Duke Ellington: 4FM

Architect Allen Smith is rightly regarded as one of the fathers of Ireland's contemporary jazz scene and is, to declare an interest, the person primarily responsible for leading the Sunday Tribune's jazz correspondent down the path to jazz ruin. Back in the early '80s, Smith founded Jazz on the Terrace, a promotions company and record label.

And in a series of hugely influential but entirely unprofitable jazz festivals beginning in 1984, he started bringing leading Americans like saxophonist Dave Liebman, guitarist John Abercrombie and trumpeter Bobby Shew to Dublin, crucially to play with local musicians such as Louis Stewart and the young Ronan Guilfoyle.

The latter's first recording was a duo with Russian pianist Simon Nabatov on the Terrace Records label with a cover by Smith's son, the artist Blaise Smith, which is a collectors' item today. Modest to a fault, Smith's endeavours were nonetheless a crucial ingredient in the development of the contemporary scene, and he was the prime mover in the foundation of the Improvised Music Company, Ireland's busiest jazz and world music promoter.

Now retired from his day job with the Office of Public Works, Smith has thrown himself once more into his first passion, presenting a jazz show on the new 4FM radio station. He has already laid down a marker by mixing classics from Miles Davis and Duke Ellington with the best of contemporary Irish jazz, including tracks by groups as diverse as the Justin Carroll Trio and Sligo's Jazz Lads. His show goes out on Wednesdays at 9pm and to view its playlist, see www.jazzontheterrace.com.

Next Sunday (5 April) at Dublin's JJ Smyth's, saxophonist Cathal Roche leads his trio through a set of his own compositions, based on transcriptions of speech patterns, an area which has been such fertile ground for Brazilian genius Hermeto Pascoal.

The hotly-tipped young saxophonist Matt Halpin takes time off from studying for his Leaving to make his debut as a leader at JJ's on Sunday 12 April with a quartet that features pianist Justin Carroll and 16-year-old Swedish drummer Karl-Henrik Ousback. Halpin is headed for the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston next year, so the next time he returns to Ireland, queues may form.

Carroll's own group, Togetherness, will be at the same venue on 19 April. Featuring saxophonist Michael Buckley, bassist Simon Jermyn and drummer Sean Carpio, the group is something of an Irish jazz dream team and their excellent new record reveals the pianist to be a sure hand at the tiller.

Also with a new record in tow is Dublin-resident Italian pianist Francesco Turrisi, forsaking his Steinway for a piano accordion and a frame drum for his Tarab group, which explores the folk traditions of the Mediterranean in the company of saxophonist Nick Roth, cellist Kate Ellis, traditional flautist Emer Maycock and percussionist Robbie Harris. Tarab plays JJs tonight at 8.30pm. See improvisedmusic.ie.