Summertime jazz is returning as outdoor concerts get the nod

OUTDOOR jazz concerts are to make a welcome return to the Inish Beg Estate outside Baltimore this Sunday after an absence of over a year because of Covid restrictions.

The  outdoor café concerts have always proved popular with music punters and musicians alike and this will certainly be a poignant gig for Filology, as it will be their first gig since playing the Cork Jazz Festival in October 2019.

Speaking to The Southern Star, Paul Keane of  Inish Beg Estate said they are delighted to finally host their jazz concerts after such a long absence.

‘We had planned to host them every Sunday during July and August, but the Covid restrictions banned both indoor and outdoor concerts until the government announced changes to allow outdoor concerts take place,’ said Paul.

‘It’s so important that live music gets treated fairly as it’s been a terrible time for musicians. We’re delighted to be hosting them again, as the last time we held these concerts was last summer when we held two gigs before restrictions were put in place again.’

Josephine Smyth, lead singer with Filology, whose repertoire consists of American Songbook from the 1940s to 1980s said they can’t wait to get back on stage.

‘It’s going to be our first gig since the Cork Jazz Festival in 2019 and we would have loads of gigs, but all got cancelled due to Covid-19. We’re pretty much delighted to be getting back together and it promises to be a great afternoon and the weather forecast is good too, thankfully.’

Filology will play the Outdoor Café at the Inish Beg Estate this Sunday (August 15th) and again on Sunday August 22nd at 1pm. Tickets, which are €8, will be available at the gardens.

Meanwhile, a new opening date of August 12th has been announced for the new strand of the MEBAS (Music and Entertainment Business Assistance Scheme),  which is part of a suite of supports for the live entertainment sector.

The aim of the scheme is to make a contribution to the overheads of businesses, specifically musicians and related crew that have been significantly negatively affected by Covid-19 and have not been able to perform and do not qualify for other business supports.