Cork Jazz festival line-up announced

Ottoline Spearman

The line-up for the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival has been announced.

Over five days this October Bank Holiday Weekend, the festival will feature more than 500 musicians across 100 events in nearly 80 venues, from headline venues for ticketed shows to a free Guinness Music Trail. The festival also spills into the streets with surprise pop-up gigs, and brass bands with The Big Fringe.

The line-up this year includes funk collective Cymande, LA hip-hop pioneers The Pharcyde, roots reggae heroes The Congos, Le Boom, TBL8 Brass and Dublo.

Also playing are Lee Fields & The Expressions and the Orchestra Baobab joined by the gospel-energy of Annie & The Caldwells, Rejjie Snow.

Adding to the mix, local musician Shane Johnson (Fish Go Deep) has been added as support for Jeff Mills “Tomorrow Comes The Harvest”. Dublin RnB star Aby Coulibaly will open for Sienna Spiro, while Belfast’s soul queen Winnie Ama launches her debut album “D3KA” while on support for Cymande.

New names Chip Wickham, Monjola, Summer Pearl, Melina Malone, Celaviedemai, F3miii, Chameleon, FyaRed, JarJarJr and Ahmed, With Love, are also set to play over the weekend.

The reach of the festival also extends beyond Cork city to surrounding areas such as Douglas and Kinsale.