Sam Comerford

Appears on:

• PIERGIORGIO PIRRO
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Sam Comerford (b. 1991 Salem, MA, USA) is a musician and composer from Dublin, Ireland, living in Brussels, Belgium.
He composes for and leads the trio Thunderblender, whose critically acclaimed debut album Stillorgan (WERF records, 2020) was described by RTE Lyric FM as “the estrangement of the familiar”. Upcoming projects as a bandleader include a solo saxophone album based on the music of Irish fiddler Tommie Potts, a second album with Thunderblender, and the soundtrack of experimental horror film Hexham Heads.
Alongside his own musical activities he maintains a busy schedule touring and recording in various projects incorporating elements of jazz, improvised music, and Irish music. These include Lander & Gorik (BE) Neil Ó Loclainn’s Cuar (IE), Hendrik Lasure & warm bad (BE), Aerie (DE/IE/CH), Umbra (IE), Insufficient Funs (IE), Augusto Pirroda Septet (IT/BE), ODIL (BE/CH/FR), Mobilhome (BE), Utsav Lal & Ragas to Reels, Teh Trio (TW), Hayden Chisholm saxophone quartet (IE, 2013), and European Saxophone Ensemble (2012-13), led by Guillaume Orti.
He has a masters in Jazz saxophone from the Royal Conservatory of Brussels (KCB), and a BA in Jazz performance from Newpark Music Centre (now DCU) in Dublin. He has been awarded the Toots Thielemans Award from the KCB, the “Best Soloist” prize from the Concours Tremplin d’Avignon, and has been supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, Music Network, and the Vlaamse Overheid.
He has played at Jazz Middelheim, Handelsbeurs, De Bijloke, Flagey, Theatre National Bruxelles, KVS, Gaume Jazz Festival, (BE) 12 Points Festival (IE), Jazzdor (DE and FR), Schaffhauser Jazzfestival (CH), Match&Fuse festivals (IE and CH), Vilnius, Belgrade, Cork, Dublin, Manchester and Galway jazz festivals, Fat Cat Jazz Club Mongolia, Southbank Centre, Vortex Jazz club, Café OTO (UK), Meeting Jazz club (CN), Blue Frog, Mumbai (IN), and Sappho Jazz club (TW).