Guinness Cork Jazz Festival highlights: 10 gigs to see over the weekend
The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival has dozens of gigs over the weekend. Picture: Clare Keogh
The German outfit have long joined the dots between electronica and jazz, and are in Cork to showcase their reworkings of tunes released on Detroit label Strata. It’s an early start for music that would also work in a 4am slot, but also a fine way to kick off the festival.
The Manchester three-piece thrilled at the Triskel on their previous festival visit to Cork. Modern jazz sounds from musicians who obviously listen to club sounds too.
Prince’s backing band return to the city some of them accompanied on the tour that included an appearance at Páirc Ui Chaoimh in 1990. Not surprisingly, their set is all about paying homage to their late leader, so they’ll be rolling out the greatest hits as well as a few lesser-known funky album tracks.
A son of Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti, the Nigerian’s band includes members of his father’s original outfit, Egypt 80. Seun has also continued Fela’s musical melding of western jazz and African styles. Expect booty-shaking brilliance at the MacCurtain Street venue.
Matthew Halsall’s incredible gig last year at the Everyman reminded us how much the harp can be such an important instrument in jazz, and Younger will be carrying on a tradition that goes back to the likes of Alice Coltrane.
The highly-rated New Yorker is playing the North Main St venue as part of an immersive experience to accompany an exhibition of pictures by jazz photographer Chuck Stewart. (The exhibition itself is also free to attend before 5pm each day)
While the festival’s other Brazilian visitor, Hermeto Pascoal, represents the original generation of the South American country’s jazz stars, Freitas is very much in the younger vanguard. His is the sound of a contemporary piano trio, but echoes of his native country are also apparent in much of his music.
He’s best known for 1990s hit ‘There’s Nothing Like This’ — a tune one of the most distinctive basslines of the decade — but, with eight albums under his belt, the British soul singer has no shortage of other songs to draw on. He’ll also be familiar to fans of EastEnders, as he joined the cast of the BBC soap in July, playing Avery Baker. His appearances in Cork will be part of bills that include impressive Dublin ensemble MasExodus, and New York rapper Jeru The Damaja.
Brazilian jazz legend, 86, who includes sessions with Miles Davis on his storied CV. As ever, he’ll be accompanied by his veteran sextet.
The Tobin Street venue practically guarantees quality with its jazz festival roster, and the British saxophonist continues Triskel’s showcasing of acts on the ECM label. (The headliner on Saturday is another ECM artist, American guitarist Ralph Towner)
Even if you’re not buying tickets for gigs, there’s plenty free music to be had in the streets, bars, and hotels. For instance, a stage at Emmet Place by the Opera House will have various brass bands playing Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Also, the River Lee Hotel has the New York Brass Band on Saturday at 3pm, while the Metropole (the venue where it all began back in 1978) also has free music in the afternoons.
- The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival runs until Monday, October 31. For full listings, see guinnesscorkjazz.com
