Track of the Week: 'Cypher Nutria' from Trevor Mires and Paul Dunlea streams

A rousing start to the new week – it’s the first track to stream from Silfra.

The work of Pharos: Irish trombonist Paul Dunlea and fellow player the English trombonist Trevor Mires known for his work with Incognito and Tom Jones.

**Pharos – l-r Billy Kilson, Jim Ridl, Ike Sturm, Paul Dunlea and Trevor Mires at Van Gelder’s. Photo: Whirlwind on Bandcamp**

They are heard along with double bassist Ike Sturm, a long time music director for the Manhattan church St. Peter’s, pianist Jim Ridl (known for his work with Joe Locke and Pat Martino) and the incendiary jazz rock fusion drummer Billy Kilson. In addition a third trombone player innovative US jazzer Ryan Keberle figures on some tracks.

Dunlea who is from Cork I’ve heard a few times live. The first occasion was a swinging affair up in the north in the Black Box, Belfast during an Irish jazz showcase event. More recently in 2020 the next time encountering him as a punter sat in the audience was hearing the retired Óglaigh na hÉireann (Irish defence forces) sergeant’s 4 Corners band just before Lockdown at Magy’s Farm again in the north in County Down. Dunlea was in a band that included Whirlwind label head bassist Michael Janisch playing music for his Irish revolutionary period themed concept composition suite that was dotted piquantly with spoken word.

Paul Dunlea’s 4 Corners band with a different line-up to the Magy’s Farm date stocked with some fine Irish players captured live in west Cork at the Ballydehob jazz festival in 2021.

Into the west Dunlea is on the faculty of the Sligo Jazz Project‘s annual summer school and festival which begins next week down by the Garavogue.

Of the other players I am only most familiar with Billy Kilson having interviewed Kilson years ago in a Cheltenham hotel, a piece that ran in Jazzwise accompanied with a photo by big Tom Benjamin who was with us that day. That was in the early days of the top UK jazz magazine run back in the late-1990s.

A few years later I heard the US drummer play with smooth trumpet star Chris Botti at a gig in Birmingham’s NEC when Botti and his band were opening for Sting.

Kilson is an incredibly natural player and contributes hugely to ‘Cypher Nutria.’

‘Cypher Nutria’ has a strong buoyant feel to it where robust trombone work is elaborated upon by some vibrant soloing from Ridl. The full album is out on 19 September and includes tracks like ‘Frongoch’ the name of the Welsh internment camp where those captured in the 1916 Rising were sent and which was part of the aforementioned 4 Corners music as was ‘Saoirse’ – Irish for ”freedom” – which is the seventh and last of the tracks.