Jazz & Literary Event – “A Celebration of Bloomsday: Joyce & Jazz”

Join us for a unique cultural evening featuring award-winning  jazz singer and songwriter Melanie O’Reilly from Ireland ,who teams with top Bay Area jazz pianist Frank Martin to perform their original music  inspired by the writings of  James Joyce , interwoven with readings from Joyce’s works.  They will also include contemporary jazz arrangements of favorite songs that Joyce himself loved and mentions in Ulysses and his other writings.. Joining them  giving voice to Joyce’s language will be the renowned actors ESTHER MULLIGAN and JOHN ILYIN.

“…thoroughly modern take on the jazz tradition….utterly transformative“. Ken Kubernik : Music Connection 

Melanie O’Reilly is one of Ireland’s foremost jazz singers and her own

unique style of Celtic Jazz , which she has brought to international
audiences, has been described as “A gorgeous sound..Celtic Cadence with a jazz sensibility. ” Contra Costa Times and “Breathtaking,… sheer virtuosity” Irish Times.  Her music has been featured in Frontline./PBS documentaries.  and she is
recognised in Downbeat magazine as Ireland’s  international jazz
representative having represented Ireland in the European Jazz Festival at UCLA at Schoenburg Hall. She performs in many international festivals in  Ireland , the US, and Europe..  She is also host of Award winning radio show “Jazz on the Bay” for the Irish National Broadasting station, RTE.
www.melanieoreilly.com

Frank Martin:  As an arranger/conductor/keyboardist Frank Martin has
performed and/or recorded with a variety of jazz and popular stars
that include Sting, Stevie Wonder,  Bobbi McFerrin,   James Taylor,
Chaka Khan and Patti LaBelle.