I’m thrilled to be playing with saxophonist Melissa Aldana as part of the Sligo Jazz Festival!

Chilean-born saxophonist Melissa Aldana, a Grammy nominated trailblazer, is renowned for her virtuosic command, emotive storytelling, and boundary-pushing contributions to contemporary jazz. She’ll be joined by regular bandmate, drummer Kush Abadey, pianist Pablo Held and bassist John Goldsby.

I’m thrilled to be playing with Sascha Berliner at the Sligo Jazz Festival!

Sasha Berliner: vibraphone
John Goldsby: bass
Kush Abadey: drums
Pablo Held: piano

Sasha Berliner, a San Francisco-born vibraphonist and composer, rose to prominence after studying with Stefon Harris at the New School. Her debut album Azalea (2019), blending jazz with electronic and political themes, earned critical acclaim, while her sophomore release Onyx (2022) topped charts and featured all-star collaborators. The first woman and youngest winner of DownBeat’s “Rising Star – Vibraphone” award (2020), she has headlined major festivals (Newport, Montreal) and performs with icons like Christian McBride. A professor at UC Irvine, her genre-defying third album Fantome was released to critical acclaim this year, solidifying her as a visionary in modern jazz. sashaberlinermusic.com

I’m looking forward to making music with my former colleague from the WDR Big Band — the great Shannon Barnett!

Shannon Barnett: trombone, voice
John Goldsby: bass
Pablo Held: piano
Sun Mi Hong: drums
Matthew Halpin: saxophone

Australian trombonist, composer and vocalist, now based in Cologne, brings her dynamic versatility to the festival. From early work with Australia’s jazz elite (The Bamboos, Andrea Keller Quartet) to New York collaborations (Darcy James Argue, Jon Faddis), she’s forged a unique path. As a longtime member of Cologne’s WDR Big Band, she’s performed with jazz greats like Ron Carter and Maria Schneider. Her acclaimed quartet has released three albums (Hype, Bad Lover, Alive at Loft), blending sharp compositions with fiery improvisation. A 2020 WDR Jazz Prize and 2022 German Jazz Prize winner, Barnett also pushes boundaries with interdisciplinary projects (Dead Weight for musicians and Fitness Studio) and prepares her 2025 singer- songwriter debut. As Professor of Jazz Trombone at Cologne’s Hochschule für Musik und Tanz, she shapes the next generation of jazz innovators