AUTUMNAL SUNSHINE set the mood for some mellow vibes on Leeside over the weekend as the city and suburbs played host to an eclectic mix of jazz artists, revellers and foreign sailors for one of the most successful Guinness Cork Jazz Festivals of recent years.
Friday, with its dark clouds and deluges may have recalled the rainy days and recession of the 1980s, but Saturday and yesterday brought out the best in Cork with the sunlight-burnished russet leaves on the city centre trees setting the mood for a weekend of relaxing music.
Festival director, Jack McGouran was more than happy with the result, observing how many first-time foreign visitors to the festival had remarked to him how impressive Cork looked as they savoured the variety of jazz styles on offer in over 80 venues.
“We had a lot of people from Europe discovering Cork for the first time and they were just so impressed with the contemporary look of the city – and of course, the weather helped,” said McGouran.
Among those enjoying the festival were some 400 sailors from eight navy ships from seven countries, including Poland, Norway, the UK, Belgium, The Netherlands Estonia and Germany, who pulled in to Cork on Friday and stayed to savour the atmosphere.
“I’m not sure if we saw many of them at the major concert venues but they were certainly catching up with music in the pubs and really added to the cosmopolitan atmosphere,” said McGouran, adding that tickets sales were at least equal if not up on last year.
Among the highlights was Herbie Hancock who was presented with a Guinness Jazz Legend award following a blistering two-hour set at the Everyman Palace Theatre on Saturday night which brought the packed house to its feet.
Also going down a treat at the festival were British act, The Jive Aces who, when they’re not playing festivals like Cork, are playing as “house band” for one John Travolta at parties at his home in the US.
The Jive Aces met Travolta at a charity concert in the UK some years ago when Travolta’s wife, Kelly Preston was the MC at the function and after their performance, the Grease and Saturday Night Fever star inquired about booking them for his own private parties in the US. The Jive Aces have since become Travolta’s “house band” for parties at his home in LA.“We don’t mind it (the Travolta connection) at all. He came backstage to us at a fundraiser and said ‘You guys are outstanding.’ His wife Kelly Preston was MC at the event. We have played for him several times since then. He is just a very nice guy.”
Also proving a treat in Cork at the weekend was the open-air stage on the Grand Parade organised by Cork City Council to make the festival more family friendly and bring jazz out of the pubs.
So what can punters look forward to on today, the last day of the festival? Jack McGouran doesn’t hesitate: “There are some great acts in the Festival Club at the Metropole Gresham today – the Mary Stokes Band, a new soul and groove band from Cork, the Papa Zitas and the Roaring Forties – they’re all well worth catching.”