Whale Theatre, Greystones
Saturday 2nd May, 8.00pm
Tickets: €30

London-based alto saxophonist Sam Braysher teams up with Jazz Singer of the Year Sara Dowling to present a captivating jazz re-imagining of the work of the influential German-born American composer Kurt Weill.

Although Weill might be best known for his pre-war German works, including Threepenny Opera, featuring the classic, Mack the Knife, ‘That’s Him’ draws more on Weill’s work in the US, where he contributed significantly to  The Great American Songbook, and produced memorable, accessible tunes embraced by jazz singers from Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, and the golden era of Broadway.

Born in the Middle East to parents from Palestine and Ireland, Sara Dowling was the UK Jazz Vocalist of the Year in 2019.  With a voice capable of both tender intimacy and bold expressive power, her singing has echoes of such jazz and soul greats as Betty Carter, Sarah Vaughan and Anita O’Day.

The collaboration of Dowling with London-based Braysher has won widespread acclaim, with London Jazz News praising ‘That’s Him’ for its warmth and charisma, intimate storytelling and jazz sophistication in the presentation of classic songbook material, theatrical composition and heartfelt originals.

“There couldn’t be a more beautiful tribute to Kurt Weill” – Paris Move

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Havana-born pianist Harold López-Nussa’s music pulses with the richness of Cuban music, with its distinct combination of classical, folk and popular music elements, as well as its embrace of jazz improvisation. 

The son of a pianist mother and jazz drummer father, López-Nussa released a series of trio and quartet albums before being signed to jazz music’s most famous and influential label, Blue Note in 2023. On the New York label he has since released two critically acclaimed albums, the five-star rated ‘Timba a la Americana’ in 2023, and its follow-up ‘Nueva Timba,’ late last year.

Championed as the future sound of Cuban jazz by none other than the legendary godfather of the genre, Chucho Valdes, Harold López-Nussa’s playing is beautifully virtuosic with energetic quick-fire flourishes and high-wire musical configurations.

Classically trained at Cuba’s National School of the Arts, López-Nussa studied jazz at Havana’s foremost music conservatory, The Instituto Superior de Arte.  He quickly established his credentials, winning both the first prize and the audience prize for solo piano at Switzerland’s prestigious Montreaux Jazz Festival when he was aged just 21.  

It’s joyous, upbeat Afro-Cuban jazz, delivered with infectious energy by a trio that includes his brother, drummer Ruy Adrián, and long-time collaborator, bassist Gaston Joya.

“One of the most gifted of his generation” – Le Monde

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