All-Stars to shine in opening concert at Cork festival

Grainne Farren

October 23 2011 08:25 AM

At first glance, the programme for this year's Cork Jazz Festival (October 28 to 31) is not very exciting, but there are some bright spots.

On Friday night, the Bobby Watson All-Stars will head the opening concert in the refurbished and extended Triskel Arts Centre, now Triskel Christchurch. Watson (alto sax) is an old friend of Cork and always worth the trip. The first half of the concert is in the capable hands of Linley Hamilton (trumpet) leading his regular quartet.

Trygve Seim (tenor sax) and Frode Haltli (accordion) play in the Triskel on Saturday afternoon. Sharing the bill with this odd duo is a quintet with Karl Rooney (sax), called Jazz Crimes -- the Music of Joshua Redman. In the same venue on Saturday night is a very promising double bill with Stanley Jordan (solo guitar) and the Ian Shaw Group featuring Peter Ind.

The Everyman Palace Theatre will lie silent on Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Two groups will play there on Saturday night: the Kyle Eastwood Quintet and Randy Brecker with Bill Evans' Soulgrass. The word "funk" appears in the blurb for both, so you have been warned.

On Sunday afternoon in the Everyman, Tia Fuller (alto sax), leads an all-female quartet whose best-known member is the superb drummer Kim Thompson. Greg Osby (alto sax) is on the same programme. Sunday night is French night, with the Jean-Luc Ponty Band and Richard Galliano.

Honor Heffernan and Leslie Dowdall will sing together in the Firkin Crane on Saturday night, while Soweto Kinch (alto sax) has a Sunday spot in the Bodega.

Dublin fans won't be bereft of jazz over the weekend. Ian Shaw sings in JJ Smyth's on Friday night, and the James Langton Band plays Benny Goodman in the National Concert Hall on Saturday night. Brendan Marnell (piano) will lead a sextet with Hugh Buckley (guitar) the same night in the NCH's Kevin Barry Room.