MORE than 35,000 visitors are expected in Cork for the holiday weekend Guinness Jazz Festival. This year's event, the 41st, is aimed at a new generation of music enthusiasts.
About 1,000 musicians from 26 countries are expected in the city for the four day event which gets into full swing this evening. The festival is worth an estimated £6 million to the area.
Now the largest jazz festival in Europe, it is also the largest in the Guinness annual festival programme, according to Mr Colin Storm, managing director of Guinness Ireland Group. This year music will be staged at more than 60 venues ranging from University College, Cork and the Regional Technical College to almost every hotel and pub in the city. Fringe events will also be held in Kinsale and Blarney.
As usual a trail of more than 40 pubs will feature music free for customers while some of the bigger acts appear in the Opera House. They include Van Morrison, taking midnight shows on both Saturday and Sunday nights. He will be joined by renowned artists including Georgie Fame on organ; Pee Wee Ellis on trombone; Matt Holland on trumpet; Leo Green, tenor; Ronnie Johnston on guitar; Alec Dankworth on acoustic bass; and Nicky Scott on electric bass.
He will be preceded by Joe Lovano and Symbiosis on Saturday night and on Sunday by Whisper Not and the Irish Jazz Orchestra. Lovano is a recent winner of the Downbeat Album of the year award and the Jazz Musician of the year.
With an eye to younger music fans there is a special selection of new mode acts including London group Zion Train, singer/songwriter David Gray and the Cork group, the Sons of Mr Green Genes.
Guinness and the festival organisers are running a jazz workshop in UCC with several respected musicians and instructors and the Festival Club will again be at the Metropole Hotel.