As part of the Oxford International Women’s Festival 2012 Irish vocalist Anne L Ryan will present Jibb Rishes Songologue, a vocal clown at the Old Fire Station, George Street, Oxford on Friday 9 March, 8pm.

A vocal clown brings to life glimpses of her past on and off the stage, through songs and vignettes set against an evocative soundscape. The character of Jibb Rish is from a by-gone world that she recreates for us with a modern twist, creating a whirl-wind songologue that is quizzical, funny and moving. She portrays her past using ethnic song (Irish, Spanish, Yiddish, Georgian), Anglo-Irish verse with Cage, Beckett and Kagel participating in the dramatic back-drop. Jibb Rish has many voices that come to life through sounding, vocalising, original composition and songs. Jibb Rishes Songologue received its premiere at the Cambridge Festival of Ideas in October 2010. It is a constantly evolving vocal music theatre song cycle; a series of independent scenarios revealing glimpses of Jibb Rishes vocal clown story.

John is an extremely fine trumpeter and composer whose career to date has seen him in the company of everyone from Jamie Cullum to the Super Furry Animals by way of Shirley Bassey! John began his formidable trumpet career with the National Youth Orchestra. However, John began to see the light. A career in jazz, with the accompanying promise of unfeasibly high earnings potential and fame, beckoned. Having won ‘Outstanding Musician’ award during a three year stint at Berklee College of Music in Boston, John returned to the UK and has since made a name for himself as an extremely talented performer and producer. Doors open at 8.15pm and the band will play from 9 - 11pm

Marius brings Golden Xplosion to the Spin as part of a UK tour and his group features some equally stellar names from UK and Scandinavia – Danish bassist Jasper Høiby, Swedish drummer Anton Eger and the British pianist Ivo Neame make this really special quartet. Doors open at 8.15pm and the band will be playing from 9-11pm. Twenty-five-year-old saxophonist Marius Neset is a marvel. He makes his instrument dance like a gazelle and soar like an eagle, and he’s an ingenious composer too. Ivan Hewitt – TELEGRAPH *****