AS part of its autumn/winter programme, Millennium Court Arts Centre is hosting a series of verbal events, each inspired by current exhibitions.
And, as part of an ambitious package, the MCAC has teamed up with the adjoining Zio Restaurant for a meal-performance ‘double’.
Thursday, November 13 sees an opportunity to enjoy a pre-show meal in the William Street restaurant before moving upsta
irs to the MCAC for an evening of jazz with the David Lyttle Three in which the drummer is joined by bassist Derek Nievergelt of New York City and Belfast guitar protegy Mark McKnight.
Tickets range from £5 (concert only), £15 (meal and concert) and £20 (two-course meal and concert).
Pre-show meals will be served in Zio Restaurant from 6-7.15pm, with the MCAC’s doors open from 7pm for the jazz evening’s 7.30pm start.
Known for his driving and passionate approach to jazz that swings hard, 24-year-old drummer/composer Lyttle, whose family is from the Portadown area, already has performed professionally with a wide variety of internationally-acclaimed artists including David Liebman, Greg Osby, Jean Toussaint, and Louis Stewart, with recent dates in New York, Toronto, Britain and Eastern Europe.
His current project sees him leading an extensive tour in trio with McKnight and Nievergelt.
McKnight, who was a recent finalist at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival Guitar Competition, is widely regarded as Northern Ireland’s leading jazz guitarist. He will be recording his debut CD in New York later this year.
Nievergelt is one of New York’s most prominent bassists, having worked with Herbie Hancock, Bobby Watson, Greg Osby and Terence Blanchard, with whom he recorded the Grammy-nominated album ‘Let’s Get Lost’, featuring Dianna Krall and Cassandra Wilson among others.
In addition to the meal-gig double, the evening also offers concert-goers the chance to visit current exhibitions, ‘Infinite Mass’ by Gwen Stevenson (Gallery One) and ‘Durer and the Gallowglass, Antwerp 1521 Tour’ by Shane Cullen (Gallery Two).
Early booking via the MCAC in recommended as seats are limited. Phone 028 3839 4415, email info@millenniumcourt.org, or visit MCAC at William Street, Portadown in person.
The full article contains 380 words and appears in Portadown Times newspaper.
