Jazzed up with a mix of rock, rap and fusion

The 34th Cork Guinness festival has expanded from its core musical base, says Kieran Bohane

THESE days, jazz is a broad church. A quick glance at the performers in the annual Guinness Jazz Festival — now in its 34th year — emphasises that jazz festivals are not the niche event they once were.

Nowadays the festival in Cork is about getting bums on seats, and in fulfilling that role it showcases an eclectic mix, from jazz to rock and rap to fusion. And in Cork there are usually a few oddities: Stanley Jordan at the Triskel on Saturday night being one of the oddest.