Cork on the cutting edge

Ok, so I'm sure pedants will snigger at my claim this week that Stockhausen and Herbie Hancock are cutting edge but come on lads - this is a pretty major week for music in the city with a bewildering array of good sheet. I won't burble at all for a change but will get right into the listings.

Monday 10th November

9pm The Roundy - STeT Lab's first birthday - damn it's probably a bit late to be telling you this cause there seems to be a time delay between my posting and emails coming into the boxes but this will be a particularly good night for this regular improv event, featuring Belfast-based saxophonist-improviser-theorist Franziska Schroeder. Anyway I'll be sticking an ear in meself.


Tuesday 11th November

8pm The Savoy - Herbie Hancock with a sextet that includes an extraordinarily good harmonica player Gregoire Maret. It was a relatively late booking and at the time of writing there were still a good few tickets left so if you don't have plans or they aren't essential I say part with €44 squid or so (at Plug'd or Ticketmaster.ie) and get down this is likely to be one of the gigs of the year. Several first-hand reports from people who have seen other shows on this tour have been raving about it. And it's a 2 1/2 hour show so serious value for money (I'll have to miss the first hour but sure feck it, it'll still be worth it for an hour and a half 'm sure!)

8pm Triskel - Jonathan Sage showcasing new works for clarinet and electronics... this young British clarinettist will be playing a huge variety of contemporary clarinet (and basset clarinet) music from composers across the world including Ireland. €16/18

8.30pm The Crane Lane - Edel O'Sullivan has put together a really impressive line-up of some of the best folk/tradsters around so if you like a little less blip and bash on your Tuesday than either of the other gigs I've listed this will be well worth a trip, sweet as a nut. €10/8 http://www.edelsullivan.com




Thursday 13th November

8pm School of Music - Stockhausen's MANTRA This is the last big gig of the year that I'm involved with and it's a pretty major deal, the first performance in Ireland of this extraordinary piece that calls for 2 grand pianos, electronics and percussion and 2 exceptional pianists to pull in off. Enter Xenia Pestova RU/NZ) and Pascal Meyer (Lux) - Pascal played brilliantly here a couple of years ago and we stayed in contact since. When he went off to Banff in Canada to work on this epic piece (there is a fantasically wacky desciption of it here probably par for the course it must be said) I swore we'd get it for Cork and now the big day is nearly here. While it's definitely not our usual Cork Orchestral Society fare I'm quietly confident there'll be a good turnout because there seems to be some people travelling to Cork for it and enquiries from people who don't know the venue. Anyway, not one for your Granny most likely but will be a fairly unforgettable sonic experience. €25/20 (€15-8 with membership).

9.30 Charlie's Bar - Don for Chickens - Everyone says he's hilarious, I've never seen him but worth a look if you want some free fun.


Friday 14th

1pm Aula Max, UCC - Geoff Deibel Another reed and electronics gig, this 'rising star of contemporary music' from Michigan will offer a variety of music for Saxophone and electronics from the past few decades including Steve Reich’s New York Counterpoint and it's free, well worth a jaunt out to the college if you can fit it in. http://www.myspace.com/gdeibel

8pm Cyprus Avenue - Kíla One of Ireland's big International acts and also damn good but sure you know that already. Course if you haven't seen em, well here's another chance.

Incidentally, if you catch Jools Holland this week (Tuesday at 10pm or Friday at 11.40pm) check out the Carolina Chocolate Drops fronted by the gorgeous Rhiannon Giddens. Rhi just happens to be married to an old friend and she is very keen to play Cork. They're a pretty big act so it would be quite a major deal to get them here but when the spirit is willing ...and boy does that lady have some spirit. Anyway if you like em be sure and let me know so I can get canvassing the festivals and venues and see can we get them on their next tour).

That's it, see ya soon I hope...