Sam Comerford Quartet

Irish tradition meets avant-garde jazz After his debut album ‘Stillorgan’ (2020) with the trio Thunderblender, composer and saxophonist Sam Comerford returns to his roots in traditional Irish music. In March 2027, his first album in seven years will be released: ‘heaven’. Inspired by the innovative and idiosyncratic Dublin fiddler Tommie Potts (1912–1988), Comerford, together with three of his closest musical partners, creates a radical hybrid: the wild energy and soulful madness of his native music fused with the conventions of contemporary improvised music and jazz. Fiddle and alto fiddle player Ultan O’Brien, hailing from Ennis and deeply connected to the entire Irish music tradition, brings an open ear and rich experience. He joins Thunderblenders Hendrik Lasure and Jens Bouttery to create a new group sound. Bouttery trades his drum kit and bass synth for a role in live sampling: manipulating and playing back the group in real-time, alienating and enriching the intimacy of the acoustic sound. Saxofoon Sam Comerford | Fiddle, alto fiddle Ultan O’Brien | Piano Hendrik Lasure | Live sampling, percussion Jens Bouttery