Thursday Nov 6. 5.30-10.30 pm
David Lyttle and Jazzlife (Northern Ireland)
David is a jazz drummer, record producer, composer, songwriter and record label owner. He earned a PhD in musicology from the University of Ulster in 2009. In 2018 he founded Jazzlife Alliance, a talent development organisation based in Northern Ireland that provides high-level mentoring opportunities and professional experience to exceptional talent in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Britain.
Matthew Kilner Trio (Scotland)
Described as “one to watch” (Jazz Views 2025) Matthew Kilner is an active musician, educator, and award-winning saxophonist, currently based in Glasgow. Matthew regularly performs at festivals and jazz clubs around the UK and abroad including; Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, London’s Pizza Express Live, and the 2023 Regensburg Jazz Festival. In 2019, Matthew won the prestigious Ogston Performance Prize whilst attending the University of Aberdeen, and most recently reached the final of the 2023 BBC Radio Scotland Young Jazz Musician of the Year competition.
Nils Kavanagh Trio (Ireland / Wales)
Award-winning Sligo pianist Nils Kavanagh leads an energetic and explorative piano trio of Ireland’s top jazz performers, with Derek Whyte on double bass and Miles Ronayne on drums. Winner of the Young Irish Jazz Musician of the Year 2022-2024 and rising star on the UK and Irish jazz scene, Nils is already making his mark on contemporary jazz with a unique compositional voice and a fearless approach to improvisation.
Ruta-Di (England)
London based singer and guitarist Ruta Di stands out amongst other musicians because of her virtuosity and dexterity on both guitar and vocals – beautiful voice with incredible range that she pairs wonderfully with tasteful guitar solos and catchy hooks. A rich and inventive blend of neo-soul, jazz, classical and Brazilian music with heartfelt lyrics creates a very special sound that touches and moves.
Donovan Haffner Quintet (England)
Young rising star, jazz alto saxophonist Donovan Haffner a recent graduate of RAM, has played with a multitude of big contemporary British names such as Moses Boyd, Charlie Stacey, and Jay Phelps, Balimaya Project, and European contemporary names such as Rasmus Sorenson. He has toured with star drummer Moses Boyd including around Italy at only 18 years old and at various places around the UK
Burum (Wales)
Burum are a truly unique Welsh band that fuse both the Welsh folk tradition and jazz. Burum’s repertoire is drawn from Welsh traditional music, adapted and re-imagined for a modern jazz sextet. The band’s music fuses a deep respect for the original folk melodies themselves with the flexibility and dynamics of jazz improvisation – beautiful, melancholic melodies are performed alongside fiery solos and deep grooves.
Friday Nov 7
5.30-7 pm AmserJazzTime featuring student performers from the RWCMD
7.15-11 pm Showcase artists
Sylvie and Ursula (Wales)
With an unorthodox line-up of voice and bass, they strip each piece back to its core, creating intimate, groove-rich interpretations filled with warmth, humour, and fearless improvisation. Bonded through a shared love of jazz and folk, Ursula and Sylvie craft performances that feel like a conversation — between players, songs, and audience.
Joseph Leighton Quartet (Northern Ireland)
Guitarist Joseph Leighton is recognized as one of Ireland’s brightest new jazz talents. Starting as a teenage rock guitarist in Derry, he soon transitioned to jazz, studying with icons like Jesse van Ruller, Mike Walker, and Peter Bernstein. Joseph has toured extensively, performing in Vietnam, Singapore, Lebanon, and Jamaica, and he has worked with top jazz names nationally, including UK saxophonist Julian Siegal
Charlotte Keeffe’s ‘Right Here Right Now’ Quartet (England)
Described by Jazzwise as “avant-garde for all,” Charlotte Keeffe’s Music-making is a vibrant tapestry of textures and gestures, inspired by everything, everywhere, and everyone ~ RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW! Keeffe’s passionate approach to free improvisation invites listeners into a raw, expressive world where anything is possible…
Norman and Corrie (Scotland)
Norman&Corrie are Norman Wilmore and Corrie Dick. They’ve been working together for a while; for this duo project, they’ve trawled the archives of Wilmore’s native Shetland for a wealth of folk tunes which they’ve arranged, deconstructed and made entirely their own
https://normanandcorrie.bandcamp.com/album/twa-double-doubles
Special guests: Huw Warren and Angharad Jenkins (Wales)
Jazz pianist Huw Warren and folk singer and fiddle player Angharad Jenkins present their new project exploring the music of Gower and Swansea, where both musicians are originally from. This project delves into the region’s rich tapestry of songs and melodies, exploring themes of identity and language, through the lens of both traditional and new music.
Two bands will also appear as showcases presented by Cardiff University Music School during the daytime conference programme:
Thursday Nov 6:
The Bigger Picture: Tobias Bech (trumpet), Laurie Rich (piano), Ursula Harrison (bass)
Friday Nov 7:
Yatra Quartet: Blyth Bennett (saxophone), Newman Tai (piano), Benedict Stephens (bass), Gruff Owen (drums)