Modern jazz – whatever that means!
No Coast Jazz is a collective of musicians centred around Portlaoise and its environs. Regular collaborators include players from Italy, Poland and England!
And they’re playing a special gig in Lilly’s Bar this Friday, October 4, from 8pm.
The band have played together variously in rock, soul, Afrobeat, reggae and pop outfits down the years, but they all keep an eye open for the possibility to play fine tunes from the greats of modern jazz, undiluted by commercial considerations – the “pure drop”, to borrow a phrase from the Irish traditional music camp.
So what exactly is modern jazz anyway? Some members have been playing for nearly 50 years and cheerfully using the term without even a hint of irony! Admittedly, it’s a broad church these days. Whilst they might tip their cap to hip hop and funk, they’re really thinking of the jazz which came out of the period from the end of World War 2 up to the 70s and early 80s. After that comes post modern!
No Coast are striving for an entertaining selection of varied tunes which serve as a springboard for improvisation (without which, you don’t have jazz !) They’ve taken the classic Blue Note quintet line up – trumpet, sax, piano, bass and drums and applied it to the works of the masters.
Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver, Charlie Parker, just for openers, and a couple of jazz standards as well. From flat out bebop to more reflective pieces, bluesy, modal, funky – they’ve got something for everyone.
No Coast Jazz appear on Friday, October 4, in Lilly’s Bar, Main Street Portlaoise starting at 8pm.
This provides for a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere to enjoy an evening meal or some early Friday evening drinks. Admission is free.
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