Kinsale is a hot spot for some brilliant jazz
The Lamarotte jazz band from the Netherlands jazzing through the streets of Kinsale. Picture. John Allen
A former vocalist with the Cork School Of Music’s Jazz Big Band, Grainne Ryan certainly knows her (green) onions when it comes to soul, funk, and particularly jazz singing, and she kicks off the weekend on Thursday at 9pm in Sam’s Bar. Also playing there the following day are 4 Shades Of Gray on Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 5pm, and Sunday at 7pm. A rock band with “pounding drums, earth-shaking bass riffs, rolling guitar licks and powerhouse vocals”, they celebrate the music of other rock bands such as The Rolling Stones, Soundgarden, and Led Zeppelin.
4 Shades Of Gray also are performing in Kitty O’Sés on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 10pm, Sam’s Bar also has later acts in the form of Jay Hayward band on Friday at 10pm, The Traveling Beer Bellies (who win my personal award for best band name of the weekend!) on Sunday at 10pm, and Wild Ponies on Monday at 9pm.
Another rock band coming to town, this time from Cobh, are Loose Change and they will be playing Oscar Madisons on Friday at 4pm and 10pm and Monday at 2pm; and also Hamlets on Saturday at 3pm and 10pm and Sunday at 1.30pm and also The Blue Haven on Sunday at 7.30pm and 10pm. Oscar Madisons will also have Sweet As (Paulie Murphy) playing on Sunday at 10pm.
The Blue Haven Hotel on Friday at 10pm has regular visitors String Fellows, who have been coming annually from Swansea. The five piece jazz and blues band have built up a devoted following over the years. They also play at the same venue on Saturday at 1.15pm; then Hamlets on Saturday at 5.45pm and Sunday at 4.30pm and 7pm. They appear in Kitty O’Sés on Saturday at 5pm and Sunday at 7pm. Also playing in The Blue Haven are Bought & Sold, a duo who play blues, soul, and old-school rock. They will be bringing the weekend’s proceedings to an end there on Monday at 8pm.
Hamlets also host Two Time Polka, arguably the best roots band in Ireland, led by Ray and Geraldine Barron on mandolin and accordion respectively. Their debut album ‘From Pana To Louisiana’ will be reaching its 25th anniversary next year. The band play Friday at 6pm in Hamlets, then they move to The Blue Haven at 4pm and 7pm on Saturday and 4.30pm and 7.30pm on Sunday. Before their early set on Sunday, Ronnie Costley will be playing some acoustic blues and country at 2pm.
Sharon Crosbie and Brenda Bourke hold court with a weekend-long residency in The Spaniard on Friday from 10pm, Saturday 1-3pm and 10pm, Sunday 1-3pm and they will be ed by a special guest on the Monday from 2-4pm.
The Lord Kingsale also has just one house band for the whole weekend, in the shape of Kevin Mac and The Vintage Band, who will be turning on the amps for four gigs on Saturday and Sunday at 5pm and 10pm. Another band who are based in just one venue are 20 Fingers & 2 Hands, a trio who are an exciting dynamic group that play blue boogie woogie, and have plenty of classic rock and roll energy too. They play at the Armada Bar on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday at 3pm.
Howling Jack, another band from Wales play the Armada on Friday at 7pm and Sunday at 10pm. The name of their band has a very charming personal reason. “Jack Hayward was the name of one of the Uncles of Dev, our bass player and one of our vocalists. Uncle Jack had a massive collection of blues records all on 78s. When Dev used to visit his uncle he would usually be blasting out the blues on his radiogram, for most of the day. Only interrupted from time to time by his wife, shouting “turn that howling music down Jack”. So it seemed fitting to name the band The Howlin’ Jack Hayward Band.
The White House starts their weekend’s entertainment with Dr Dec And The Side Effects, one of the most popular bands on the circuit in Cork, on Friday at 9pm and again on Saturday at 10.30pm.
Over the years going to a set played by Billy Crosbie has become a tradition, in fact, EchoLive.ie said “a Jazz Festival weekend in Kinsale wouldn’t be the same without music scene veteran and jazz festival stalwart Billy Crosbie” in 2019. He plays a session with several friends in The Trident on Friday at 9pm; will lay out some Afternoon Delight in the White House on Saturday and Sunday at 4pm, and will play with his Billy Crosbie Trio in The Bulman on Monday at 7pm.
The Bulman will be hosting one of Cork’s finest piano players, Cormac McCarthy, and his quartet on Friday at 6pm for a set of top-class jazz music. Following them will be Chris Hayward with the Cancan French Trio at 10pm. They return to the same stage on Saturday at 6pm as well as playing in The White Horse on Sunday at 2pm and 10.30pm.
Many of the bars and pubs were hoping a certain team would be playing in — and winning — a certain final on Saturday at 8pm, so had booked very high-energy acts for the Saturday nights, and no doubt they will all still get the party going, such as Southern Soul who are kicking off in The Bulman on Saturday at 10pm and The Boogie Band who are in The Blue Haven, also at 10pm. They are also due to play Hamlets on Sunday at 10pm.
Also in Hamlets will be the cover band King K, that say they specialise in good time tunes. Considering some of the songs in their repertoire include Weezer and Kula Shaker, it’s very likely they will have the crowd on their feet most of the night! They play a standard set on Friday at 10pm, and will be hosting a jam session on the Monday at 6pm, where some extra musicians will surely find they’ve a few songs left in them.
Lucas D and the Groove Ghetto, play a synthesis of jazz fusion, funk, and hip-hop and will be playing a cool range of acid jazz classics and jazz-funk in the Trident Hotel on Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 6pm.
Fans of Hot Jazz n Blues, Klezmer, Balkan, Swing, and Americana will be well served by The Underscore Orchestra, who play The Bulman on Sunday at 6pm, and they will be followed by The Paul O’Donnell Musical Collective at 10pm
All listings are liable to change, it is advisable to check each venue’s social media in advance.
