Linley Hamilton continues Saturday residency @Mchughsbar1711 Basement

Linley Hamilton has been a major champion of jazz in Northern Ireland for the past decade, as trumpeter, band leader, educator and Friday night presenter on BBC Radio Ulster.

He has performed with a diverse list of artists, including Jacqui Dankworth, Paul Brady, Foy Vance and Jean Toussaint, who is due to release his tenth album with us in February. He has also interviewed Kenny Garnett, Wynton Marsalis, Esbjorn Svenssön and Randy Brecker for the BBC.

His latest album Taylor Made marked a new phase in the trumpeter’s career, with praise from The Irish Times, The Independent, Jazzwise and All About Jazz, and a London launch at Dean Street PizzaExpress among the release highlights.

Hamilton’s Belfast residency at McHugh’s Basement has been running on Saturday afternoons (3pm) for over a year and has quickly become the city’s most talked-about jazz session. Recently switching from his vocal-driven sextet to an instrumental quartet, the band now features leading Belfast piano talent Scott Flanigan, bassist Alan Shields, known for his work with Irish jazz legend Louis Stewart, and drummer David Lyttle, who is on a break from touring to record the follow-up to his acclaimed album Interlude.

Hamilton, who is known for his warm interactions with audiences, says, “I love this gig because the punters have become part of the jazz family and are steering the set. They are encouraging us to play freely and we are feeding off the energy they’re generating. The band is starting to develop a sound and we feel privileged to be charged to do this on a weekly basis in our capital city.”

In addition to finishing his second album for LYTE Records, he is also rehearsing his sextet for an intimate New Year’s Eve show at The Harp, Belfast, backing music legend Van Morrison. Hamilton recently posted on his Facebook page that he was excited to perform with ‘the greatest singer songwriter who has ever lived’, describing it as a highlight of his musical career.

Linley Hamilton Quartet play McHugh’s Basement, Custom House Square, Belfast, every Saturday from 3pm (admission free).

Linley Hamilton Sextet featuring Dana Masters back Van Morrison at The Harp, Hill Street, Belfast, on New Year’s Eve (tickets £60).

For more on Linley Hamilton’s latest album Taylor Made click here.
Artist website: www.linleyhamilton.com

“…a must for any record collection.” – The Independent

“…solidly swinging…a fluent, mobile style and a lyrical imagination…mastery of the mainstream idiom…an impressively well executed album.” – The Irish Times

“Hamilton’s trademark tone is breathy, soft, almost whispered at time. While it has something in common with Chet Baker, in terms of contemporary horn players it sits more comfortably with European musicians such as Till Brönner. Taylor Made is a delight: full of warmth, swing and melody.” – All About Jazz