The festival is one of the most iconic events of its kind on the national cultural calendar.

The superb trio of Airelle Besson, Sebastian Sternal and Jonas Burgwinkel at Triskel provided an example of the current rude health of European jazz, writes Philip Watson.

'Jimmy Mack' and 'Heat Wave' have people jiving in the aisles.

Kurt Elling, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Mica Paris, and a live orchestral rendition of Dr Dre’s classic hip-hop album 2001 were some of the highlights of the 42nd Guinness Cork Jazz Festival over the weekend.

From old-style vocalists to cutting edge innovators, there was some fine music to be heard at the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival.

Cork has, rightly, for many years styled itself as a City of Festivals. Many, many other cites; many, many other communities, host many and varied festivals but not that many do so with such natural, unfettered gusto and enthusiasm.

Monday is the day for the screening of Bruce Springsteen’s Western Stars, part-concert film, part music documentary.

Music promoter Ed O’Leary is one half of events company The Good Room, along with Joe Kelly, he organises events and festivals including It Takes A Village music festival and Cork Podcast Festival, as well as venues Live At St Luke’s and the recently re-opened Kino on Washington St, where music trail events will take place throughout this weekend’s Guinness Cork Jazz Festival.

What do you get when you mix red-hot jazz with the fiery characters of Cork, and the unique surge of Guinness?

Everything entertainment you need to look out for

In advance of her appearance at the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, Ellie O'Byrne chats to Motown legend Martha Reeves

KINSALE LITERARY FEST: The third incarnation of the Words by Water event takes place next weekend with its most impressive line-up yet.

After originally announcing new record i,i for the end of the month, Bon Iver took the music world by surprise with the digital release of the new album.

One of Cork Business Association’s top awards went to the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, which we are told now generates €40m for the city and the regional economy.

Our regular contributors select their highlights of the year

One of the most ambitious undertakings of this year's Guinness Cork Jazz Festival has been to book three concerts at the City Hall, a sizeable new venue for the event. Rostered for the Saturday night slot was Laura Mvula, the British soul singer who burst on the scene in 2013 with her debut album Sing To The Moon.

There’s no shortage of music options at the newly-expanded festival.

Paul Dunlea is the first artist-in- residence for the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, which takes place this weekend.

Laura Mvula tells Ed Power how she’s looking forward to her jazz festival appearance in Cork at the weekend

Sinead Dunphy is festival director of the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival

Maria Schneider has collaborated with Bowie and won a flock of Grammy awards. No wonder her orchestra's visit to Cork is being hailed as a coup for the upcoming jazz festival, writes Philip Watson

The Cure are sold out already, but Lana Del Rey has also been added to the summer roster for Malahide Castle in what has been a big week for gig announcements.

Des O'Driscoll shares this week's talking points from the world of music, TV and film

Indiependence (Aug 3-5) in Mitchelstown has revealed its day-to-day lineup.

Today is International Jazz Day. To mark the occasion, Jonathan deBurca Butler asked some well-known fans and musicians about their love of the genre.

Our regular contributors select their highlights of the year.

Our regular contributors select their highlights of the year.

Cork’s long-running jazz festival provided a mix of old and new sounds, writes Alan O’Riordan

Youngsters from the Cork Music Generation joining the New York Brass Band to play Daft Punk’s ‘Get Lucky’ on the open-air stage in Emmet Place encapsulated an unofficial theme for this year’s Guinness Cork Jazz festival: The international musical connections the festival has built up over its 40-year history.

A party atmosphere kicked off the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival when large crowds thronged a free open-air concert, signalling the start of celebrations for the festival’s 40th birthday.

Nicholas Payton is looking forward to bringing his boundary bursting tunes to the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival this weekend, writes Ed Power.

MUSIC NEWS: We haven’t heard much from Tom Waits in recent years, but ANTI-records has announced the re-release of the seven albums the 67-year-old had put out on the label. 

Up to 40,000 people are expected to jive their way through the 40th Guinness Cork Jazz Festival this bank holiday weekend, with free open-air gigs, a jazz parade, and an open top jazz bus among the highlights.

George Patterson fronts The Roaring Forties, a band formed in 2003 for the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. 

UK folk hero June Tabor returns to Cork, a city she first played in the 1970s, with her genre-defying trio Quercus, writes Ed Power.

CONGRATULATIONS to the organisers of this year’s Guinness Cork Jazz Festival; they have planned it for a weekend — October 27-30 — when the 10-day weather forecasts promise mere clouds and only a moderate risk of rain... the weather, then, as normal in our part of the world.

Jeremy Hickey, aka musician Rarely Seen Above Ground (RSAG) was born and raised in Kilkenny. “My first love was for hurling, soccer, football and basketball. 

Music, comedy, drama and the annual Christmas panto will bring the Everyman Theatre’s 120th anniversary celebrations to a close, the venue’s autumn/winter programme launch has revealed.

MUSIC NEWS: Despite still being in the midst of an extensive Joshua Tree tour, U2’s release of a new song earlier this week shows the band are not planning to stand still any time soon.

Des O’Driscoll with the latest entertainment news and events

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today