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Landscape shot of musician Cormac McCarthy

Behind the music - Cormac McCarthy

Violinist/fiddler Aoife Ní Bhriain and Cormac McCarthy have released A Mháire, the first single from their collaborative album, Cosán Casta, due out 7 November. We asked Cormac the BIG questions . . .

Behind the Music • 07 Sep

Behind the music - Boolaboom

Cork 24-piece live house and techno big jazz band BoolaBoom have released their new single, Shuffle, the title track of their upcoming new EP. We asked band leader Darragh O'Connor the BIG questions . . .

Behind the Music • 31 May

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - MAY 27: (L-R) Brian May, Queen Silvia of Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Swede, and Roger Taylor pose for a picture during the Polar Music Prize 2025 at Grand Hôtel on May 27, 2025 in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photo by Michael Campanella/Get

Queen legends honoured with Polar Music Prize in Sweden

Queen drummer Roger Taylor has said he and guitarist Brian May felt "so proud" as they picked up the Polar Music Prize in Stockholm.

Music • 27 May

Behind the music - Jazzhole

American acid jazz act Jazzhole have released their new album, Moonlight Mile. We asked them the BIG questions . . .

Behind the Music • 31 Mar

Fred Wesley: "Funky, if it's not funky I don't like it as much. I like all music but my music is funky and thoughtful too, I can't make music I don't have any thought about."

Behind the music - Fred Wesley

Fred Wesley was musical director of The James Brown Band, spin-off group James Brown and The J.B.'s and George Clinton's Parliament-Funkadelic. He plays The Grand Social, Dublin on 27 March. We asked him the BIG questions . . .

Behind the Music • 26 Feb

Behind The Music - The Sultan Stevenson Trio

The Sultan Stevenson Trio perform in Navan and Dublin on 6 and 8 of March and The Brilliant Corners Jazz Festival in Belfast on 7 March. We asked Sultan the BIG questions . . .

Behind the Music • 19 Feb

Behind the music - Four in the Morning

Irish-Australian band Four in the Morning have released their new single, Keep It Together, the first track from their upcoming EP, Stress Dreams. We asked front man Kevin Dolan the BIG questions . . .

Behind the Music • 23 Jul 21

Jazz musician Chick Corea dies of cancer

The death has been announced of Chick Corea, the American jazz composer and electric keyboard pioneer, aged 79.

Music • 12 Feb 21

Kenny Dorham: a Cubano-tinged infectious beat

Album Review: Una Mas - Kenny Dorham

Trumpeter Kenny Dorham rustles up a bright, airy and indeed Cubano-tinged selection of tunes on Una Mas, which was first issued in 1963 and now reissued as a vinyl

Music • 04 Feb 21

Alex Gough. Photo credit: Nicholas O'Donnell

Behind the music - Alex Gough

21-year-old Waterford drummer/producer/rapper Alex Gough has released his new single and video, That's My Job. We asked him the BIG questions . . .

Behind the Music • 13 Jan 21

Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson circa 1970

Review: Joe Henderson - The State of the Tenor Vol 1

Tenor saxophonist Joe Henderson's three 1985 performances at the Vanguard were attended by his students and saxophone players in general, who were there to study his musical expertise or maybe just enjoy the bebop. This vinyl reissue is a welcome reprise.

Music • 08 Feb 21

Herbie Hancock in recent years - Now aged 79, as a 24-year-old he released one of his greatest albums, Empyrean Isles.

Herbie Hancock: 3 Essential Albums

Three albums from the fruitful 1960s, recorded for the Blue Note label, are the matter in hand on this important collection of work from the visionary pianist, arranger, soloist, leader and composer, Herbie Hancock.

Album Review • 13 Jul 19

Hank Mobley performing at Birdland with the Jazz Messengers in 1959

Review: Hank Mobley - 5 Original Albums

A hard bop stalwart of the Blue Note label, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley was somehow overlooked both before and after his death in 1986 due to a feeling abroad that his sober, unadorned swinging tenor was somehow not daring enough.

Album Reviews • 04 Oct 18

Jaco Pastorius in full flight in 1982 (photo courtesy Resonance Records)

Jaco Pastorius - Truth, Liberty & Soul — Live in NYC

Jaco Pastorius was a one-off, a highly- gifted bassist, composer and arranger whose death at the tender age of 35 in 1987 left the world of contemporary jazz bereft of perhaps its foremost free spirit.

Music Reviews • 10 Aug 17

Herbie Hancock