Green Room Jazz – Paul Dunlea and Cormac McCarthy

Paul Dunlea

Although at home in a variety of musical styles, Cork Trombonist/Composer/Arranger, Paul Dunlea concentrates primarily on Jazz and Improvisation. This has furthered his reputation as one of Irelands most in demand musicians.

Dunlea has performed/toured/recorded with the likes of Michael Bublé, Cassandra Wilson, Frankie Valli, Liam O’Maonlaoi, Mick Flannery, Richard Reed Parry (Arcade Fire), Bryce Dressner (The National), Lewis Nash, Peter Washington, Billy Drummond, David O’ Rourke’s O’ Rourkestra, Sachal Vadsandani, John Clayton, RTE Concert Orchestra, The Dublin City Jazz Orchestra, The New Irish Jazz Orchestra, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, Hot House Big Band, Freezeroom & Brian Deady.

Dunlea is a graduate of the CIT Cork School of music holding both a bachelors degree in trombone performance and a masters degree in composition. He has held the chair of principle trombone with the Band 1 Brigade – Irish Defence Forces since 2001.

Cormac McCarthy

Cormac McCarthy is a pianist, composer, arranger and conductor from Cork, Ireland. Noted for a diverse stylistic palette, and equally at home in a variety of genres, his music is said to “defy categorisation” (Lyric FM). In 2010, having completed his Masters degree in composition at the MTU Cork School of Music, Cormac received the prestigious Bill Whelan International Music Bursary, an award earmarked for young Irish composers studying abroad. He spent a number of years living in Chicago, where he completed a Masters in Jazz Studies at DePaul University.

His compositions and arrangements have been performed and recorded by artists including Phil Woods, Jeff Hamilton, Mick Flannery, Martin Hayes, Andrea Corr, Niamh Regan, Dana Masters, Jack O’Rourke, The DePaul Jazz Ensemble, The RTÉ Concert Orchestra, The Irish Chamber Orchestra, The New Irish Jazz Orchestra and the Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra. A new string quartet commissioned by the National String Quartet Foundation was premiered in Autumn 2021.

Cormac continues to be in demand as a composer, arranger and orchestrator in tandem with maintaining an active performance schedule. As a conductor, he has led the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, The Irish Chamber Orchestra and the Cork Opera House Concert Orchestra. He lectures in piano, arranging and composition at the MTU Cork School of Music, and is director of the Cork School of Music Jazz Big Band.