Carnival of Soul

The 42nd Guinness Cork Jazz Festival takes place this month across this year’s last bank holiday weekend.

The eagerly anticipated weekender is one of the biggest and longest running events on the calendar.

The festival, from October 24 to 28, will attract more than 50,000 fans as Cork continues to rival big jazz events such as those in Montreux and New Orleans.

More than 1,000 musicians and creative artists from more than 20 countries are taking part.

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

The festival kicks off with a special Blaze of Jazz parade on the Thursday. There’s also a great line up at the Metropole Festival Club, and an exciting fringe programme of free gigs and entertainment in more than 70 venues across the city.

King Kong Company are among the 50 new acts added to the line-up

An incredible 95 per cent of the live performances are free. Guinness has been associated with the festival since 1982 and it has established itself as one of the world’s great jazz spectaculars.

In addition it gives a remarkable €35 million boost to the Leeside economy. Headliners include soul queen Mica Paris singing the songs of Ella Fitzgerald at The Everyman on Friday.

I would recommend checking out Booka Brass Band, Ireland’s first New Orleans style brass band. They also play on Friday, at Cork Opera House.

Three amazing brass bands, The OhnO! Jazzband, Hyde Park Brass, and Les FanFlures go back to back on Saturday afternoon at The Everyman.

And 14-time Grammy nominee Kurt Elling pays tribute to jazz legends such as Louis Armstrong, Nat King Cole, Jon Hendricks, Shirley Horn and Nancy Wilson on Saturday at City Hall. At the Opera House on Saturday, Jenny Greene will be headlining.

The amazing American jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra, whose 30 albums have sold more than 10 million copies across four decades play The Everyman on Saturday.

At the same venue on Sunday is Northern Ireland’s famous Trumpeter Linley Hamilton, one of the most prolific figures in the jazz scene. While Waterford’s superb King Kong Company play the Opera House on Sunday.

For me, the biggest show of the weekend stars Motown diva Martha Reeves and The Vandellas at City Hall on Sunday. Martha is one of Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Immortal Artists.

Michael Lyons, On-Trade Sales Manager, Diageo Ireland, has urged music lovers to experience the welcoming and party vibe in Cork this year.

He said: “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.”

For details and bookings see Guinnessjazzfestival.com