Opens for Zoe Rahman Quintet
Tenor saxophonist Meilana Gillard’s gutsy playing recalls jazz legends Dexter Gordon and Sonny Rollins, as well as modern masters such as Joe Lovano.
Raised in the US but now living in Derry, she studied Jazz at The New School University in NYC where she resided for eight years. She was a member of Charli Persip’s Big Band ‘Supersound’ and his Quintet, and has performed at such celebrated jazz venues as Birdland, Jazz Standard, Blue Note, Minton’s Playhouse and Dizzy’s Club.
Gillard joined forces with drummer Kevin Brady and bassist Dave Redmond in 2019, whose ‘RGB Trio’, release was one of the Irish jazz albums of last year. As band leader here, Meilana Gillard will be joined in a quartet by the great UK guitarist Phil Robson, by drummer Kevin Brady and bassist Barry Donohue.
“… a gutsy, inventive player with a forceful melodic sense and an open, old-school tenor sound.”
The Irish Times