Improvised Music Company

02/09/2026

Cellist Eimear Reidy and harpist Méabh McKenna will play an afternoon concert at The Source Arts Centre on Friday, September 25th. Admission is free at the door.
Always nice to see former NAVIGATOR artists collaborating and performing together 🙃

Méabh McKenna and Eimear Reidy, two prominent figures in the Irish experimental music scene join forces for their premiere performance as a duo at The Source Arts Centre.

01/09/2026

Improvised Music Company & Moving On Music present Gleaming World Unit at The Sugar Club, September 10th, 2026.

INTRODUCING THE BAND

Tom Challenger is a saxophonist, improviser, composer and educator based in London. He holds a post at Trinity Laban lecturing in jazz composition and improvisation, as well as supervising PhD students in various areas of practice-based research. His creative practice explores improvisation and developing composed works, and he has curated and composed for a variety of ensembles.

Gleaming World Unit play The Sugar Club, September 10th, 2026.

Full details & tickets: https://bit.ly/4hsVfgU

Personnel:

Stephen Davis (drums, composition)
Alexander Hawkins (piano)
Michael Formanek (bass)
Angelika Niescier (alto sax)
Tom Challenger (tenor sax)

The music was commissioned by Moving on Music with support from Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

☘️☘️

01/09/2026

Improvised Music Company & Moving On Music present Gleaming World Unit at The Sugar Club, September 10th, 2026.

INTRODUCING THE BAND

Saxophonist & composer Angelika Niescier has been redefining the contours of the international jazz scene for years – an artist on a mission, with boundless energy, a rich tonal palette and virtuoso technique. Born in Poland, she is based in Cologne, Germany. She has worked with artists including Joachim Kühn, Mabe Fratti, Tyshawn Sorey, Nicole Mitchell, Kris Davis, Luke Stewart, Gerry Hemingway, Nasheet Waits, Tomeka Reid, Jim Black, Sylvie Courvoisier, Ralph Alessi, Ernie Watts, Aki Takase, Soweto Kinch and Gerald Cleaver, to name just a few.

As a bandleader and composer, Niescier has received some of the most prestigious awards in jazz, including the German Jazz Award, WDR Jazz Award, Albert-Mangelsdorff-Award and ECHO Jazz, as well as the Vierteljahrespreis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik numerous times. She has also been an artist in residence in Moers (D), Kuala Lumpur (MY) and Tarabya (TR), and has worked with broadcasters including Bayerischer Rundfunk, WDR, Radio Bremen, SWR, HR and RBB.

An internationally acclaimed musician, Niescier performs her music around the world, at venues and festivals including Vancouver International Jazz Festival, Constellation Chicago, Jazzfest Berlin, Winter Jazzfest New York, Molde Jazz Festival, The Jazz Gallery NYC, Elbphilharmonie, Philharmonie Berlin and Philharmonie Essen. Her continual drive for artistic development and exchange has led to inspiring collaborations and works involving dance, orchestras and choirs, as well as film and theatre.

Gleaming World Unit play The Sugar Club, September 10th, 2026.

Full details & tickets: https://bit.ly/4hsVfgU

Personnel:

Stephen Davis (drums, composition)
Alexander Hawkins (piano)
Michael Formanek (bass)
Angelika Niescier (alto sax)
Tom Challenger (tenor sax)

The music was commissioned by Moving on Music with support from Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

☘️☘️

24/08/2026

Improvised Music Company & Moving On Music present Gleaming World Unit at The Sugar Club, September 10, 2026.

INTRODUCING THE BAND

While still a teenager in the 1970s bassist Michael Formanek toured with drummer Tony Williams and saxophonist Joe Henderson; starting in the '80s he played long stints with Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Fred Hersch and Freddie Hubbard. Formanek has played a pivotal role on New York's creative jazz scene going back to the '90s when he notably led his own quintet and played in Tim Berne's barnstorming quartet Bloodcount. Nowadays Formanek is in the co-op Thumbscrew with Brooklyn guitarist Mary Halvorson and drummer Tomas Fujiwara.

His principal recording and international touring vehicle is his acclaimed quartet with Tim Berne on alto saxophone, Craig Taborn on piano and Gerald Cleaver on drums, which records for ECM; 2010's The Rub and Spare Change and 2012's Small Places both earned coveted five-star raves in Down Beat. Formanek writes, and the quartet plays, compositions of great rhythmic sophistication that unfold in a natural sounding way – challenging music the players make sound like lyrical free expression. His occasional groups include the 18-piece all-star Ensemble Kolossus, roping in many New York improvisers he works with. Ensemble Kolossus recorded their first CD of all Formanek originals for the prestigious ECM label in December of 2014. The CD, The Distance was released in February 2016 and in addition to numerous other accolades also received a five-star review in Downbeat!

