News: National Concert Hall presents Abdullah Ibrahim and his trio

Perspectives Series: Abdullah Ibrahim, piano | Cleave Guyton, flute, piccolo, saxophone | Noah Jackson, bass, cello National Concert Hall, Thursday 13th July 2023, 8pm Tickets: €42.50, €36, €29.50 (10% Discount for NCH Friends) On Sale Wed. 19th April (or 17th of April for Friends of the NCH) www.nch.ie

Media Release 17th April 2023 

As part of its contemporary music series, Perspectives, the National Concert Hall presents South Africa’s most distinguished pianist and a world-respected master musician Abdullah Ibrahim on Thursday 13th July.

For this much anticipated concert, the 87-year-old NEA Jazz Master and South African cultural icon will be joined by Cleave Guyton, flute, piccolo, saxophone and Noah Jackson, bass, cello.   

With the turn of the decade and the release of his most recent album Solotude (recorded live, in 2020 on his eighty-sixth birthday), Abdullah remains at the pinnacle of his career as a musician and a tireless initiator of new work. Of the recording, Jazz Times is quoted as saying “when it comes to stately beauty, it’s damn near impossible to surpass an Abdullah Ibrahim solo piano set”.  

Ibrahim’s music has long tracked the turbulence of his homeland’s history, matching its past struggles and current optimism through music of great hope and deeply reflective soulfulness. In his early years he was exposed to a melting pot of cultural influences: African traditional music, Christian hymns, gospel tunes and spirituals as well as American jazz, township jive and classical music. Out of this blend of the secular and the religious, the traditional and the modern, Abdullah Ibrahim’s distinctive and sound was born. 

Considered the leading figure in the subgenres of Cape jazz his music particularly reflects the influence of Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington. He is known especially for “Manneberg” (first recorded in 1974) a jazz piece that became a notable anti-apartheid anthem. After spending much of life in exile in Europe and USA, Abdullah returned to South Africa in the 1990s when he was feted with symphony orchestra performances one of which was in honour of Nelson Mandel’s 1994 inauguration as President. Mandela reportedly referred to him as ‘our Mozart’.  

Over the course of his extensive career he has toured the world extensively, appearing at major venues either as a solo artist or playing with other renowned musicians including Max Roach, Carlos Ward and Randy Weston as well as collaborating with classical orchestras in Europe.   

Other artists performing as part of the NCH Perspective Series include: a multi-artist line-up for the celebration of seminal record label ‘Erased Tapes’ to include Rival Consoles, Penguin Café and many more (20th May); world renowned Fado artist Mariza (27th July); Nickel Creek (30th August); multi-award-winning artist Elvis Costello & Steve Nieve in Concert (7th September) and Brad Mehldau 14 Reveries (17th September).  

BOX OFFICE INFORMATION 

Tickets: €42.50, €36, €29.50 (10% Discount for NCH Friends)   

On Sale Wed. 19th April (or 17th of April for Friends of the NCH) 

Tel: 01-4170000 or www.nch.ie  

 
ENDS 

Media Queries: Sinead Doyle, Marketing & PR Manager, National Concert Hall, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2. 087 1775334 or Roisin Dwyer, PR & Publications Executive, NCH 085 7129628.