If you’ve been to the Guinness Jazz Weekend before, you’ll know not to ask what’s on. The gargantuan scale of the event defies an easy rundown: there’s simply too much happening for us to give a list that’d keep the completists happy. Instead, we’ll struggle to pick out some likely highlights from the main venues.
But still, don’t take our word for it. Cork Jazz is all about stumbling around the backstreets and the boozers, happening upon whatever manner of fornication, intoxication and inspiration you might find. All you gotta do, to appropriate a beat phrase, is just go . . .
The Opera House: The big venue, the big bananas. On Friday, one Joe Muranyi, a clarinettist from Ohio, will get things rolling by taking us on a trip through The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong. It’s a world Joe should know: he used to play in Louis’ band. Also on Friday, Jack Jones will perform his customary vocal acrobatics. The LA-based singer has recorded more than 50 highly-regarded albums down through the years and is widely seen as continuing the great ‘pure singing’ tradition set by the likes of Sinatra and Tony Bennett. If it’s serenading you’re after, baby, look no further.
Saturday dawns and things start to blow in no uncertain fashion with the appearance of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra, now considered the best big band in Europe. They’ll be performing Paul Hart’s much-loved Remembrance Suite. Meanwhile, if tenor sax is your thang, you’ll be well sorted out down the Oppi: Two of the US’s finest exponents of the craft, Spike Robinson and Nick Brignola, will be present and correct.
The Sabbath will be far from sober. The wonderfully named Chick Corea, straight outta Massachusetts, will lead his energetic quartet through a set of Latin-flavoured new jazz. Chick, we’re told, is hot as fuck. Also on Sunday, the Sandvika Big Band from Norway will be doing their bit to provide a rousing finale for the weekend.
Metropole Festival Club: To many minds the liveliest spot in town, the Metropole has a huge line-up for the weekend, drawing performers from the nation’s and, heck, the globe’s four corners. Drop in any time over the weekend and you can expect to catch a glimpse of some of the following.
From Switzerland, the Ambrosetti Gruntz Quintet will strut their critically acclaimed stuff while London’s Big Town Playboys take a break from touring with the likes of Eric Clapton and Fleetwood Mac to give us an example of their stompin’ rhythm and blues. Then there’s tenor man Andy Hamilton with his Blue Notes. Andy formed his first band back in 1928 and over the years has attracted attention as both a performer and a teacher. Past pupils include a certain Stevie Winwood.
If stylist bebop is your bag, the Cook and Kerr Quartet, with members from the States, the UK and Ireland, will see you right. Gaelic jazz anyone? Dublin born Melanie O’Reilly – who’s signed to Cross Border Media – will give a special presentation of her Celtic Heart suite, a huge hit at the recent Edinburgh Festival. One of the jazz world’s finest voices, Art Farmer from Iowa, will also be dropping into the Metropole over the weekend, as will King Pleasure and The Biscuit Boys, a furious zoot-suited bunch of jivers who hail from the exotic climes of Birmingham. And then there’s Eiji Kitamura, who’s been memorably described as ‘Japan’s answer to Benny Goodman!’
There’s plenty more: David Murray from New York, Denver’s Nelson Rangell, former Alexis Korner sidekick Alan Skidmore, John Hicks from St Louis and, intriguingly, the Urals Dixieland Band, an ensemble from central Russia who proved a huge hit at last year’s event. There’re five stages at the Metropole so you certainly won’t be stuck for something to watch.
Fitzpatrick’s Silver Springs Hotel: Hightail out to the Tivoli and you’ll be in serious danger of falling victim to the likes of Spats Dillenger and the Buzzin’ Half Dozen. Sourcing their style from jazz, rap and blues influences, they’re expected to bring the proverbial house down. The Liberty Hall Stompers will be attempting to do likewise: a rip-roaring Dixieland and swing act, they come from Manchester and have built up quite a rep. Some of the finest Irish performers will also be Tivoli-bound, among them Honor Heffernan and The Soulmasters.
Moore’s Hotel: Take James Brown, ZZ Top and Prince, mash ‘em all together, pop ‘em in the oven for five minutes and what do you get? Perhaps your concoction could come out something like Big J and The Piccola Chickens. A smash hit last year, they’re the subject of much anticipation again in ‘94. Not to be missed. Legendary jazz drummer Eric Delaney also heads for Moore’s, star-studded band in tow, while the great Big Boy Henry, a blues original from North Carolina, visits Cork having recently worked with John Lee Hooker.
