Guinness Cork Jazz Festival – 2019 Programme – 24th to 28 October

13 October 2019
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie

Jazz musician, Gary Baus, and swing dancers, Laura Hicks and Ferran Mata, pictured launching the 42nd Guinness Cork Jazz Festival 
Picture: Clare Keogh

2019 Guinness Cork Jazz Festival Programme

What’s happening at the 42^nd Guinness Cork Jazz Festival?

Well, first lets’s say it takes place over the bank holiday weekend from 24^th to 28^th October 2019.

The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival is one of the biggest and longest running events on the Irish music calendar. Every nook and cranny of Cork City will come alive across the festival weekend to the sounds of over 1,000 musicians and creative artists from more than 20 countries.

This year’s festival will host a fantastic array of top international headline jazz acts, including Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Kurt Elling, The Big Brass Band Explosion, Dr. Linley Hamilton Quintet, Fred Hersch Trio, Mica Paris, and Spyro Gyra.

There’s also a great line up at the Metropole Festival Club, and an exciting fringe programme of free gigs and entertainment in over 70 city venues across the city.

This year we’re also looking forward to the Blaze of Jazz Parade, which will kick off the weekend on Friday 24^th in spectacular ‘flare’.  This family-friendly parade will feature a mix of red-hot jazz bands with fiery Cork characters in a dramatic musical march full of flaming antics.

Other highlights include the Jazz Jamboree, Jazz Food Fair, and The Artistry of Frank Sinatra audio-visual event with more to be announced soon!

You could spend your time wandering from venue to venue, taking in free on-street sessions, but we also recommend booking tickets to at least one must-see acts on www.guinnessjazzfestival.com before it’s too late…

HEADLINER HIGHLIGHTS:

FRIDAY: 

1. British soul queen and platinum selling artist Mica Paris singing Ella Fitzgerald. Friday October 25^th, The Everyman, 8pm 

2. Booka Brass Band, Ireland’s first New Orleans style brass band.
   Friday October 25^th, Cork Opera House, 11.30pm

1. Prize winning saxophonist and composer Paul Booth followed by Tudo Bem’s celebration of the Music of Brazil at the much-loved Jazz at the Green Room sessions at Cork Opera House.  Friday 25 October 2019, 10pm and midnight

 SATURDAY:

4. Big Brass Band Explosion – Three amazing brass bands – The OhnO! Jazzband, Hyde Park Brass, and Les FanFlures – will play back to back in a gig guaranteed to knock your socks off. Saturday October 26^th, The Everyman, 2pm 

Heavy funk brass band, Les Fanflures
Picture: Clare Keogh

5. 14-time Grammy nominee Kurt Elling – named stand out male vocalist of our time by the New York Times – will pay tribute to jazz legends like Louis Armstrong, Nat “King” Cole, Jon Hendricks, Nancy Wilson and Shirley Horn in his ‘A Century of Heroes’ show. Saturday October 26^th, Cork City Hall, 8pm. 

6. American Jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra whose 30 albums have sold over 10 million copies over four decades. Saturday October 26^th, The Everyman 8pm 

7. Renowned ECM artist John Surman, who is known for expanding the horizons of jazz, will present a special concert with pianist Vigleik Storaas. Saturday October 26^th, Triskel Christchurch, 8pm.

SUNDAY: 

8. Ariellle Besson, Sebastian Sternal & Jonas Bergwinkel Trio – Leading the new wave of young European improvising trumpeters, Airelle Besson will perform with pianist Sebastian Sternal, and drummer Jonas Burgwinkel.
   Sunday October 27^th, Triskel Arts Centre, 2.30pm
9. Northern Ireland’s famous jazz trumpeter Dr. Linley Hamilton and his quintet will play a double-bill with 14-time Grammy nominee and 2018 Jazz Pianist of the Year, Fred Hersh, who is flying in from the US with his jazz Trio. Sunday October 27^th, The Everyman, 7pm 

10. Motown diva and Grammy Hall of Famer, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, who is listed among Rolling Stone magazine’s “100 Immortal Artists”.
    Sunday October 27^th, Cork City Hall, 8pm

Also, to mark ECM record label’s 50^th anniversary, Triskel Arts Centre has curated a weekend of concerts and cinema during the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival weekend.

Finally, you can’t miss out on the experience of attending a gig at the Metropole Festival Club, where a host of fresh new international talent will perform from the UK, France, Canada and Ireland. Entry is just €30 per person and will give you access to the entire hotel with jazz acts in four rooms including New York Brass, Pixie & The Gypsies, NC Grey and the Hyde Park Brass Band.  The Metropole is also hosting a Jazz Platinum VIP Lounge this year where you can experience smooth purist jazz in an intimate setting with champagne and charcuterie boards, tapas and oysters for €75 per person.

 At this year’s programme launch event, Councillor John Sheehan, Lord Mayor of Cork, welcomed the continued support of local businesses in 2019, “The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival attracts more than 40,000 people to Cork annually and is worth millions to the local economy. Its continued success is a testament to the fantastic team ethos that has evolved over the years between Guinness, the festival committee, local government and the local business community and I wish it every success once again in 2019.”

Michael Lyons, On-Trade Sales Manager, Diageo Ireland, is calling all music lovers and to experience the welcoming and party vibe in Cork for this year’s festival.  “The festival has always boasted a line-up of music for the soul and we are thrilled to welcome some of the greatest musicians from the Jazz, RnB, Soul and Motown genres again this year. Those looking for a unique party atmosphere emanating from every part of the city have lots to look forward to with free gigs and fringe events for every palette.”

 Fiona Collins, Chairperson of the Guinness Cork Jazz Committee commented, “The festival committee is delighted to work in partnership with Diageo Ireland, Cork City Council, Cork Business Association, Cork Chamber and businesses all over the city to create another fantastic weekend programme to be proud of and it’s a great opportunity to showcase the city and it’s welcoming vibe to thousands of Irish and overseas visitors”.

For Guinness Cork Jazz Festival updates and tickets please visit www.guinnessjazzfestival.com. And follow the festival social channels for the latest news  -Facebook.com/corkjazzfestival