11th July 2025: Paul Dunlea and Trevor Mires’ new album ‘SILFRA’ available for Pre Order from today…
We are elated to announce the Pre Order of ‘SILFRA’ the debut album from the brand new
trombone-led group ‘PHAROS’ by Paul Dunlea and Trevor Mires
ABOUT THE ALBUM
The twin trombone frontline is an esoteric but noble tradition in Jazz, harking back to the famed 1950s recordings of Kai Winding and JJ Johnson. While respecting the tradition, the internationally renowned trombonists Paul Dunlea(from Cork, Ireland) and Trevor Mires (from London, England) are not traditionalists, and their new collaborative project Silfra showcases their thoroughly contemporary skills as composers and arrangers to create a fascinatingly diverse set of trombone-led music. Silfra is the name of a place in Iceland where thetectonic plates of Europe and America meet and rub together. “I scuba-dived between the two plates and touched them both at the same time,”says Dunlea, and the album presents a true transatlantic meeting of talent.
The project was conceived after Paul and Trevor worked together on a project at London’s famous Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, and the music was recorded at the legendary New York studio of Rudy Van Gelder with a specially assembled band of their favourite US musicians. For the drum chair, Trevor chose Billy Kilson, famed for his long association with Dave Holland, while Paul selected bassist Ike Sturm (Donny McCaslin) and pianist Jim Ridl (Kurt Elling, Joe Locke).Ryan Keberle contributes a third trombone to some of the sections to create a full, 
lush sound. The result is a stunning album that combines influences from both the leaders’ multi-faceted careers, Paul’s Irish heritage, and their deep love of the jazz tradition. Paul’s deep respect for Irish history suggested the title of ‘Frongoch,’named after the town where the leaders of the 1916 Uprising were interned in a whiskey distillery. Ike Sturm’s bass provides a dramatic introduction to the uplifting fanfare of the melody that melts into Jim Ridl’s cascading piano virtuosity. ‘
Cypher Nutria’ was titled for Trevor’s meeting with an assertive rodent and cycles from a shuffle to a propulsive 4/4driven by Billy Kilson’s superb pocket. Evoking the stillness of theIcelandic waters, the meditative ‘Silfra’ creates an oasis of calm that leads the listener into the slick quiet-storm funk of Trevor’s ‘Watashi,’reminiscent of the Crusaders in their prime, with the echo-drenched trombone solos adding a cosmic dimension.‘Don’t Give Up On Me’ has the feel of a classic swing standard, with Trevor’s fleet, full-toned solo recalling JJ Johnson, and the sunnily optimistic feeling continues for the waltz-time swing of ‘176 PZK’—the cryptic title is actually the registration number of his grandad’s car that used to ferry Paul and family off to summer holidays.
Finally, bookending the Irish theme, ‘Saorise’ (‘Freedom’ in Gaelic) uses electric bass and traditional Irish harmony to express ideas of multi-cultural unity, free exchange and free expression in a mellow but uplifting anthem. Silfra is a beautifully realised album from two master musicians completely at ease in their surroundings. Trevor says, “It felt, at once, amagical and a homely place, to make music.” Paul asserts, “We did it of four own backs and ended up working in one of the best studios in the world with some of the best musicians, playing our own music with our best mates. It doesn’t get much better than that.”