Keith Copeland
“Round trip” Steeplechase Label
Keith Copeland (drums)
Tommy Halferty (guitar)
Ronan Guilfoyle (bass)
Halferty's thick tone and juicy blend of bebop lines and fat resonant chords tend to dominate this record, though Copeland and Guilfoyle are no slouches and the resultant trio has plenty of grip. Highlights would be a somewhat Latinized "You don't know what love is" and a very gritty blues called "Minor Infringement". A rare example of Steeplechase recording in Ireland!
Tommy Halferty quartet provided the most solid material of this jazz Cascias Festival in portugal. It was a reflection of the rising stature of the Irish guitarist
Brian French – Sunday Tribune – 86
Harmonically and melodically, Halferty is a distinctive guitarist
The Irish Times – 93
There are few Irish Jazz Guitarists that can deliver with gusto and taste at this level, Tommy Halferty is one of them
Newsletter Belfast – 96
Halferty is an interesting player that fans of guitarists Scofield and Catherine should be aware of
New York Jazz Times – 97
He (Keith Copeland) will be delighted to introduce the excellent Tommy Halferty to a wider audience
Mark Gardner (Co-Author, "The Blackwell Guide to Recorded Jazz")
Tommy Halferty's superb duo album with Mike Nielsen is perhaps the finest Irish jazz recording ever made
The Sunday Tribune
A review of a new recording by two of Ireland's finest jazz guitarists.
SEÁN MACERLAINE
Guitarists Mike Nielsen and Tommy Halferty are no strangers to the Irish Jazz scene. Halferty’s incendiary style lends itself to his Franco-Irish organ trio, while his group Rhythms of Bahia demonstrates his love of Brazilian music. Mike Nielsen’s exploratory nature is perhaps best captured with the GuiIfoyle/Nielsen Trio, a group that has worked with many Jazz luminaries including Dave Liebman, and last year Joe Lovano, as part of the Dublin Jazz Week.
Read more: In Two (1997) – Mike Nielsen and Tommy Halferty - Album Review