Bray Jazz Festival photos show good vibes at sold-out bank holiday weekend
The Georgia Cécile Quartet on stage at the Whale Greystones. Photo: Leigh Anderson
Holly Hartnett and Oisín Brady Bates. Photo: Leigh Anderson
Johnny Johnston with wife Pat at the Mermaid Gallery to see the Scott Flanigan Trio playing the after hours show. Photo: Leigh Anderson
Last minute hopefuls Joanne Breton and Isabella Biletta on the waiting list at Bray Town Hall to see Naïssam Jalal and Claude Tchamitchian. Photo: Leigh Anderson
Former Labour Party TD Liz McManus with Sean Lenihan at Bray Town Hall to see Naïssam Jalal and Claude Tchamitchian. Photo: Leigh Anderson
Sheila Gannon, Paola Catizone and Eleanor Mayes at the Mermaid to see Orchestra Baobab/Jazz In The Round. Photo: Leigh Anderson
Mary Darcy with Ger, Jem and Seren Thomas at the Mermaid for Orchestra Baobab/Jazz In The Round. Photo: Leigh Anderson
Cezary Nyga and Maeve Lynskey at the Mermaid Gallery to see the Scott Flanigan Trio playing the after hours show. Photo: Leigh Anderson
Ella Murphy, Mairead Kennedy and Rachel Gallery at the Whale Greystones to see Georgia Cécile. Photo: Leigh Anderson
Aoife Webb, Karen Tierney, Eoghan Smith, Jacqui Enright, David Collins, Martin Moran and Karyn Farrell at the Mermaid for the Zoe Rahman Quintet/Scott Flanigan Trio. Photo: Leigh Anderson
Andrea Forde, Shane O'Hanlon, Glen Forde and Margaret Donovan at the Whale Greystones to see Georgia Cécile. Photo: Leigh Anderson
Jazz In The Round on stage at the Mermaid, opening for Orchestra Baobab: Tommy Halftery, Greg Felton and Cormac O'Brien. Photo: Leigh Anderson
Connie Ross and Carol-Anne Hernon at the Whale Greystones to see Georgia Cécile. Photo: Leigh Anderson
Nulie and Dermot O'Farrell with Suzanne and Robert Hennessy at the Whale Greystones to see Georgia Cécile. Photo: Leigh Anderson
Alison Williams, Niamh Kelly, Chris Grimley and Huw Williams at the Whale Greystones to see Georgia Cécile. Photo: Leigh Anderson
Bray Jazz Festival. Naïssam Jalal and Claude Tchamitchian performing at Bray Town Hall
Bray Jazz Festival. Orchestra Baobab on stage at the Mermaid
Bray Jazz Festival. The Zoe Rahman Quintet on stage at Mermaid Bray
Revered as “one of the very best small jazz festivals in Europe”, the 23rd Bray Jazz Festival sounded its final notes on bank holiday Monday, with shows at the Harbour and Duffs closing another superb weekend of homegrown and international jazz.
A weary but still exhilarated George Jacob, who has been curating the festival with his wife Dorothy throughout its tenure in Bray, said he was “delighted with the response to Bray Jazz once again this year”.
"We had sold-out audiences at virtually all of our main paid-for programmed shows,” he said. “All three of the night-time double-bills at Mermaid Arts Centre were fully booked out, as were the two performances at Whale in Greystones and the three evening recitals at Bray Town Hall.
“The feedback that we received generally was really positive. There were, of course, the usual technical and logistical glitches here and there, but keeping these to a minimum is always the objective! That isn't always easy, and especially when you've got over 90 flights coming and going, dozens of taxi rides to arrange, scores of bedrooms and meals to book, and a lot of other stuff besides.
“We're extremely grateful to everyone who came out to listen to the music and enjoy the festival, and once we've taken a bit of a break will be back and energised to go again, in 2025."
Wicklow Green TD Steven Matthews was among those who came out to support the festival, tweeting from the Mermaid after a thoroughly enjoyable show on the opening night.
"Outstanding opening night,” he said, praising the Zoe Rahman Quintet and Scott Flanigan Trio, which was “a treat”. “Thanks to Dorothy and George for bringing this international festival to Bray for 23 years running,” he added.
The team at The Whale Theatre, In Greystones, praised the quality of the acts after hosting Georgia Cécile on Friday, and the George Colligan Quartet – a tad jetlagged but brilliantly entertaining both for the music and for George’s wonderful storytelling – on Saturday, the venue remarking how it was “a wonderful bank holiday weekend of music”.
Meanwhile, celebrating her birthday over the weekend, Meilana Gillard, who packed out the Mermaid on Friday, said: “It was my first time leading a band there and it was such a vibe.”
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