As composer of works for ensembles from duo to mixed jazz and classical orchestra, Michael Formanek has received institutional support from Chamber Music America, the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, the Peabody Conservatory, the Maryland State Arts Council and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. As an educator, Formanek continues to teach bass, composition, and improvisation in a wide range of locations in the US as well as internationally.

Gleaming World Unit play The Sugar Club, September 10, 2026.

Tickets on sale now: https://bit.ly/4hsVfgU

☘️☘️

19/08/2026

Improvised Music Company & Moving On Music present Gleaming World Unit at The Sugar Club, September 10th, 2026.

INTRODUCING THE BAND

Alexander Hawkins is a composer, pianist, organist, and bandleader who is ‘unlike anything else in modern creative music’. Regarded as one of his generation’s most innovative thinkers, his own unique soundworld is shaped by a profound fascination with composition and structure, alongside a love of chance and open forms. His writing has been said to represent ‘a fundamental reassertion of composition within improvised music’, and his voice one of the ‘most vividly distinctive…in modern jazz’. As a pianist, he has been described as ‘remarkable…possessing staggering technical ability and a fecund imagination.’

He is a frequent solo performer, and also appears in groupings ranging from duo (with the likes of Nicole Mitchell, Sofia Jernberg, Tomeka Reid, Angelika Niescier, Evan Parker, John Surman, Han Bennink, and Hamid Drake), through to large ensembles. His Ensemble music, at the core of which often sits his long-standing trio, was said by The Guardian newspaper to sound ‘like all the future jazz you might imagine without ever being able to conceive of the details.’

Hawkins can be heard live and on record with vast array of contemporary leaders of all generations, including the likes of Anthony Braxton, Joe McPhee, Wadada Leo Smith, Marshall Allen, Michael Formanek, Rob Mazurek, Chad Taylor, Taylor Ho Bynum, Harris Eisenstadt, Nicole Mitchell, Matana Roberts, Esperanza Spalding, Jonny Greenwood, and Shabaka Hutchings. For over a decade, he has also been noted for his performances in the bands of legendary South African drummer, Louis Moholo-Moholo, and Ethio-jazz pioneer Mulatu Astatke.

Gleaming World Unit play The Sugar Club, September 10th, 2026.

Full details & tickets: https://bit.ly/4hsVfgU

Personnel:

Stephen Davis (drums, composition)
Alexander Hawkins (piano)
Michael Formanek (bass)
Angelika Niescier (alto sax)
Tom Challenger (tenor sax)

The music was commissioned by Moving on Music with support from Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

☘️☘️

19/08/2026

This morning, vocalist, songwriter and producer Jennifer McMahon began her IMC Navigator residency Ballina Arts Centre in Co. Mayo.

Pictured from left to right are Jennifer McMahon, Navigator artist, Paul Cunningham, Director of Ballina Arts Centre, and Kenneth Killeen, Artistic Director of Improvised Music Company.

NAVIGATOR provides jazz and improvising musicians with professionally remunerated time and space to develop and perform new work, while creating meaningful creative and professional connections in new places.

To find out more about Improvised Music Company's work and stay up to date with our upcoming gigs, residencies and projects, make sure you're signed up to our mailing list at bit.ly/3PKNvZD.

Wishing Jennifer and everyone at Ballina Arts Centre a fantastic residency!

☘️☘️

18/08/2026

Improvised Music Company & Moving On Music present Gleaming World Unit at The Sugar Club, September 10th, 2026.

Tickets on sale now: https://bit.ly/4hsVfgU

Belfast-based drummer and improvisor Stephen Davis is one of the most sought-after musicians and collaborators working today. He is a member of Anthony Braxton’s ‘The New Standard’ and the Alexander Hawkins Trio, and has worked with Marc Ribot, Evan Parker, Kris Davis, Paul Dunmall, Django Bates, and Van Morrison to name but a few. Davis made his name in the improvising trio Bourne, Davis, Kane, whose debut album Lost Something (Edition Records, 2008) prompted The Guardian's John Fordham to acknowledge the trio's "world class status."

His new project arrived in the form of ‘Gleaming World Unit’, marking a new chapter for Davis, and a first international label release (577 Records, New York City). With a title drawing on sentiments from a letter written by Seamus Heaney, he was inspired by time spent in the Wicklow mountains, being submerged in forests for often hours at a time.

The star-studded ensemble for this run of shows across Dublin, Belfast, and London features Davis lining up alongside renowned pianist Alexander Hawkins, a tour-de-force horn duo with alto saxophonist Angelika Niescier and tenor saxophonist Tom Challenger, and to top it off, these shows are a first venture with double bassist Michael Formanek. A lineup which, aside from Formanek on bass, took its explosive live bow at Moving on Music’s Brilliant Corners jazz festival in Belfast in 2024. The next step for Gleaming World Unit is to present the show across Europe to new audiences, and this tour will be a taste of that.

