Jazz festival ends on high note with the all clear

FOR what seemed like the first time all weekend only the Guinness was pouring as die-hard revellers got ready for a fourth night of jiving at the Cork Jazz Festival.

It was a welcome respite from the ferocious downpour that greeted the fans who arrived in the city to soak up the atmosphere, the music and the free-flowing pints of plain.

Renowned as Europe’s friendliest jazz festival, the event has hosted many of the jazz ‘greats’ in its 26-year history, including Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson and Dizzy Gillespie.

This time round names like organist Jimmy Smith, Bobby Watson, the brilliant American alto sax star and composer, and the legendary Bobby Wellins and his quartet were on everyone’s lips.

“I come every year,” said Jim Colby from New York. “It’s a real fun festival and I would hate to miss it. The only trouble is that it takes me weeks to recover - and I’m not just talking about the jet lag.”

Likewise the Danish gentleman who was either too shy or too inebriated to disclose his name.

“I think I might need a blood transfusion after this,” he said as he bopped to the earth-shattering frenzy of the Harry Connolly Band.

“It’s probably the best jazz festival in the world,” he roared, somehow managing to talk and slurp his pint at the same time.

The festival had a wide variety of musical styles this year, ranging from hip-hop, R&B, blues, soul and, at one stage, even the plaintive notes of uileann pipes could be heard emanating from the festival club in the Gresham Metropole Hotel.

More than 40,000 people flocked to see acts ranging from the headliners appearing at the four principal venues to the vast array of lesser known bands playing in the numerous pubs, clubs and hotels on the festival fringe.

This year some 1,000 musicians from 25 countries entertained the fans in more than 75 venues around the city. The main concert venues were Cork Opera House, the Everyman Palace Theatre and the Triskel Arts Centre, while workshops and master classes were held in the shadow of Shandon at the Firkin Crane.

Once again, the Guinness Jazz Trail offered entertainment for those without deep pockets with free live music in more than 40 pubs and clubs.

The main attention late at night focused on the festival club in the Metropole, where five stages were on the go at any one time.

During the day the same venue entertained families enjoying the bank holiday.

The School of Music Big Band was a big hit.

“It beats school any day,” said one young lad who looked like he might be hooked on jazz for good.