Jazz fest plays off key

IF you chose your concerts wisely this past Cork jazz weekend, your experience would have belied the negative media previews, which focused on the dilution of jazz in favour of a mélange of soul, rock and pop.

The excellent, sassy Rene Marie kicked things off on the Friday night; Billy Cobham performed an epic homage to his Spectrum album on Saturday night; harpist Edmar Castaneda was a ray of sunshine on Sunday afternoon; the irrepressible aural assault of Snarky Puppy followed the raucous Mingus Big Band, on Sunday evening; a session of free jazz followed in the Triskel.

The problem was you had to willfully ignore how the Cork Jazz Festival was presenting itself and recreate your version of what the festival should be.