Info: ¡NO! two Concrete Soup sessions are ever the same, or even remotely similar, an ever evolving musical metamorphosis, and as such always worth witnessing for yourself. The sessions had been unintentionally nomadic in recent times moving from long(ish)-term home The Twisted Pepper to T-Block in Smithfield and now the mighty Arthur's Pub off Thomas Street and merely feet away from where Robert Emmet was hung by The Crown in 1803....but anyway, the music, here's more of what to expect at the next Concrete Soup on Saturday, 15th of August, doors are at 8pm and admission is €5;
Arthur's Pub - Photo: Remy Connolly
Acclaimed saxophonist Cathal Roche has been confirmed to feature in a duo performance with pianist Izumi Kimura at this month's Concrete Soup Improv Music Residency at Arthur's on Thomas Street, Dublin. The night will open with a preliminary set by perennial hosts ¡NO!, followed by a duo set with Izumi and Cathal, and finishing with a collaborative Izumi/Roche/¡NO! performance. A heady mix of dronetastic tunes will also be delivered before, between, and after sets by Neilio Iglesias (Power FM).
Japanese born Irish resident pianist Izumi has performed extensively throughout Ireland as a solo, orchestral and chamber musician. Her musical interests span both the classical and improvised music fields and she has performed with some of the leading performers and ensembles from both disciplines. Izumi has collaborated with the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, Crash Ensemble, Music 21, and many more. She is a specialist in the performance of contemporary music and has given many premiere performances including pieces especially written for her. She is also working on a project introducing Japanese contemporary music to Europe and her solo album of Japanese and Irish contemporary pieces – mostly all premiere recordings – was released in 2010 on Diatribe Records.
Cathal Roche lives in Co. Sligo, Ireland and works as a composer-performer specialising in solo saxophone improvisation. As collaborator and improviser, Cathal has performed and recorded with many leading Irish ensembles such as the Fuzzy Logic and ICC Ensembles, Kai Big Band, Dublin City Jazz Orchestra, Awkward Silence, the Rise Saxophone Quartet and Common Tongue. Since 2007 Cathal has collaborated with Ian Wilson on a number of improvisational works including ‘replay’ and ‘Book of Ways’ with the RTÉ Vanbrugh String Quartet, ‘Double Trio’ with UK drummer Stu Ritchie and bassist Daniel Bodwell and ‘Common Tongue’ with traditional sean nós singer Lorcán Mac Mathúna. Recent Arts Council of Ireland commissions include works for the Sligo Jazz Project (Rise Saxophone Sextet with saxophonist Julian Arguelles) and George Mason University, Virginia, USA (solo tenor saxophone and tape). Cathal is a founder member of the RISE Saxophone Quartet.
I'll let ¡NO!'s, who have featured previously on the blog, and are made up of Fergus Cullen, LRC, Jamie Davis and Graham Montgomery, music speak for itself, here's a live performance with Woven Skull @ Block T in Smithfield, damn cool.
