The Vernon Spring at Aiteall

Sam Beste calls to Bantry and the Aiteall weekend on a tour throughout the UK, Europe and Japan marking the fifth anniversary of his impressive debut album ‘A Plane Over Woods’.

The Vernon Spring is the recording project of North London-born musician Beste, whose journey traces various arcs across jazz, soul, ambient, and songwriting modes. Beste’s earliest exposure to music came from his father’s eclectic record collection, which ranged from Thelonious Monk to Bob Dylan, D’Angelo to Luigi Nono. At age eleven, a chance piano lesson set Beste in a pivotal direction, prompting an ongoing passion for improvisation that shaped his life’s trajectory.

Beste’s dedication and talent placed him in Amy Winehouse’s orbit, and he accompanied as her live pianist for the majority of her stellar career. Their pairing paved the way for other significant and diverse collaborations, including work with Gabriels, Kendrick Lamar producer Sounwave, Beth Orton, Kano, Joy Crookes, Matthew Herbert, and MF DOOM.