Jazz in the Round with tapas

🎶 Another Fantastic Jazz Eve at Barista Bike at Steam Museum Straffan! 🎷☕🍷

Get ready for a night of smooth tunes, tasty tapas, and a little free sangria magic! 🍹✨ This time, we’re thrilled to host "Jazz in The Round" at Steam Museum Café!

🎹 Greg Felton on Piano
🎸 Tommy Halferty on Guitar
🎻 Cormac O’Brian on Double Bass

Doors swing open at 7 PM, and the music kicks off at 7:30 PM! 🎵

No better way to jazz up your evening than with great music, delicious bites, and a cheeky glass of sangria – on the house! 🥂 See you there!

Cormac O’Brien Double Bass https://www.instagram.com/obcorm/

Tommy Halferty Guitar https://www.tommyhalferty.com

Greg Felton - Piano https://www.instagram.com/gregfelton4/

📅 Reserve your spot now & experience the magic of live music!

✨ Indulge in:

🍽️ A delectable set of tapas

🥂 A complimentary glass of Sangria to toast the night

🎷 Exclusive live music to sweep you off your feet

Another exclusive concert in our quirky café that’s quickly becoming the talk of the town! 🖤 Our music nights are always a huge success—don’t miss your chance to be part of the magic.

#LiveMusic #JazzAndBossaNova #StraffanNights #BaristaBikeCafe #RomanticVibes #FineDiningAndMusic

Jazz in the Round

“Jazz in the Round” is an adventurous trio led by legendary Irish guitarist Tommy Halftery.

Completing the group is pianist Greg Felton and double bass player Cormac O’Brien who are both highly regarded in their own rights.

Spontaneous interaction is at the core of this band’s energetic music-making and their rich repertoire includes arrangements of classic jazz standards, modern jazz pieces by the likes of Carla Bley and John Abercrombie, and original music composed for this improvising chamber group.

Their commitment to playing in the moment ensures a freshness to each performance.

Tommy Halferty has been honing his craft for over fifty years and has worked with an impressive array of international greats including Stephane Grapelli, Lee Konitz, Benny Golson, Dave Liebman, John Abercrombie and Norma Winstone. He is also a renowned music teacher through his work at Newpark Music Centre and DCU and is in demand internationally as a guest lecturer.

Greg and Cormac have both made their mark on the Irish jazz scene through their teaching on the BA in Jazz Performance in DCU as well as being members of the trio Origin Story whose album Good Friday was named jazz album of the year by the Irish Times in 2020.

https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tommy-halferty-cormac...

Tommy Halferty (Guitar)

Born in Derry, Northern Ireland, he began his musical career in the late 70s taking Jazz Guitar lessons with Louis Stewart, a world-class jazz musician. Some of his earliest appearances playing in public were with bands such as `Jump' - a jazz fusion group and later on `Nunn' - a trio of flute, double bass and guitar. Most of the material here was drawn from classical, folk and jazz music.

In '93 Tommy toured Ireland with the jazz singer Norma Winstone culminating in the Cork Jazz Festival. About this time, Tommy began to form a group combining traditional music and jazz using Tommy Hayes (Bodhrán) and Ronan Brown (Uilleann pipes), appearing on T.V. in Germany and Ireland. However, a distillation of many styles of music - Indian, Flamenco, Arabic and Irish took shape in `Khanda' - a new group with Ramesh Shotham from India, Conor and Ronan Guilfoyle, Martin Nolan (Pipes) and Ellen Cranitch (Flute) from Ireland.

Tommy has played as part of a guitar duo (with Mike Nielsen) in the Tel-Aviv International Guitar Festival '94. They were voted Critic's Choice in `The Jerusalem Post' of that year. A special honor was given to Tommy when he was asked to play for President Clinton when he visited Ireland in November '96.

Tommy is a faculty member of the International Jazz Summer School at the University of Ulster, since its inception in 1992. Tommy teaches Jazz improvisation in New Park Music Centre and has been instrumental in getting Jazz music in the current Leaving Certificate Music course.

Tommy is currently teaching English Literature and Music in Coolmine Community School. He is considered one of the first Irish jazz musicians to export a distinctly Indigenous style to a more worldwide setting

Greg Felton (Piano)

Described by BBC radio Ulster's Dr. Linley Hamilton as ‘an incredible force for good in Irish jazz, Greg Felton is a highly accomplished performer, improviser, composer and educator from Dublin, Ireland.

‘Good Friday’ the debut album of jazz piano trio Origin Story, with Cormac OBrien and Matthew Jacobson, was named the jazz album of 2020 by the Irish Times. He was the featured artist on BBC Radio Ulster’s Jazz World in June 2021 as well as being featured in both ‘The Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland’ and ‘The History of European Jazz’ books. He is a fulltime jazz lecturer in DCU where he specializes in composition, rhythm studies, advanced harmony and jazz piano.

Greg holds an MA in Composition from Waterford Institute of Technology and an AGSM in Jazz Performance from Newpark Music Centre/ Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He studied South Indian classical rhythm and melody in Chennai with Dr. K.S.S. Subramaniam and Trichur Narendran in 2006, creative improvisation in Banff with Vijay Iyer, Greg Osby and Dave Douglas in 2005 and advanced harmony and composition in Pennsylvania with Dave Liebman in 2004.

Past and present bands include Origin Story (co-composer), White Rocket (co-composer), Michael Buckley Quartet, Ronan Guilfoyle’s Always Know, Mappa Mundi and Evidence, Louis Stewart Quintet, Mike Nielsen Quartet and Mel Mercier’s Pulsus. He has performed in many countries worldwide including India, USA, Mexico, Italy, Canada, Greece, France, Macedonia, UK and Scotland as well numerous jazz festivals around Ireland.

Cormac O’Brien (Double Bass)

Cormac O'Brien is the Chair of the BA in Jazz and Contemporary Music at DCU, boasting a career spanning over 20 years as a professional double bassist in the Dublin and greater Irish music scene. Throughout his extensive career, he has had the privilege of collaborating with some of Ireland's finest musicians, including Louis Stewart, Tommy Halferty, Michael Buckley, Hugh Buckley, The Kai Big Band, The Zoid Ensemble, Lunfardia, Yurodny, Jack L, and Mary Coughlan.

In his capacity as the head of the Jazz and Contemporary Music program, Cormac imparts his wealth of knowledge by teaching various ensembles, instrumental skills, and instrumental lab classes. Drawing from his experiences as a working musician, his goal is to share valuable insights and practical skills essential for aspiring performers. Cormac believes in the universal language of music and the limitless possibilities it offers.

Cormac O'Brien's international collaborations include performances with renowned artists such as Bobby Watson, Ernie Watts, Stan Sulzmann, Pete Churchill, Marshall Gilkes, Rick Margitza, Ryan Quigley, John Riley, Bruce Adams, and many others. In recent times, he has been actively involved with well-known groups like Origin Story, Carole Nelson Trio, The Workshop, and Rhythm Method.

Beyond his diverse portfolio, Cormac has also contributed his musical talents to various West End shows, including notable productions like "Come From Away" and "Girl From The North Country." His broad love for music and extensive collaborations reflect a career dedicated to both artistic excellence and musical education.