A financial boost from Cork 2005 has enabled organisers of the Guinness Jazz Festival to attract aimpressive line-up, with record numbers of visitors expected to come to the city over the next four days.
Capital of Culture organisers are bringing three of the most important groups in jazz to the festival line up - Chick Corea and his Touchstone quintet, who will perform at the Opera House tonight, the legendary pianist McCoy Tyner and his Trio, as well as the Dave Holland Quintet.
The Everyman Palace Theatre hosts five major concerts - all double bills. The festival debut of songstress Gwyneth Herbert, a regular on the Parkinson Show, is eagerly awaited. She's being hailed as the "new Norah Jones" and is part of a double-header with the great French accordionist, Richard Galliano, tomorrow at the theatre on McCurtain Street.
Heavy advance bookings from Britain are reported by the Everyman Palace for concerts by jazz legends Roy Haynes, Ron Carter, Al Foster, Charles Tolliver and Dave Holland.
The sound of jazz will be heard in six main venues - Cork Opera House, Gresham Metropole Hotel, Everyman Palace, ICD Firkin Crane Centre, Triskel Arts Centre and the Granary Theatre.
Meanwhile, the fringe festival will include the first performance in Ireland of Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert, at St Fin Barre's Cathedral on Sunday afternoon. Other highlights include Ireland's first jazz poetry slam and jazz lectures and workshops. To cope with the increasing number of visitors to Cork, the Guinness Music Trail will offer rhythm 'n' blues and roots music, mostly free of charge, in over 70 pubs, clubs and major hotels.
Rory Sheridan of Guinness says the 2005 festival continues to reflect the ever-changing face of jazz as it moves forward with new sounds and new audiences.
"We are firmly focused on bringing the best to Cork and building on our reputation as one of the best and most successful festivals in Ireland, one that has been described by the Guardian newspaper in the UK as 'the jewel in the crown of Irish festivals'." Full information is available at www.guinnessjazzfestival.com