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Michael Buckley

Regarded as the most important and influential musician on the Irish jazz scene, saxophonist / flautist and composer Michael Buckley has been playing professionally since the age of six when critics hailed him as a child prodigy. Born in Dublin city in 1971 Michael first came to prominence on an International level when, aged 10, he played flute with the legendary saxophonist George Coleman in the National Concert Hall. Though largely self-taught, his obvious talent has beendeveloped by his father Dick Buckley, and such legends as Milt Hinton. Buckley has found his ownunique voice playing both on saxophone and flute.

The last two years alone 2012 Buckley has been collaborating with the world jazz Orchestra where michael was representing Ireland, also the Edinburgh jazz festival Orchestra (led by Tim Hagans) also small group tours and concerts with Dave Liebman , John Abercrombie, Joey Baron , Jason Rebello,Nils Wolgram , Tom Rainey , Chander Sardjoe , to name but a few.

Now in his early 40s, Buckley is rapidly becoming the most important producer of his generation, with countless albums from jazz to traditional to hip hop Michael is making a name for him self internationally as a producer and engineer.

Buckley has also performed and toured in recent years with The Mingus Big Band, Jason Moran, Kurt Rosenwinkle, Edward Simon, Pete King, Badal Roy, Kenny Wheeler, Lee Konitz, Grant Stewart, Ingrid Jensen, Guy Barker, Greg Burk, Damon Brown, Kevin Dean, Florian Ross, soloist with the BBC big band, Albert Sanz, and Gerard Presencer among others. As well as frequent radio spots, Michael has made numerous television appearances, regularly works on film and television scores and recently collaborated on recordings with Donovan, the Cranberrys, The Coors,Jerry Lee Louis, Johnny Mattis ,also This year michael has been playing and touring with Glen Hansard as Michael is also renowned as the top session player and arranger in his field.

This year michael is about to release his new project on CD, a studio album he wrote produced and recorded in his private studio ,this will be a compilation of on going recording and writing over the last 5 years,

Michael recorded with out doubt his best work to date. Released on the Spanish label (Urban Beauty) The long awaited release of this latest CD “the tourist” featuring an impressive line up including Edward Simon (piano) Stephen Keogh (drums) and Jeremy Brown (bass)is also a working band throughout England and Europe .A rich and diverse collection of original music is what makes this recording most impressive.


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11
Interview

Michael Buckley: Blowing Hot

Read "Michael Buckley: Blowing Hot" reviewed by Ian Patterson


An early spring vacation to New York saw Michael Buckley and his wife take in what he describes as “the usual sights." But for the Dublin saxophonist that also meant trips to “three or four saxophone shops." Once a tenor saxophonist, always a tenor saxophonist. Buckley, in fact, started out on the flute, playing with George Coleman no less, on the stage of Dublin's National Concert Hall when aged just ten. It is an instrument he still wields ...

17
Album Review

Michael Buckley: Ebb And Flow

Read "Ebb And Flow" reviewed by Ian Patterson


Given his world-class chops, tenor saxophonist Michael Buckley's albums have been too infrequent. This is a man who has played with George Coleman when he was still in shorts (Buckley that is), backed Jerry Lee Lewis, collaborated with Dave Liebman and Kenny Wheeler, and toured with The Mingus Big Band. His talents as a composer for television and film, and as a producer--Buckley runs his own Dublin studio--also impose demands on his time, so a new album from the Dubliner ...

14
Live Review

Michael Buckley & Hugh Buckley At Magy's Farm

Read "Michael Buckley & Hugh Buckley At Magy's Farm" reviewed by Ian Patterson


Michael Buckley & Hugh Buckley Magy's Farm Dromara, N. Ireland March 22, 2025 If the flapping of a butterfly's wings on one side of the world can cause a tornado on the other side--or so the theory goes--then surely the ripple effects from one flight cancellation would be no less significant. For the small band of jazz fans making their way to Magy's Farm, a unique concert venue in hilly Dromara, the only ripple ...

14
Album Review

Lee Meehan: Some Of Us Are Looking At The Stars

Read "Some Of Us Are Looking At The Stars" reviewed by Ian Patterson


Guitarist Lee Meehan has been a key player in Dublin blues and soul bands since the early 2000s. The blues proved to be a handy apprenticeship for the jazz degree Meehan would later pursue, graduating from Dublin City University in 2019. And it is to jazz that Meehan turns on his debut album as leader, a vehicle not just for his considerable six- string agility, but for his compositional, arranging and leadership qualities as well. Nor has Meehan ...

7
Album Review

John Donegan - The Irish Sextet: Light Streams

Read "Light Streams" reviewed by Ian Patterson


Irish pianist John Donegan may not be a household name, but the Cork musician has walked with giants, playing with the likes of Art Blakey, Art Farmer, Barney Kessel and Ireland's own jazz great, guitarist Louis Stewart. He has also been on something of a roll with his Irish sextet, with Light Streams quickly following on the heels of Shadows Linger (Jayde Records, 2022). And with a third sextet album on the near horizon, Donegan is enjoying an Indian summer. ...

16
Album Review

John Donegan - The Irish Sextet: Shadows Linger

Read "Shadows Linger" reviewed by Ian Patterson


Shadows Linger is the seventh album from veteran Irish pianist John Donegan, whose dedication to jazz dates back to the '70s when he played on the scenes of his native Cork and later Dublin, before moving across the pond to England. While in Dublin, Donegan worked with the Irish legends guitarist Louis Stewart and drummer John Wadham as well as tenor saxophonist Dick Buckley, whose saxophone-playing sons Richie Buckley and Michael Buckley feature here in a potent front-line which also ...

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Aidan Dempsey
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Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Ebb And Flow

Livia Records
2025

buy

Some Of Us Are...

Self Produced
2024

buy

Look for the Silver...

Stella Bass Music
2024

buy

Light Streams

Jayde Records
2023

buy

Shadows Linger

Jayde Records
2022

buy

Only Leonie

From: Some Of Us Are Looking At The...
By Michael Buckley

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