Joseph Leighton taking to the stage at Jazz Fest

Talented local jazz musician Joseph Leighton will be performing across various venues during the City of Derry Jazz and Big Band Festival.
Joseph Leighton will be performing at various venues during the festival.Joseph Leighton will be performing at various venues during the festival.
Joseph Leighton will be performing at various venues during the festival.

The Joseph Leighton Trio will perform at the Bennigans Bar

Midnight session tonight.

The trio features, alongside Joseph, Jack Kelly on Bass and James Anderson on Drums.

Over Friday, Saturday and Sunday during the festival you can also catch Joseph Leighton in Sandinos with various bands including MFQ, Velvet Alibi and Hipjoint DC.

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He will also be doing a solo set at the Warehouse Cafe on the Monday of the festival from 1pm to 3pm with a possible special guest.

Joseph Leighton, who picked up the drums at 11, quickly followed by the guitar, is now hailed as one of the finest young jazz guitarists to emerge on the Irish jazz scene.

He has performed alongside established jazz musicians Meilana Gillard, John Leighton and MOBO nominee David Lyttle.

As well as regular residencies performing in his hometown of Derry, Joseph has also played at previous City of Derry Jazz and Big Band Festivals and Stendhal Festival of Art.

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In 2016 Joseph featured in the line-up for Brilliant Corners Festival in Belfast playing support to acclaimed duo Tommy Smith and Brian Kellock and the Vein Trio.

He has studied under David Lyttle, Mike Walker, Vijay Iyer and Jesse Van Ruller.

The Derry man was one of the youngest musicians to be awarded a place on the Jazz Course at the Banff Centre, Canada.

While there he worked with some of the most respected artists in the world of jazz and performed each evening on stage with world class musicians in the creative hub that is Banff.

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He was also was selected as one of Moving On Music’s ‘Emerging Artists’ 2016-17.

With his recently established Joseph Leighton Trio, featuring James Anderson (drums) and Jack Kelly (bass), he is billed by music experts as a talent to watch.

All About Jazz has said about the young Derry musician: “Leighton’s genre is assuredly jazz… one foot in the modernists’ camp. The other is firmly planted in a tradition that stretches from Jim Hall to Pat Metheny, his clean articulation and spacious phrasing accentuating an overtly melodic approach.”