Singing To A Different Beat

Ahead of Sunday, May 26th Jazzing On A Sunday Afternoon, DARA MacMAHON charts her love affair with the great American music genre

I have always loved the freedom and fun of singing jazz.

I’ve been involved with the wonderful Jazz Jam community in Dublin for a long time, a space which offers the chance to improvise with an amazing bunch of jazz musicians at least twice a week in Dublin (at places like The International, Bohemian, Phibsboro, Noosh, Sandyford, The Arlington Hotel).

Jazz jams are so unique – no rehearsal, no set list, but it all comes together producing great music. I also particularly love how international and multigenerational the vibe is among the jazz community – people from all over the world come to the jams and I have made lots of great friends!

In  2018, I set up the monthly Greystones Jazz Jam in The Hot Spot, which was hugely popular with Wicklow jazz musicians – and the Dublin Jazz Jammers loved coming too! But sadly, since The Hot Spot closed, the Greystones Jazz Jam has not been able to find a new home for our monthly session, but we’re still on the lookout! If you’ve got the place, we’ve got the passion…

So, it’s a good, good feeling to have a group of the Jazz Jam musicians coming together in The Whale on May 26th, with many of the Wicklow-based musicians naturally taking part. It’s not a jam this time – there  will be four bands, each playing a selection of well-known jazz tunes.

We are all very excited to perform in The Whale. Come along and find out why…

Jazzing On A Sunday Afternoon is at The Whale on Sunday, May 26th at 4pm: tickets here.