Renaissance Man Steeplechase****

At a time when most of their contemporaries were listening to bland pop music, Brendan Guilfoyle filled his children’s ears with daring sounds, from Bartok and Stravinsky to Parker and Monk. The complex, many-layered music of his son Ronan, which embraces jazz, classical, south Indian, Latin American and traditional Irish elements, was formed in that generous, intellectually adventurous environment. American guitar great John Abercrombie, a long-time associate, plays the lead role in this suite for guitar trio and string quartet, responding to Guilfoyle’s elegiac writing with great sensitivity.

With another of Brendan's sons, Conor, on drums, and Ronan's son Chris now preparing to play guitar in forthcoming live performances, Renaissance Man is an eloquent expression of gratitude from one of Europe's leading jazz composers, and a fitting tribute to the man who lit the blue touch-paper in the first place. ronanguilfoyle.com