Sam Barker is a jazz guitarist whose early background in folk and blues led him to jazz during his Classical Guitar studies at CSM, where he performed with the CSM Big Band under John O’Connor.
Active on the Cork music scene since 2008, he performs both as a soloist and accompanist. While he has collaborated with groups including Cork City Orchestra and the UCC Choir, his primary focus is jazz performance and interpretation. Influenced initially by Django Reinhardt, Freddie Green, and Charlie Christian, and later by Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Bill Frisell, and John Scofield, Sam has released two albums: In Her Own Words... Jazz Standards by Women Vol. 1 (with Nikki Griffin, 08/03/25) and Little Sammy Speaks (09/02/26). A third release, Cutting a Hole in Time, is in development.
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