Full details & tickets: https://bit.ly/4hsVfgU

The music was commissioned by Moving on Music with support from Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

☘️☘️

18/08/2026

Improvised Music Company & Moving On Music present Gleaming World Unit at The Sugar Club, September 10th, 2026.

Tickets on sale now: https://bit.ly/4hsVfgU

Belfast-based drummer and improvisor Stephen Davis is one of the most sought-after musicians and collaborators working today. He is a member of Anthony Braxton’s ‘The New Standard’ and the Alexander Hawkins Trio, and has worked with Marc Ribot, Evan Parker, Kris Davis, Paul Dunmall, Django Bates, and Van Morrison to name but a few. Davis made his name in the improvising trio Bourne, Davis, Kane, whose debut album Lost Something (Edition Records, 2008) prompted The Guardian's John Fordham to acknowledge the trio's "world class status."

His new project arrived in the form of ‘Gleaming World Unit’, marking a new chapter for Davis, and a first international label release (577 Records, New York City). With a title drawing on sentiments from a letter written by Seamus Heaney, he was inspired by time spent in the Wicklow mountains, being submerged in forests for often hours at a time.

The star-studded ensemble for this run of shows across Dublin, Belfast, and London features Davis lining up alongside renowned pianist Alexander Hawkins, a tour-de-force horn duo with alto saxophonist Angelika Niescier and tenor saxophonist Tom Challenger, and to top it off, these shows are a first venture with double bassist Michael Formanek. A lineup which, aside from Formanek on bass, took its explosive live bow at Moving on Music’s Brilliant Corners jazz festival in Belfast in 2024. The next step for Gleaming World Unit is to present the show across Europe to new audiences, and this tour will be a taste of that.

Full details & tickets: https://bit.ly/4hsVfgU

The music was commissioned by Moving on Music with support from Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

☘️☘️

18/08/2026

For the next Cooler Clinic, we’re joined by Eilish A. Hayes, a Chartered Accountant with nearly 20+ years’ experience across the public and private sectors, including charities, the civil service and commercial entities. Her recently established practice is dedicated to sole traders and small businesses, with a mission to make financial advice more accessible, affordable and jargon-free.

In her own words:

“I decided I wanted to be an accountant when I was 6 years old because as soon as I learned to read, my mam had me helping with VAT returns for my dad’s limited company. 18 years later, I qualified as a Chartered Accountant. I’ve spent the last 20 years working across a variety of industries, ranging from audit practice to charities, semi-state agencies to commercial businesses and public services. The landscape of Irish business has changed dramatically over those 20 years, and we are seeing a flourish of small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Training and upskilling people is one of my key goals in business. In my training sessions, I present finance in a clear, easy-to-understand way so that you can apply the knowledge to your own personal circumstances. As self-employed entrepreneurs, if you understand the reasons behind accounting and finance requirements, you can better prepare for these obligations. You may still use the services of an accountant to finalise these tasks, but it is so important that you know the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ behind them.”

Eilish will also be offering a 50% discount on one-to-one consultations for those who register for this Cooler Clinic and want to chat with her further after the presentation — €25 for a one-hour consultation, rather than €50.

Full details and free registration here: https://www.improvisedmusic.ie/whats-happening/events/cooler-clinics-online-lets-talk-tax

☘️☘️

18/08/2026

Improvised Music Company & Moving On Music present Gleaming World Unit at The Sugar Club, September 10th, 2026.

Tickets on sale now: https://bit.ly/4hsVfgU

Belfast-based drummer and improvisor Stephen Davis is one of the most sought-after musicians and collaborators working today. He is a member of Anthony Braxton’s ‘The New Standard’ and the Alexander Hawkins Trio, and has worked with Marc Ribot, Evan Parker, Kris Davis, Paul Dunmall, Django Bates, and Van Morrison to name but a few. Davis made his name in the improvising trio Bourne, Davis, Kane, whose debut album Lost Something (Edition Records, 2008) prompted The Guardian's John Fordham to acknowledge the trio's "world class status."

His new project arrived in the form of ‘Gleaming World Unit’, marking a new chapter for Davis, and a first international label release (577 Records, New York City). With a title drawing on sentiments from a letter written by Seamus Heaney, he was inspired by time spent in the Wicklow mountains, being submerged in forests for often hours at a time.

The star-studded ensemble for this run of shows across Dublin, Belfast, and London features Davis lining up alongside renowned pianist Alexander Hawkins, a tour-de-force horn duo with alto saxophonist Angelika Niescier and tenor saxophonist Tom Challenger, and to top it off, these shows are a first venture with double bassist Michael Formanek. A lineup which, aside from Formanek on bass, took its explosive live bow at Moving on Music’s Brilliant Corners jazz festival in Belfast in 2024. The next step for Gleaming World Unit is to present the show across Europe to new audiences, and this tour will be a taste of that.

Full details & tickets: https://bit.ly/4hsVfgU

The music was commissioned by Moving on Music with support from Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

☘️☘️