Guinness Cork Jazz Festival review: Matthew Halsall and co provided a balm for the soul 

The opening night of the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival featured a number of sold-out events, with some great gigs heralding the return of live music

Matthew Halsall at the Everyman for the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. Picture John Cronin

And we’re back. Two long, strange years since the last Guinness Cork Jazz Festival when Fred Hersch touched us all with a poignant performance that, rather prophetically, evoked the spirit of human defiance in the face of illness, it’s back to the Everyman for the best weekend of the year.

Opening night at the MacCurtain Street venue featured two gigs: early, it was MåsExödus, a project from Mark Murphy of the Choice Cuts promoters who are involved in programming sections of the festival; while at 10pm, Matthew Halsall promised a glimpse at one of the leading artists in the recent resurgence of jazz in the UK.