About Carole
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Carole is a London-born jazz pianist, saxophonist and composer who has been living in Ireland since 1986.
Her current project, the Carole Nelson Trio, with Carole on piano and saxophone, bassist Cormac O'Brien and drummer Dominic Mullen, began at the 2015 Dublin Trio Trio Trio Piano Festival. The Trio’s first album, One Day in Winter was released November 2017 . 'A finely-wraught meditation that tapped into the spacious European piano trio tradition of Tord Gustavsen and Marcin Wasilewski' Cormac Larkin, Irish Times. Arboreal the trio's second album, features another collection of outstanding compositions. 'One of the most original jazz composers in Ireland' Irish Times 'a rare and exceptional talent' Irish Times The trio's 2022 release Night Vision continued the trio's development "a wonderful mix of query, quietude and clarity" Irish Times best albums of 2022 Through the Storm. (Livia Records) the trio's 4th album released 2025 In 2020 Carole joined the art collective Na Cailleacha, a group of older women who continue making art into their 70s and 80s. She has collaborated on three films with visual artist Barbara Freeman, 'Ithaca' winning several awards including best film in New York Art Film Festival. Carole formed Zrazy with vocalist Maria Walsh in 1991. Their debut CD Give It All Up won the 1992 Hot Press/Music Critics Best New Band Award. Carole has since recorded five further albums of critically-acclaimed and award-winning music with Zrazy. Their 1998 album Private Wars won an American GLAMA award (Gay and Lesbian American Music Award) for Best Jazz. Zrazy performed at the Galway Jazz Festival, the Cork Jazz Festival and have toured extensively in North America and Europe. "glorious free-spirited jazz” – The Irish Times Carole has arranged original music for the Dublin choir Gloria. Her composition Beloved and other arrangements are now performed by choirs worldwide. Carole's theatre work includes composition for The Trojan Women at the Peacock and Emma Donoghues's Ladies and Gentlemen at the Project. |
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