Nils Wogram 'club set'

About this event

The Sofa Sessions, in association with Kilkenny Arts Festival, presents Nils Wogram & Oxygen Thief

10pm - 12pm / €20

Nils Wogram - trombone

Chris Guilfoyle - guitar

Barry Donohue - bass

Matthew Jacobson - drums

In partnership with Kilkenny Arts Festival, the Sofa Sessions is proud to present one of Europe’s leading contemporary improvisers, trombonist Nils Wogram. One of the most sought after musicians and composers on the international scene, Nils leads his own groups, including the acclaimed Root 70, and collaborates with some of the most important musicians in jazz today. He arrives in Kilkenny to perform with Superumbra, guitarist Chris Guilfoyle’s 8-piece ensemble, in a gala performance at the Set Theatre on Wednesday 15th August as part of the Kilkenny Arts Festival programme. And while he’s in town, he will also play this very special Sofa Session with Guilfoyle’s trio. This is an opportunity to catch one of the most influential European musicians of his generation, up close in the magical back room at Billy Byrne’s bar.

About Nils Wogram

Nils Wogram counts as one of the most important jazz musicians in Europe. He appears on many important festivals and tours worldwide with his own bands and as a featured soloist. He is mainly known for his highly virtuosic trombone playing, his very original compositions and as a band leader of long-term working bands with a unique ensemble sound.

Born 1972 in Braunschweig, Germany, he started playing the trombone at the age of 15, playing classical and jazz trombone

simultaneously. He was a member in the national German youth big band, participated in classical competitions and formed his own bands at the age of 16. From 1992 to 1994 he studied in New York City and continued at Cologne university until 1999 when he graduated. He has studied with Reinhard Feldmann, Arnie Lawrence, Buster Williams, Steve Turre, Jimmy Knepper, Conrad Herwig, Slide Hampton, Kenny Werner, Maria Schneider, Richie Beirach, Jiggs Whigham , Ed Neumeister.

Nil’s music is deeply rooted in the jazz tradition. Nevertheless he tries to find new ways in expanding this language by using chordal, formal, melodic and rhythmic material originally coming from other musical genres than jazz.

About Chris Guilfoyle

Chris Guilfoyle is one of the leading lights of a new generation of Irish jazz musicians. He grew up in a musical family where his father Ronan Guilfoyle and uncle Conor Guilfoyle are household names in the Irish jazz scene. He has studied at Berklee College of Music - where he was awarded a scholarship from Fender Guitars and the Jazz and Improvised Music Salzburg conference in Austria. Chris was also selected to represent his college at the International Association of Schools of Jazz in The Netherlands in July 2010.

In August 2011, Chris was accepted to study at Dave Liebman’s Chromatic Harmony Workshop in Stroudsburg Pennsylvania, USA. Since graduating, Chris has been actively performing in the Dublin music scene as well as abroad. In November 2011 he performed in Paris with Ronan Guilfoyle’s Lingua Franca as part of the Festival Jazzy Colours; in October 2011 he performed on a 3 day tour of Ireland with Dave Liebman, Ronan Guilfoyle and Finnish drummer Jussi Lehtonen; In March 2011 he performed with the great drummer Ralph Peterson in Dublin and in February 2011 he played with Greek pianist/organist George Contrafouris at the National Concert Hall in Dublin.

Chris also leads his own group Umbra, a quintet featuring some of the most promising musicians in the country who play all original compositions and Oxygen Thief, a new project aiming to expand the vocabulary of the jazz guitar trio. He also plays as a sideman in 3G (Ronan Guilfoyle, Conor Guilfoyle, Chris Guilfoyle), Kevin Higgins’ Nature, Aleka and The Long Way Around. Chris also produces electronic music under the name Exit Introvert. Currently, Chris is part of the guitar and ensemble faculty of DCU’s jazz performance degree where he teaches 1st, 2nd and 3rd year guitar as well as 2nd and 3rd year ensembles.