The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival proved to be hugely successful and recession proof as the city centre heaved and jived for the duration of the weekend. Over 50,000 revellers attended the festival despite the economic conditions and some traditionally bad October Bank Holiday weekend weather.

The attractions on offer proved a huge pull for punters from all over the country and from outside the country, with some visitors coming from as far away as China. The festival boosted the local economy to the tune of €6 million, according to organisers.

The festival saw over 1,000 musicians from 29 countries play in over 60 venues throughout the city. The Guinness Cork Jazz Festival is now one of the biggest and most popular jazz festivals in Europe. Some of the highlights included the Sun Ra Arkestra who played a double-bill with Bad Plus at the Everyman Theatre on Friday to kick off the festival. Chicago nine-piece band Hypnotic Brass Ensemble played two sold-out shows on the same night at The Pavilion in their third visit to the festival.

Rising star and rockabilly singer from Dublin's Liberties, Imelda May, played to a sold out Savoy venue on Saturday night and the Fun Lovin' Criminals rocked the same venue on Sunday night. Irish favourite the Republic of Loose played a packed Opera House on Saturday night. As always, the Guinness Festival Club at the Gresham Metropole Hotel was at the heart of the festival while thousands of people took advantage of the vast variety of music genres being performed on the free Guinness Music Trail, a free music programme taking place day and night in over 70 pubs.

Guinness also announced the award winners in the various categories that recognise the very best of the Festival performers. The inaugural Cork Jazz Futures Competition winner was Organic Wings. Veteran drummer Jack De Johnette was unveiled as the recipient of the Guinness Jazz Legend Award thus joining such luminaries as Jimmy Smith and the late Humphrey Lyttelton.

The Guinness Personality of the Festival was given to guitarist Al Di Meola. The Jazz in Europe Award went to John Surman, while the 2009 Guinness Rising Star Award went to talented pianist Eldar. The Best Young Band Award went to Dana Leong's Milk & Jade and the Best Young Irish Musician Award went to Mark McKnight.

Comments (1) »

Roll on Cork 2010!
written by Lindsay Walker, November 06, 2009

The Cork Jazz Fest this year was amazing, the Everyman Palace Theatre Sun Ra Arkestra was wild! Gilad Atzmon, unknown to me at the time was outstanding, I went to the double bill for Jack Dejohnette as much as I enjoyed him, Gilad stood out world-class to say the least! Other artists I had not heard of before Milk & Jade, wonderfull fresh stuff and the jazz poetry session by Morley Hayden & Haines in the Gresham Metropole was fantastic! Roll on Cork 2010!

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