2013-05-31 05:49:24

We celebrate the onset of the Irish summer (at last!) with Brazilian interludes courtesy of Heitor Villa-Lobos, Roberto Baden-Powell, Darius Milhaud and Kenny Dorham; Canadian singer/songwriters Bruce Cockburn and Amelia Curran (see live performance 2 minutes into video); Irish pianist Hugh Tinney, from "A Portrait", a new, full-length solo recital of some of his personal favourites; bluesmen Seasick Steve and Blind Willie Johnson; the terrific, vintage jazz from the UK's Don Rendell/Ian Carr Quintet; and new Billy Bragg...

"The Blue Of The Night" - RTÉ lyric fm, Friday 10pm…

2013-05-26 15:02:51

Miles Davis was born on this day in 1926. Hear 3 recordings by this restless innovator ("I’ll play it first and tell you what it is afterwards"), including a young Miles with Charlie Parker, on Sunday's BLUE. We've also a brace of Bach lined up for tonight; a song Elvis Costello wrote for Frank Sinatra; Scott Walker with strings, circa 1969; some Chopin and Enescu for piano; father and son Loudon and Rufus Wainwright; and an extended performance by the Keith Jarrett "standards trio", from the newly-released live album, "Somewhere".

"The Blue Of The Night" - RTÉ lyric fm, Sunday 10pm…

2013-05-25 06:55:22

On Saturday's BLUE, jazz pianist Iiro Rantala (see video) plays an original piece; we've Beethoven performed by John O'Conor; Habib Koité and Eric Bibb - together! Hang-player Manu Delago; sublime music by Art Pepper, arranged for strings by Bob Holman; Scott Walker with strings (Walker's '3" album is featured all this week); Alfred Brendel plays some Schubert; and new age artist Kevin Braheny performs on electronic wind instrument (E.W.I., for short).

"The Blue Of The Night" - RTÉ lyric fm, Saturday 10:30pm…

2013-05-24 00:09:51

Friday's BLUE comprises a Scriabin sonata; the voice of Lou Reed; nu-jazz from Herman Martin; some minimalist music by Howard Skempton; Joe Williams (see video) sings of “Some Of This ’N’ Some Of That”; Cavan-based ambient artist Eileen Tackney; we’ve more from Timo Alakotila, (the Finnish artist was featured all this week); new Craig Taborn, with – and without - Bastien Stein; part of a work by Damon Albarn; the synthy sounds of Steve Moore; and three guitar interpretations of Benjamin Britten…

"The Blue Of The Night" - RTÉ lyric fm, Friday 10pm…

2013-05-21 00:22:52

Eamonn sits in on Tuesday's BLUE to present more recordings by the Finnish pianist Timo Alakotila; London-based hang-player Manu Delago (see video); works by Tarrega, Rodrigo and de Falla, including a new interpretation of "Nana" by jazz pianist Julia Hulsmann; we'll also hear Robert Wyatt, Eva Cassidy and the spoken voice of West Cork resident Jeremy Irons; three J.S. Bach compositions; re-issued Emerson, Lake & Palmer; more from Keith Jarrett's forthcoming CD, "Somewhere"; American singer/songwriters Laura Marling and Laura Veirs; and the Basie Orchestra (accompanying Sarah Vaughan and Frank Sinatra).

"The Blue Of The Night" - RTÉ lyric fm, Tuesday 10pm…