Irish bass player Ronan Guilfoyle has created for himself a unique position in jazz, although in something of a special niche. He has taken an instrument that’s only rarely seen in a jazz context and he’s made it his own, and he’s done it in a way that defuses any arguments about its suitability.
The acoustic bass guitar has very little history in jazz (and I’m told there are a number of detractors amongst bass nerds). I’m aware that Jaco Pastorius designed one, but I can only find occasional references to him using it. The point is that it produces a special sound of its own that’s different to both the double bass and the electric bass. And Ronan Guilfoyle is in considerable demand as bass player for many different styles of jazz, plus as a composer and educator.
The title of the album, and perhaps some of the music, is inspired by Irish humorist Flann O’Brien’s classic book from 1939, At Swim Two Birds. Literary criticism of the novel points out that whilst modern (or even post-modern) in style, it has many references to early and medieval Irish literature. In some respects that’s what happens with this album. Here Guilfoyle reaches back to classic jazz, with tunes inspired by Gershwin, Parker, Tristano and others. He then applies his own modern and occasionally complex rhythmic twist to those compositions.
So the title track includes fragments of two numbers from Charlie Parker (two Birds – see what he did there!). Elsewhere there are two blues, one very clearly based on Lee Morgan’s classic ‘Sidewinder’, and the opening track very loosely based on George Gershwin’s ‘I Got Rhythm’. On the surface the music is straightforward bebop/post-bop, but Guilfoyle’s approach to rhythm is always interesting, with several of the tracks cleverly changing pace or rhythm at various points.
This wittily named quartet is a fine band with plenty of strong and imaginative soloing from his son Chris Guilfoyle on guitar, London based Sam Norris on sax as well as from Guilfoyle himself, and of course an outstanding rhythmic support throughout from Guilfoyle and Northern Irish drummer Darren Beckett.
Peter Slavid broadcasts a programme of European Jazz on mixcloud.com/ukjazz and variious internet stations and podcast sites
The CD includes a 12-page booklet and photos – Release date is 3 May 2025 with the launch at Bray Jazz Festival in Co. Wicklow.
