The Conor Guilfoyle Octet play: ‘Birth of the Cool’ (Ireland) - Bray Jazz Festival

About this event

Birth of the Cool is a project of band leader Conor Guilfoyle, who has brought together some of the finest young musicians on the Irish jazz scene to celebrate the 1950s musical style associated with the American West Coast called ‘cool jazz.’

The music had its origins in a large ensemble assembled by great jazz trumpeter Miles Davis in 1949 to play arrangements and compositions provided by Davis,and such legendary composers as Gil Evans, Gerry Mulligan and John Lewis.

Their recordings would make jazz history at what are now called the ‘Birth of the Cool’ sessions.

The music fuses elements of classical harmony with a jazz rhythm section, and the arrangements and compositions from the time are now considered as important as Duke Ellington’s 1940s recordings or Miles Davis’s later masterpiece, ‘Kind of Blue.’

Conor Guilfoyle is one of Ireland’s leading jazz drummers. His octet will perform Miles Davis’ classic ‘The Birth of the Cool’ in it’s entirety at their afternoon concert in Bray.