Glasper at Cork six years ago was a blast and the new moon rises over Cork city this weekend as he returns. A lot has happened since: Grammys, writing the score for Miles Ahead, the reforming of the trio and much besides, more of Maxwell on the side.

In 2012 two years on from Cork he was at the peak of his transition phase as greater fame beckoned. Seeing him at the Roundhouse in Chalk Farm during the itunes festival as it was called then that year I speculated at the time that his future seemed to suggest more producing and a clamour for that signature sound of his, the little licks and Glasperised Herbie-isms taking bebop to hip hop like no other. Since the Kamasi excitement of 2015, westcoasting, Glasper still is cool with a capital C from the east coast spreading globally although his childhood roots go back to southern nights in Houston. 

Running from 28-31 October at venues across the city, Glasper, above riffing as the music unfolds on the Herbster’s ‘Butterfly’ with his crossover band the vocoderised Experiment, while Jacob Collier, Jason Marsalis, Eleventh House and the James Taylor Quartet are also among the other headline names. Appearing too are guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel and pianist Justin Kauflin. Loudon Wainwright III is among the non-jazz names.  

Festival website