Paul Casey announces special Chris Rea tribute show for City of Derry Jazz Festival

Paul Casey has announced REA-MAGINED, a specially curated Chris Rea tribute show for City of Derry Jazz Festival in early May 2025.

A seminal figure in the history of modern guitar, Rea is no longer touring. The show will allow for a rare opportunity to witness his music live, like never before, as his long-time collaborator Casey interprets the classic hits.

It is set to honour Rea’s musical legacy, on the back of the decades-long relationship between Casey and Rea.

Rea spoke highly of his protégé’s guitar-playing in an interview with Hot Press: “His first demos were absolutely amazing. It was an eerie feeling for me because it was as if I’d played it. It was so accurate.”

On Paul’s vocals, he said, “He’s got a really nice tone – a soft, Irish tone. There's something very Irish in what he does. But there's something very Irish in what I do as well. He's like a younger brother. He's now been my inspiration to get some songs done. Paul’s a good friend. I think it's wonderful what's happened to him.”

Speaking of Rea’s relationship to live shows, Casey said: “Chris wrote music that was always supposed to be played live.”

“It’s always been a thrill to work with Chris, and so putting together this initiative has been a brilliant experience. I want to continue his live legacy in the right way, because it’s all about playing in front of an audience, and for an audience. Otherwise, why do we do any of this in the first place?”

“We’re putting together something that will deliver the hits, live, in a new way but always staying true to Chris’ incredible songwriting. We’re planning a big night – with a couple of surprises along the way!”

This time last year, Casey and Rea co-wrote the track ‘Peace Bridge’, which you can listen to below:

On top of this City of Derry Jazz Festival show, Casey plays St. Columb’s Hall on December 27.

Tickets for the REA-MAGINED show are available at derryjazzfestival.com