The Free Jazz Trail: This, perhaps, is where the real action is at. More than 40 drinkers around Cork will be taking part, laying on free jazz and copious liquor for the heaving throngs. One thing to remember is that you won’t get a seat; it’s practically unheard of. When we say the pubs will be busy, we mean the pubs will be busy.
And that’s about your lot. Let’s be careful out there . . .

THE HOUSE FESTIVAL
If jazz isn’t quite your mug of java, don’t worry. Sir Henry’s on South Main Street, recently voted one of Europe’s best clubs in DJ magazine, is hosting the Halloween Weekender over the bank holiday. This is the third in a series of Weekenders that have seen choon-gurus as prestigious as Andy Weatherall, Dimitri from Amsterdam and Laurent Garnier from Paris visit Leeside. This time around, the bill includes the likes of Gayle San, a purveyor of melodic techno and one of the best known female deck technicians on the circuit. Simon DK from Nottingham’s infamous DIY posse is also on the bill, as is Noel Watson from London’s deep house mecca Release The Pressure. Ireland’s brightest spinners will also be present, folk like Johnny Moy from the Temple of Sound and Tonie Walsh from the Horny Organ Tribe. Henry’s residents Greg Dowling and Shane Johnson will of course be ring-leading the event, flushed with the success of breaking their vinyl duck with the accomplished Fishgotech EP.
The Weekender runs over the Saturday and Sunday nights, starting at 7.30 each evening. Tickets are £10.50 for the evening or £16 for the lot.
VINYL REDEMPTION
Comet Records on Washington Street is now selling more vinyl than at any time in its history. The reason? This fiendish business we call dance music. Cork still has the most firmly established dance culture on this island and Comet have wisely made much of the fact by steadily increasing their stock of quality dance 12”s and LPs. It’s proved a winning gambit as, in the words of De La Soul, everybody wants to be a DJ. Comet also stocks all the latest indie and rock offerings, as well as keeping its nigh-on-legendary bargain bins chockful of cheapo goodies.
THE MUSIC CO-OP
Long without a home to call their own, Cork’s fledgling musos are now smugly enjoying the benefits and facilities of the recently launched Cork Music Resource Co-op. Based at The Art Hive on MacCurtain Street and funded by FAS, the Co-op provides local musicians with access to practice rooms, classes, a flyer service, advice on the intricacies of the business and much more. The Co-ops organisers are keen to make contact with similar groups around the country and various long-term projects are now being set in motion. Watch this space. All are welcome, incidentally, to drop into the Co-op for a chat.
THE LEGAL EAGLE
Kieran McCarthy has made the ultimate transition: from a guitar totin’ long hair knocking around Cork’s rock scene in the late ‘60s, he has now become at least a semi-respectable pillar of the community. A solicitor with a keen interest in the entertainment business, he now deals extensively in this area and thanks to his melodic background, he can see things from the artist’s perspective. He has helped numerous young bands through the maze of recording contracts, publishing deals, management offers and so on and his firm, based on Washington Street, has acted for 96FM, IMRO, Súlán Studios and others. Kieran, you should be warned, still picks up the odd instrument now and again and he’s threatening to pop up on various stages around the city over the bank holiday weekend. Keep your ears peeled.
ELROY'S IS HERE
If you find yourself knocking about the general vicinity of Sullivan's Quay, be sure to pop into the Westimer Bar and Elroy's Nightclub for a couple of tipples. The bar is a big, brassy, amiable sort of establishment that's highly conducive to serious drinking while the nightclub is an excellently laid-out venue that hosts chart/dance nights from Thursday to Sunday and the Core, an upfront house extravaganza, on Wednesdays.
COMIC CUTS
Taking a break from the jazz, and browsing in the city centre? Do pay a visit to Ummagumma Komix on Liberty Street, one of the most time-consuming wee establishments in Cork. From the classic X-Men style comics of old right up to the most avant garde of today’s graphic art, they’ve got the works. Also of interest will be the wide range of footie fanzines from both Ireland and the UK. Check out the Cork City effort, the excellent No More Plastic Pitches. You’ve also got posters, postcards, geegaws and a chance to hang with some of the more chilled natives. Do go.
