Party time as jazz greats roll into town
The country's leading cultural festival has this year attracted some of the world best jazz musicians who will perform and party by the river Lee for the next three days.
Every bed in the city is booked and festival bosses said ticket sales have hit a new peak. The music started last night and it won't stop until very late on Monday evening.
There will be a few pints consumed along the way with almost 100 pubs promising free rhythm and roots music during the weekend.
But it's not all jazz with performers such as the ever-popular Sharon Shannon and The Waterboys playing in the Opera House.
The international gathering of musicians includes 120 bands and 1,000 musicians from 26 countries.
Some of the musicians who will perform on the festival's 14 stages include Europe's number one jazz maestro Jan Garbarek and African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim. The festival's sponsors and organisers believe jazz has become more popular since the event began in 1978.
"We expect another sell-out jazz weekend," Guinness regional manager Michael Lyons said.
"With interest in jazz at an all- time high thanks to the exploits of Norah Jones and Diana Krall, Cork is reaping the benefit," he said.
Bigger audiences this year mean the festival will use two new venues the Granary Theatre on the Mardyke and the Firkin Crane Theatre in Shandon. Those who remember the festival's humble Beginnings last night predicted this would be the best weekend yet.
"It will be another weekend to remember as we celebrate over 26 years of great music in Ireland's jazz capital," the festival committee chairman Bill Johnson said.
The future of jazz in the city looks secure after the festival appointed its first artist in residence this week.
The Memphis-born jazz supremo James Williams will work with young performers at the Cork School of Music this weekend.
"It's important to me to be able to pass on the jazz flame to the younger generation," he said.
