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Reviews tural design, when played well, one not o
nly hears them, but also sees them. Korean pianist and arranger So-Young Yoon is steeped in Monk’s sonic universe, having previously had a sell-out show in the NCH where she presented a programme of his music. It was a real pleasure so to see her sextet delving deep into Monk’s world in the more intimate setting of Arthur’s Jazz Club. Yoon’s front line of Colm O'Hara (trombone) and Cathal Roche (alto sax) are both virtuoso players who can evoke the entire scope of jazz history and its myriad styles in their soloing. Roche morphs seamlessly from the archival sound of Sydney Bechet to the avant-garde timbres of Eric Dolphy while O'Hara channels Kid Ory through an uncompromising contemporary lens. This is no mere pastiche of styles, both musicians pay homage to the past while being uniquely true to themselves. Yoon’s forte for startling original intros to familiar tunes is brilliantly deployed on “Monk’s Mood” where she precedes the main theme with a lyrical and deeply impressionistic improvisation that gets to the heart of the nocturnal and melancholy feel of the piece. As Monk’s tune emerges from her pianistic reverie, she is accompanied with assertive subtlety by her belt-tight rhythm section of Sam Maynard Smyth (bass) and Brendan Doherty (drums). This piece also reveals one of the group’s greatest virtues, they listen deeply to each other. O Hara’s trombone solo is perfectly in tune, both thematically and harmonically with the mood established by So Young in her intro. Roche’s PAGE 32 Hispanic tinged solo on “Well you Needn’t” was a riveting highlight. Far too many jazz gigs are loose jams. So-Young’s brilliant arrangements made this a gig to remember. Here’s hoping we hear from Yoon, again, soon! Na Mothúcháin - Bello Bar – Aaron Kavanagh There was no shortage of live events on Halloween this year, and I decided to pop to Na Mothúcháin in Portobello. Translating to “The Emotions” in English, Na Mothúcháin was a night of live music and art, put on by the brilliant Skyrocket Promotions. First up was Chest, a five-piece post-punk project from Paris, making their international debut. Through their menacing instrumentals, the band invoked the foreboding sense one feels when walking alone through dimly HPS-lit streets at night. Next was the experimental Dublin four-piece Joe Maxi, who used loose punk jazz with stream-of-consciousness babble to talk about modern living that the crowd were very receptive to. Next was the longtime Kildare band Blue Slate, whose energetic but somewhat reticent contradiction had the bar dancing and sweating. Last up was the new Bangor band Stratford Rise, whose innocuous façade acted as a Trojan Horse before suddenly bashing the crowd with their unrelenting Swans-inspired noise and desperation. Amyl and the Sniffers - National Stadium – Aaron Kavanagh On the day that the Americans went out to vote across the pond, audiences in Dublin were gearing up for the second Irish headline show (and fourth, overall) of the Australian pub rock revivalists Amyl and the Sniffers. The Sniffers have been gaining a lot of traction since dropping their much-revered sophomore album, Comfort to Me, in 2021, and this was the first night of their European tour, supporting that album’s follow-up (and their major label debut), Cartoon Darkness. The sold-out night at the Stadium began with the tour’s supporting act, the Atlanta delinquents Upchuck. Their performance incorporated a lot of hardcore and various Spanish musical stylings and got the crowd on the right foot. When The Sniffers came on, one thing was apparent: Their frontwoman, Amy Taylor, is a goddamn rockstar. With the oval shape of the Stadium and a stage in the centre allowing for varying viewing points, Amy gave equal attention to every quadrant of the room, making sure that all were as invested in the swampy hard-hitters and the sombre slow tunes as those at the front. Also, it was cute of the Stadium to think that the attendees would follow the seating chart. As soon as they came on, everyone left their allotted seats to make the people in the pit know they weren’t the only ones going to be moshing and dancing that night. C M Y CM MY CY CMY K