A selection of images showing some 2008's artistic highlights, including a top choice from Matt Kavanagh.
MATT KAVANAGH explains his choice: "THE GREAT JAZZ composer/pianist and winner of 12 Grammy awards, Chick Corea, made a welcome return to the Cork Jazz Festival in October, this time accompanied by guitarist John McLaughlin. Both musicians are acclaimed leaders in their own right and share some credit for the birth of the Jazz Rock Fusion movement.
More importantly, they were sidemen in the Miles Davis bands of the 1960s with saxophonist Kenny Garrett, who signed up with Davis in the late 1980s. Add bassist Christian McBride and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta to this visiting quintet and you are in the presence of jazz royalty, poised for another historic concert at the Opera House.
Charged with recording the highlights of the festival for the 26th time and having some small knowledge as a collector and enthusiast, I realised my first objective was to seek permission to shoot during the band's soundchecks before the concert (a concession rarely given to media). Using my experience to get greater access and freedom to work on stage I struck up the essential rapport and engaged the pianist at the right moment.
However, with Corea I had a slight handicap. I preferred his pre- and post-fusion acoustic recordings to the electric sound. That said, a mention of his Blue Mitchell and Joe Henderson recordings and the Sonny Stitt date in 1962 delivered the elusive access-all-areas badge. So, continuing to take pictures at a discreet distance (80-200mm zoom lens) I waited patiently for some unusual interaction between the musicians, fully aware that the last thing I needed was yet another static picture of Corea at the piano.
I got lucky towards the end of the session when Corea suddenly leaped from his piano stool and glanced quizzically at Garrett during a saxophone solo . . . I seized the moment!
The great vibes player Gary Burton is quoted as saying Corea is the "most prolific and versatile of any modern jazz musician".
Recommended listening: Now He Sings Now He Sobs (Blue Note) Chick Corea. recorded 1968; Sweet Rain (Verve) Chick Corea with Stan Getz, recorded 1967."