with a programme encompassing everything from straight-ahead jazz to the latest in boundary-breaking techno, the ESB Dublin Jazz Week promises to be the best yet. Typical of the festival - now in its third year - and its broad approach is Chilean-born vocalist Claudia Acuna, equally at home interpreting standards, pop, blues and the Hispanic material of South America. An acclaimed new jazz talent, she will be backed by a trio of New York's finest in Jason Lindner (piano), Avishai Cohen (bass) and Jeff Ballard (drums).
Elsewhere, the festival offers such goodies as the great drummer Elvin Jones, the doyen of European pianists, Martial Solal, singer Kristina Fuchs, US pianist Jim McNeely, and tenor saxophonist Michael Buckley fronting a quartet including composer/pianist Florian Ross. Late nights at the Project offer some mind-blowing stuff from the likes of Brian Irvine, Kimmo Pohjonen, Christy Doran, Steve Arguelles and Erik Truffaz. And there's a range of master classes by some of the event's leading names, as well as jazz films at the IFC.