Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra 3ARENA, DUBLIN 8 June
The ever popular pride of Shooter’s Hill, Greenwich, south-east London, boogie-woogies in like Biggles on steroids with his hard touring compadres. I’m not really a fan – but being a glutton for punishment I’ve seen him a few times, in Clapham at the Grand and in Blackheath & even interviewed him for a mag long gone now called Jazz Express back in Cat Bass’ day. Required reading for a while when people actually read print magazines, things like Top I used to enjoy found at Tower Records, a local offshoot of American mag Pulse. But more recently I did like a whole load of the reliably snazzy Jools’ appealingly jaunty turn with Rod the Mod doing the heavy lifting on ‘Frankie and Johnny.’ It’s a romp. What larks.
Jools Holland and His Rhythm and Blues Orchestra WATERFRONT HALL, BELFAST 9 June
Aaron Liddard SCOTT’S, BELFAST 11 June
Soulful singer Laoise Leahy appears in Cork with pianist Johnny Taylor, double bassist Barry Donohue and drummer Dominic Mullan who were all on Leahy’s EP Breathe In and Let Go issued in 2025. That recording has originals of the singer’s and a version of Norma Winstone’s words to the Jimmy Rowles melody ‘The Peacocks’ which is known as ‘A Timeless Place.’
Jasper Høiby’s 3Elements featuring Xavi Torres and Naima Acuna ATLANTIC TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY, SLIGO 21 June
Shuteen Erdenebaatar Quartet SUGAR CLUB, DUBLIN 24 June
Hayley Kavanagh MAGY’S FARM, CO. DOWN 27 June
The Genuine Jazz Orchestra WALTERS, DÚN LAOGHAIRE 28 June
