Jim Was Jazzfest Founder

Jim Mountjoy, who has died, was the founder of the internationally renowned Cork Jazz Festival and a former general manager of the Metropole Hotel in the city.

Jim first had the idea for a mini-festival in 1978 when the cancellation of a bridge event left the then marketing manager of the Metropole Hotel with rooms to fill on the newly created October bank holiday weekend.

The event was a huge success, and in the following year tobacco firm John Player came on board as sponsor. Jim and a small committee had “carte blanche” to attract the best jazz musicians on the planet to Cork, and in subsequent years they hosted Ella Fitzgerald, Buddy Rich, The Modern Jazz Quartet, George Shearing and many more. The festival soon spread beyond the Metropole and provided a stage for scores of Irish performers.

Guinness succeeded Players as both a sponsor and organiser of the festival and added to the array of visiting stars with John Dankworth, Cleo Laine, Billy Ekstein, Joe Pass and many others playing the festival.

Some 47 years on, the jazz festival is still going strong, and the Taoiseach took to social media to mark the passing of its founder, who died peacefully at Cork University Hospital.

“Deeply saddened at the passing of Jim Mountjoy, founder of the Cork Jazz Festival,” Mr Martin wrote on X. 

“Jim leaves a wonderful, happy legacy in music, entertainment, and the development of Cork as a festival city.”

Aaron Mansworth, Cork Business Association president and managing director of Trigon Hotels, said all at the Metropole remembered a “visionary” who had left behind a remarkable legacy.

Jim Mountjoy is survived by his wife Pat; his sons Brendan, Michael, and Jim; and his siblings Irene, Ede, and Charlie.
 

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