Sligo Jazz Festival review: Vibrant proof of the rude health of jazz at home and abroad

Emerging as a cornerstone of the European jazz calendar, the Sligo Jazz Project’s International Summer School and Jazz Festival recently marked its 21st year, reinforcing its reputation as a vital platform for jazz musicians and enthusiasts. Despite being a relatively young event compared to Sligo’s long-established WB Yeats Festival, the jazz gathering has carved out a distinctive identity that resonates both locally and internationally.

The festival, co-founded and directed by bassist Eddie Lee, transforms the coastal town into a buzzing epicenter for jazz over six days each July. Its unique integration of education and performance attracts a diverse range of musicians, from seasoned international artists to emerging local talent, creating a dynamic environment that blurs the lines between audience and performer.

This year’s festival continued a tradition of high-caliber participation, featuring prominent figures such as American pianist Aaron Parks, who served as artist-in-residence. Parks led two innovative ensembles comprising some of the festival’s 29 tutors, showcasing complex compositions from his acclaimed Little Big trilogy. These performances, held at the Hawk’s Well Theatre, exemplified the festival’s emphasis on collaboration and spontaneity, with musicians uniting in fresh configurations often rehearsed only once before taking the stage.

Among Parks’s collaborators were notable artists including trumpeter Freddie Hendrix from New York, British saxophonist Emma Rawicz, Swedish vocalist Liselotte Östblom, and Belfast drummer Stephen Davis. Their collective musicianship highlighted a shared commitment to attentive interplay and adaptability, qualities essential for executing Parks’s sophisticated arrangements.

The festival's programming also underscored a multi-generational and cross-cultural exchange. For example, Rawicz, who also led a featured quartet, presented original works inspired by literary figures, reflecting the intellectual depth that permeates the event. Her ensemble included drummer Sun-Mi Hong, a rising South Korean talent based in Amsterdam, further exemplifying the festival’s international reach.

One of the hallmark features setting Sligo apart from other jazz festivals is its educational component. The summer school attracts up to 150 students ranging widely in age, who engage deeply with the festival’s faculty throughout the day and then experience performances by their mentors in the evenings. This immersive approach fosters a community spirit that encourages impromptu collaborations and nurtures emerging Irish artists such as pianists Nils Kavanagh and Rory Conneally, guitarist Joseph Leighton, and the Murray twins, Conor and Micheál.

The festival’s finale showcased an extraordinary assembly of faculty members performing in numerous unique bands without rehearsal, spanning styles from mainstream jazz to experimental and chamber music. Highlights included a rendition of a 13th-century Arabic melody by Albania-born vocalist Elina Duni and a tribute to the late saxophone legend Sonny Rollins by Irish saxophonist Cathal Roche. The evening culminated in a grand ensemble performance featuring nearly all participating musicians, epitomizing the festival’s celebratory and inclusive ethos.

Complementing the main stage events, free afternoon sessions at local venues provided platforms for leading Irish jazz performers, reinforcing Sligo’s role as a nurturing ground for homegrown talent.

Eddie Lee’s vision has evidently cultivated a vibrant, expansive jazz community that continues to grow in scope and influence. The festival’s blend of rigorous musicianship, inventive programming, and educational outreach affirms its status as a significant contributor to the vitality of jazz both in Ireland and beyond, as reported by irishtimes.com.