Mieko Miyazaki & Franck Wolf (Japan/France) - Bray Jazz Festival 2025
Mieko Miyazaki and Franck Wolf form a rare and original duo, their music blending the elegant charm of the ‘koto,’ a half tube zither that is Japan’s national instrument, with the melodic lines of Wolf’s clarinet and saxophone.
Zoe Basha Sextet - Bray Jazz Festival 2025
Zoé Basha is a musician, composer and carpenter, of French and American origins.
Based between Ireland and the traveling life for over a decade, Zoé blends traditional singing with jazz and blues. Her original pieces and traditional songs explore the crossover between the sway of Appalachian mountain songs, the fervour and solemn ornamentation of Irish traditional songs, and the pulse of American ragtime through playful, syncopated guitar and a booming voice reminiscent of some old jazz record you can’t quite put your finger on.
Xhosa Cole (UK) - Bray Jazz Festival 2025
Saxophonist Xhosa Cole has been blazing a trail since he first emerged on the UK jazz scene as the winner of the BBC Young Jazz Musician of the Year award, in 2018.
A year later he collected the ‘best newcomer’ prize at the prestigious Parliamentary Jazz Awards, and was named Breakthrough Act of the Year by Jazz FM in the UK.
Double Bill: Nubya Garcia (UK) - Christine Tobin & Phil Robson (Irl/UK) - Bray Jazz Festival 2025
Nubya Garcia (UK)
Nubya Garcia is one of the breakthrough stars of the recent UK urban jazz boom.
A generational talent since long before she released her Mercury Prize nominated debut album in 2021, tenor saxophonist Garcia was named Breakthrough Act of the Year by both Sky Arts and Jazz FM back as far as 2018, and was the Jazz FM’s Jazz Act of the Year, a year later.
Pizza Jazz - Bray Jazz Festival 2025
Pizza Jazz are a new four-piece comprising some of Dublin’s leading jazz players.
Expect the music of Sun-Ra, Charlie Mingus, Hermeto Pascoal and Ornette Coleman alongside traditional and modern standards from the quartet, who cut their teeth playing a lively residency at ‘Luckie’s on Meath Street in the city.
ZASKA (Ireland) - Bray Jazz Festival 2025
Max Zaska is a guitarist, songwriter, and producer best known for his feel-good blend of modern funk, neo-soul, and indie jazz.
With his band, ZASKA, Max brings his original songs to life with a verve and enthusiasm that is infectious. His live work and recordings over the past decade have featured a dizzying array of Irish artists, ranging from Hozier, who was his first vocalist, to Wyvern Lingo, Loah, Tolu Kakay, Jess Kav, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Little Green Cars and Denise Chaila.
Katharine Timoney Quartet (NI) - Bray Jazz Festival 2025
Tipped as ‘One To Watch’ by BBC Introducing, Jazz FM UK and Belfast Live, award-winning singer-songwriter Katharine Timoney is making waves as one of Ireland’s leading jazz-soul crossover artists.
Carole Nelson Trio (Irl) - Bray Jazz Festival 2025
London-born jazz pianist, saxophonist and composer Carole Nelson has been a mainstay of the Irish jazz scene, since she first moved here more than 30 years ago.
Norman & Corrie (Scotland) - Bray Jazz Festival 2025
Shetland islander Norman Wilmore and Glaswegian Corrie Dick daringly blend the old and new with their reimagining of the airs and rich musical heritage of Scotland’s northernmost isles.
Using as their reference point ancient melodies discovered during an island residency, Norman&Corrie’s compositions bridge the gap between tradition and innovation, infusing ancestral melodies with modern production – much has Lankum have done with traditional music in Ireland.
Nduduzo Makhathini Trio (South Africa) - Bray Jazz Festival 2025
Pianist Nduduzo Makhathini has been a central figure in South Africa’s vibrant jazz scene for over a decade.
One of just a handful of African-based musicians to be signed to the prestigious Blue Note jazz label, he has released three albums on Blue Note, including Modes of Communication: Letters From the Underworlds, which earned a New York Times ‘Best Album of the Year’ ranking in 2020.
Double Bill: Vijay Iyer (USA) - Ronan Guilfoyle’s Bemusement Arcade (Irl/UK) - Bray Jazz Festival 2025
Vijay Iyer (USA)
Described by The New York Times as a “social conscience, multimedia collaborator, system builder, rhapsodist, historical thinker and multicultural gateway,” VIJAY IYER is an influential and shape-shifting presence in twenty-first- century music.
Vijay Iyer has carved out a unique path as an influential, prolific, shape-shifting presence in twenty-first-century music.
Collider (Irl) - Bray Jazz Festival 2025
Collider is the newest project from Dublin based guitarist Chris Guilfoyle. It’s music that explores the electronic worlds of Drum and Bass, House, and IDM, where the rich tones of electric guitar intertwine with ethereal synth sounds and heavy drum grooves.
Nabou Claerhout & Lynn Cassiers (Belgium) - Bray Jazz Festival 2025
Nabou Claerhout is a rising star of the European jazz scene, and Lynn Cassiers a singer, soundscaper and innovator who’s a key figure in Brussels burgeoning contemporary jazz scene.
One of the most innovative and prolific trombone players in Europe, Nabou Claerhout first picked up the instrument at aged just nine, and has never looked back.
Aengus Hackett Trio - Bray Jazz Festival 2025
Acclaimed Galway guitarist and composer Aengus Hackett has established himself as one of Ireland’s leading jazz guitarists. He has played with the cream of Ireland’s jazz scene – Mike Nielsen, Tommy Halferty, Conor Guilfoyle, Izumi Kimura, Bill Blackmore, Greg Felton, and Damian Evans – as well as with the RTÉ Contempo Quartet and trombonist Colm O’Hara’s 10tet.
Hayley Kavanagh Quartet (Irl) - Bray Jazz Festival 2025
Hayley Kavanagh is a Dublin-based saxophonist and flautist who’s become an active player on the Irish jazz scene since returning last year after a number of years living and performing in Prague and Berlin.Since returning home she’s contributed as a sideman in various collaborative projects, and established her own ensembles. She’s also the co-founder of the Arthur’s Jazz Jam in the popular city venue, Arthur’s Blues & Jazz Club, and curates the Jazz Event Guide ‘Cookin’ Dublin’.