Jazz festival set to triple in size
11/10/2005 - 15:34:52This year’s Guinness Cork Jazz Festival is set to attract treble the normal number of acts, thanks to record funding committed to the event.
Guinness are believed to be behind close on €1.2m sponsorship investment in the October bank holiday festival.
It’s the second biggest event in the sponsorship table of Guinness, only exceeded by the All-Ireland final.
At last night’s launch of the event, sponsorship manager with Guinness, Rory Sheridan, said they will be promoting it internationally this year. The committee and sponsor have also said that they will be seeking Arts Council grant aid for future festivals to ensure that the standard being set this year is maintained.
“We are determined that there will be no going back on this year and, in future years, sufficient funding will be present to ensure similar five-star festivals,” festival chairman Bill Johnson told The Evening Echo.
He is excited with this year’s line-up that includes some of the biggest acts in jazz, including Chick Corea and his Touchstone Quintet, legendary pianist McCoy Tyner and his trio, along with the Dave Holland Quintet.
Organisers say it will be the “best-ever festival”.
Rory Sheridan of Guinness claimed that advance booking of accommodation in the city has reached record levels. He added that Guinness are delighted to be involved for a 24th time in a festival that has been running for 27 years.
A nice feature of this year’s festival will be the recreation of the Duke Ellington Sacred Concert in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral featuring the Laurent Mignard Dukish Orchestra from Paris. It will be compared by former European President Pat Cox and will also feature a group of 30 Cork singers.
Some of the biggest names in international jazz will be playing in the festival. They include Enrico Pieranunzi, Tommy Smith, Terje Rypdai and Simon Nabatov, who will perform at major jazz centres including the Firkin Crane Centre and Triskel.
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