MUSIC Jazz legend to play in Headford

Jazz legend to play in Headford


LOUIS Stewart, Ireland’s most renowned and respected jazz guitarist, is playing a special intimate performance in Campbell’s Tavern, Cloughanover, Headford, Co Galway, at 8pm this Sunday, July 21.
Louis Stewart, who was awarded an honorary doctorate by Trinity College Dublin in 1998, began his musical career in the ’60s as a member of the Dublin jazz scene. In 1968 he received an invitation to the Montreux Jazz Festival together with the Jim Doherty Quartet. He came away with the press award for Outstanding European Soloist of the Festival.
The following year – again in Montreux – he won the Grand Prix de la Radio Suisse Romande. He turned down a scholarship from the Berklee School of Music, Boston, because at the time he was with Tubby Hayes’ Quartet and Big Band and had been booked by Benny Goodman for three European tours.
In the ’70s Louis Stewart was a member of the Ronnie Scott Quartet in London. During this period he also cut albums with Sam Jones and Billy Higgins as well as other musicians from the London scene.
His excellent guitar playing with Scott’s quartet, on his solo and duo albums in the ’70s and ’80s, and on recordings with George Shearing, Clark Terry, Martin Taylor, Heiner Franz and others in recent years has earned him a well-deserved reputation as one of the world’s foremost jazz guitarists, hailed as one of the outstanding guitarists in history of jazz.
Now, following on from a popular weekly ‘Jazz in the Tav’ series Campbells, Stewart will appear at the north Galway venue with the three other members of his Dublin-based quartet: Neil O’Loghlen on bass, Myles Drennan on piano and Shane O’Donovan.