Cork Jazz Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cork Jazz Festival |
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| Genre | Jazz |
| Dates | Late October |
| Location(s) | Cork, Ireland |
| Years active | 1978-present (47 years) |
| Website | GuinnessJazzFestival.com |
The Cork Jazz Festival is a super fun music event that happens every year in Cork City, Ireland. It takes place in late October. The very first festival started on October 27, 1978. It has been held every single year since then!
This festival is the biggest jazz event in all of Ireland. Lots of musicians and thousands of music lovers come to Cork each year to enjoy it.
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What is the Cork Jazz Festival?
The Cork Jazz Festival is a big celebration of jazz music. It brings together musicians from all over the world. They perform in many different places across Cork City. You can hear music in hotels, pubs, and concert halls. It's a lively time for the city!
Who Started the Festival?
A person named Jim Mountjoy started the festival. He was a marketing manager at the Metropole Hotel in Cork. In October 1978, he wanted to make sure his hotel was busy. So, he planned the first jazz festival. It happened during a new holiday weekend in October.
A small group helped Jim get the festival going. They found a sponsor called John Player & Sons. The first festival was a big success! Many jazz fans came to Cork. Later, a company called Guinness became the main sponsor in the 1980s.
How Did the Festival Grow?
Jim Mountjoy was the festival director from 1978 to 1986. He had many cool ideas to make the festival bigger. He started a "Pub Trail" where bands played in different pubs. He also arranged a "Jazz Boat" from the UK and a "Jazz Train" from Dublin. This helped more people travel to Cork for the music. Jim even traveled to other countries to tell people about the festival.
Who Plays at the Festival?
The Cork Jazz Festival is mostly about jazz music. But sometimes, other types of musicians also play there! For example, in 2015, artists like Gary Numan and The Boomtown Rats performed. This shows that the festival welcomes different kinds of music.
Famous Musicians at the Festival
Over the years, many very famous jazz musicians have played in Cork. More than a million jazz fans have visited the city to hear them! Some of these amazing artists include:
- Ella Fitzgerald
- George Shearing
- Mel Torme
- Wynton Marsalis
- Buddy Rich
- Herbie Hancock
- Oscar Peterson
- Billy Eckstine
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Lionel Hampton
- Cleo Laine
- Dave Brubeck
- Chick Corea
- Gerry Mulligan
- Stéphane Grappelli
- Sonny Rollins
- Al Di Meola
- John McLaughlin
- Gregory Porter
- Billy Cobham
Festival Visitors and Impact
Since the 1990s, the festival has attracted many visitors. Each year, over 40,000 people come to Cork for the event. They travel from many different parts of the world! In 2016, more than 1,000 musicians from 20 countries played. This shows how popular the festival is. It's a big event for Cork City and for jazz music fans everywhere.
