12 POINTS! INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL: Project Arts Centre, East Essex St, Dublin Wed Feb 11th-Sat Feb 14th 01-88196131/4 www.12points.ieNow in its third year, the 12 Points! festival is based on a simple but unique idea; with Europe now full of exciting and accomplished young jazz talent – and, in the controversial opinion of some commentators, more open to innovation and musical daring than the jazz homeland, America – why not have a festival devoted to the pick of these young European players?
Following the successes of the first two years, this year’s event, which will be opened by the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Martin Cullen, will have performers from Poland, Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Italy, Norway, England, France, Spain, The Netherlands and Denmark. They range from the first Polish group to appear at the festival, the venturesome Audiofeeling, through the quirkily engaging Paavo, from Stockholm, a freely improvising German trio, Hyperactive Kid, and a quartet led by a fine Italian trumpeter, Luca Aquino, to an interesting Catalan band led by bassist Giulia Valle and intensely interactive groups like France’s Emile Parisien Quartet and the award-winning British trio Curios.
