Here’s who’s coming to Cork for the Jazz Festival this October
It’s that time of year again: the nights are getting longer, the days are getting cooler, and Cork is gearing up to celebate its 40th Guinness Cork Jazz Festival.
This year the line-up includes three-time Grammy Award-winning Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dublin star Imelda May, American post-bop jazz saxophonist and flautist Kenny Garrett, and a partnership with Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club of Soho.
The festival began as a local gathering of musicians and has evolved into one of the most high profile jazz events in Europe.
This year from October 27 - 30, more than 40,000 people from home and abroad will descend upon the jazz capital of Europe.
Over the past 40 years, the festival has attracted some of the most influential jazz musicians in the world to Cork including Ronnie Scott, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, Wynton Marsalis, Van Morrison, Buddy Rich, BB King, Gregory Porter, Marcus Miller and Chick Corea.
This year the stellar line-up includes international acts such as Memphis jazz legend Dee Dee Bridgewater, Grammy Award-winning Kenny Garrett, Critically Acclaimed Nicholas Payton & James Morrison as well as home-grown talent Soul Sensation Imelda May, plus a special presentation of the music from the biggest selling jazz album of all time, Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue with Gary Crosby’s Nu Troop.
To mark the 40 year milestone, The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival have also partnered with Ronnie’s Scott’s Jazz Club of Soho which is a first for any jazz festival in Europe.
Ronnie Scott’s will operate a pop-up jazz club at the Festival Club in the Metropole Hotel which will feature many Irish and overseas musicians; and the ‘Ronnie Scott’s All Stars’ band will play The Everyman on Sunday afternoon, all as part of an in-depth partnership that looks set to be one of the major highlights over the festival weekend.
"40 years ago, the legendary band leader, Ronnie Scott, was the first international headliner to play at the inaugural Cork Jazz Festival. It is most appropriate that, as we celebrate its 40th edition, we have created this exclusive partnership with his famous jazz club in London," said Jennifer Gleeson, Guinness Cork Jazz sponsorship manager.
"This vital connection opens up a brilliant opportunity for the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival to connect directly with the vast Ronnie Scott’s Club network of jazz fans all over the world – and to bring more overseas visitors to the event."
As well as the ticketed gigs, there is a melting pot of free jazz entertainment over the weekend, in over 70 venues including pubs, hotels, restaurants and clubs. An open air concert will take place on Friday October 27 at Emmet Place, headlined by Brian Deady and Paddy Casey, as well as a street parade on the Saturday, which includes vibrant street performers, marching bands and even a dedicated jazz bus!
Jennifer concluded: ‘We are proud to continue to support this important cultural event and to work in partnership with the Cork Jazz Festival Committee. This is a big festival year for both of us as we continue to work together to keep the festival strong and healthy and to support the local economy. It’s an amazing event that has gone from strength to strength for 40 years and long may it continue to do so.’
Full details for the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival can be found here.
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