“IT TAKES A huge commitment.” Michael Lyons of Guinness/Diageo is describing to TheJournal.ie the level of work that needs to go into planning a festival like the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival.

For over four decades, the city by the Lee has been playing host to jazz musicians from Ireland and abroad, showcasing our own local jazz scene as well as those connected to jazz globally. This year’s festival kicked off on Thursday and runs until Monday.

With some changes for the festival in the past year – Sinéád Dunphy is no longer at the helm, after a year as director – Diageo is taking a leading role in organising the proceedings.

“The fact that the festival is now in its 42nd year is a testament to the founders, the hard-working Guinness Cork Jazz Festival committee, led by chair Fiona Collins,” says Lyons, mentioning too the publicans, hoteliers, and stakeholders – like Cork City Council and the Cork Business Association, Failte Ireland, Guinness and Diageo – in his list of those who come together to make the festival what it is.

The festival committee and music booking agents, AMA Music Agency, are the ones charged with selecting the acts. And it’s the acts who are key to the festival. What’s interesting about Cork Jazz Festival is that in recent years in particular it hasn’t had a purist jazz bent. There’s jazz, yes, but there’s also r’n'b, motown and other jazz-adjacent genres.

So we get headliners like jazz vocalist Kurt Elling rubbing shoulders with soul queen Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, alongside acts like Paul Booth Quartet (Booth being a jazz saxophonist who plays solo as well as with artists like Steve Winwood); Tudo Bem (a celebration of Brazilian music); the Big Brass Band Explosion; Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (the father of the band members was in the Sun Ra Arkestra); Sue Rynhart; Umbra and Sinéad O’Connor.

Venues this year include City Hall and the Everyman, the festival club at the Metropole, the Triskel and Green Room at Cork Opera House.

Lyons says he’s excited about international acts like Reeves and Elling, adding: “I’m also excited about the rich variety of jazz music on offer. We’ve got globally renowned artists like Fred Hersch and Spyro Gyra who are pushing the boundaries of the musical genre today, and a wealth of homegrown Irish and Cork-based jazz talent performing across the city on the festival’s Music Trail.”

Michael Lyons pictured at the announcement of the festival.

There are a number of other jazz festivals in Ireland, which all differ from each other. For example, there’s the community-orientated family-run gem of a festival that’s Sligo Jazz every July, while Galway, Bray and Belfast all have their own festivals too. Each one has its own focus and its own vibe. The spirit of jazz is the spirit of improvisation, and some festivals focus more on that than others.

Given that it has such a big history and sponsor, Cork Jazz has more of a commercial bent than some of the smaller festivals. When asked if there is a theme to this year’s festival, Lyons notes that Cork “is recognised as the home of jazz in Ireland and one of the most important jazz festivals in the world”.

We set out to create a festival with exciting elements for all musical and cultural tastes again this year, and I think we’re staging a festival showcasing some of the most legendary names in jazz, soul, RnB and Motown – as well as those pushing the boundaries of the genre.

Staying relevant

The job for festival organisers is to stay true to the spirit of the original festival while also allowing it evolve. How do they do this in Cork?

“Over the past 42 years, the festival has built an incredibly long-lasting reputation for the quality of its music and entertainment,” says Lyons. “Every year, we like to review what has worked in the previous year as well as bring a fresh approach. This year we have a fantastic mix of musical genius that caters for jazz fans and other musical and cultural tastes.”

And what does the jazz festival mean to Cork, in terms of legacy – and business? There are nearly 1,000 musicians from 20 countries set to perform across 70 venues this weekend in Cork, with 95% of the performances being staged for free.

“For a festival to bring musicians of such calibre and in these incredible numbers – along with their fans – to Cork, there’s undoubtedly a hugely positive impact on local business,” says Lyons. “It’s a flagship calendar event for the local pub and hospitality sector as well as for many other Cork businesses, who’ll all see a huge boost over the weekend. The festival is worth millions to the local economy and continues to grow year after year.”

When asked if the festival caters for both new and older jazz acts, Lyons says “absolutely”.  ”The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival caters for new and upcoming acts, jazz veterans who have been playing at the festival since its inception, along with famous big name acts from around the world – so it has a really diverse musical offering.”

Lyons highlights the EMC series at the Triskel, which will feature renowned ECM artist John Surman in concert with pianist Vigleik Storaas.

Other interesting contemporary jazz players of note will include the trumpeter Airelle Besson, who will play alongside pianist Sebastian Sternal, and drummer Jonas Burgwinkel.

What does the festival mean to the Irish jazz scene? “The festival is not only the biggest jazz festival in Ireland, but it is recognised as one of the best music festivals in the world,” says Lyons.

“It’s a fantastic platform for musicians on the Irish jazz scene to showcase their talent to an international audience and to play alongside jazz greats from around the world. The aim is to continue to grow the festival to rival the likes of Montreal and New Orleans.”

The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival runs until 28 October.