THE DEEP SOUTH
First you hear the piercing whistle, then it’s that stompin’ big band swing thang. Then it’s dancing on the street. New Orleans? Not at all, boy, this is Cork during the Jazz. This year, the French Quarter Marching Bank and the Hi Life Brass Band will be taking to the streets of the city over the weekend, so you’re in for a genuine, downhome, deep south type of buzz. Both bands, we should point out, come from Manchester!
JUNIOR JAZZ
Specially for the young ‘uns, a unique jazz concert is being staged at 11.30 am on the Saturday morning of the festival. The Cork School Of Music Big Band and Andy Hamilton’s Blue Notes are on the agenda for the gig, which is being staged at the School Of Music on Union Quay. In Cork, we like to hook ‘em young . . .
WITHOUT WHOM...
A special word of thanks goes out to those sound men – and women – at Litton Lane who are taking care of the technical side of things and those wunnerful peole at Piano Plus who'll kindly be supplying all the extra pianos that'll be required in the city during the Jazz. Believe me, that's quite a few joannas . . .

Jury’s Hotel: Local favourites dominate the agenda here. The Five Joyful Mysteries, The Second City Jazz Band, The Cork School Of Music Big Band, the Dizzy Blues Band, the list is long and not a little impressive. Enjoy, people, enjoy.
The Imperial Hotel has The Pee Dee Jazzband (nothing to do with Harney et al) from Copenhagen, the Budapest Ragtime Orchestra and the frequently name-dropped Earl Okin, the spats and specs man who’s opened for Paul McCartney and Van Morrison.
Various: Round ‘em up, round ‘em up. The Triskel Arts Centre plays host to Albert Mangelsdorff on both Saturday and Sunday night. If you know your jazz, you’ll know that Mangelsdorff is considered one of the most important trombonists of the century: he started to win awards and jazz polls as far back as 1952. If you’re a purist, you won’t be inclined to miss him.
The Country Club Hotel in Montenotte has a stellar line-up, including the decidedly fab blues vocalist Marilyn Middleton Pollock from Missouri. What does she sound like? ‘A brillo pad dunked in honey’ was one definition.
Finally, The Grand Parade Hotel has a blues-tinged line up that features Johnny Mars, US drummer Jeff Busch, The Mighty Houserockers from London and, as K-tel might put it, much much more.

ALL THAT JAZZ
Helena Mulkerns profiles leading Irish jazz guitarist DAVID O’ROURKE, now based in New York, on the eve of his appearance at the Cork Jazz Festival
IRISH JAZZ guitar whizz David O’Rourke will be appearing at the Cork Jazz Festival again this year, direct from New York. After a fine session there two years ago, on this occasion, he will be accompanied by notable musicians from the New York scene, Kirk Lightsey on piano and David Williams on bass (players who have worked with, among others, Dexter Gordon, Chet Baker and Stan Getz), with Ali Ryerson on flute. Irish jazz drummer Stephen Keogh, now based in Barcelona, will join the combo on drums.
Over the last few years, O’Rourke has been establishing a strong presence for himself in New York, where a Donnelly visa landed him just over four years ago. A mainly self-taught player from a musical background, O’Rourke studied and played with Louis Stewart and in the US, Pat Martino, before launching onto the scene there at various jazz/blues watering holes around town.
Hooking up with pianist Larry Willis and bassist Bob Cranshaw, a highly successful gig in Terry Dunne’s Tramps just two years ago kicked off a fruitful musical development which has led to an album featuring the three, to be released next year on an independent label.
In August of 1991 he arranged a medley of George Gershwin for the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra, and soon afterwards, George Benson introduced him to organ player Celeno Clarke, who invited David to join him and a host of musicians who play each Wednesday night in a legendary jam session at “La Famille” restaurant in Harlem.
Since then, O’Rourke has been a regular feature at the session, the fact that he is often the only European player in the house a testament to his talents. He has even brought the Harlem sessions “downtown” at the request of entrepreneur Terry Dunne, who hosted several sessions in Tramps on 20th Street.
O’Rourke’s current projects are numerous. Music-wise, they include the recording of a new jazz album early next year, and work with his own band, an organ trio featuring Dave Gibson of the Count Basie band on bass and Oliver Von Essen, a Hammond organist and fellow Harlem denizen. He is also involved in the making of a jazz documentary on “the power of music as communicator”, featuring Bronx Irish, Harlem jazz musicians and an extensive jazz soundtrack.
Catch O’Rourke in Cork at the Festival Club in the Metropole Hotel on Friday, October 28 at 11.30pm, Saturday at 9.00pm and Halloween Night at 8.00pm.