Japanese born, Irish based pianist Izumi Kimura and US drummer Gerry Hemingway, present “Kairos”, this concert, accessible in person and online will also feature ECM London based multi-instrumentalist Fred Thomas.

Pianist Izumi Kimura and drummer Gerry Hemingway have an intuitive understanding of one another. They move seamlessly between formal structures, percussive outbursts, finely woven sound puzzles and expressive solos. Even in the free passages, one hears the love of rhythm and melody: Hemingway plays complementary tonal lines on the vibraphone or drums, while Kimura’s crisp staccato enhances and complements the construction.

This duo began in 2016 as a series of residencies, rehearsals and performances in Ireland, and further evolved in 2018 with the release of the recording “Illuminated Silence”. The duo has become a central platform for both players. There is by now a shared and well understood language between them that moves seamlessly between formal structures, spontaneous invention, as well as their unique interpretations of song. The release of “Kairos” in 2023 debuts this array of possibilities which continue to grow as a rich and varied performance platform for both musicians.

Writing for the WIRE about this release Bill Meyer writes: "Dublin based Japanese pianist lzumi Kimura and Connecticut born percussionist/vocalist Gerry Hemingway have recorded previously with Barry Guy, but Kairos is their first duo effort. While each brought a piece to this session, most of it is jointly credited, but it does not sound like a product of free improvisation so much as an investigation in how each can support the other's strengths. Even in free moments, the pianist is inexorably drawn to melodies, which Hemingway abets with complementary tonal lines on his vibes and drum kit. And Kimura, who combines preparations with conventional keyboard sounds, uses a staccato attack to reinforce the drummer's intricate constructions. lt's a complementary partnership." Bill Meyer / Jazz & Improv - The Wire October 2023.

This concert will also feature ECM London based multi-instrumentalist FRED THOMAS.