Then at the beginning of the current decade, thanks at least in part to the emergence of an opinionated and artistically driven domestic lobby, the festival seemed to open up to some of the more creative elements in the contemporary jazz scene. Europeans began to make the occasional appearance on the programme alongside more adventurous Americans, and Irish musicians, who had always been poorly represented on the festival bill, were given a few more high profile slots.

A brief survey of the last five years bears this out. 2002 saw young Europeans Eric Truffaz and Nils Peter Molvaer share the billing with cutting edge Americans like Brad Mehldau, Jason Moran and Bill Frisell. In 2003, Irish acts like Orpheus and Trouble Penetrator found themselves shoulder to shoulder with creative heavy hitters Carla Bley, Bobby Previtte and Danillo Perez. In 2004, there was even the unprecedented commissioning of new work by composer Ronan Guilfoyle which resulted in the Facing South suite.

2005 was the year of Cork's tenure as European Captial of Culture and the extra injection of funds meant an even greater emphasis on domestic acts, which served to showcase the extraordinary flowering of the younger generation of Irish musicians. It was almost as if the Cork Jazz Festival was beginning to take itself seriously and pursue a coherent artistic policy.

But it gives this writer no pleasure to note that all those hopes have been dashed by the decline which began last year and continues with this year's programme. Indeed, the gloom deepens with the news that the finest venue in the festival, and the place to which most serious listeners gravitated, has been axed unceremoniously from the programme. The Triskel Arts Centre is one of Cork's cultural power houses, and for 15 years has been the best bet for top quality music at the festival. But not this year. Reports suggest that the difficulty was financial, with the festival claiming that without Arts Council support, it cannot continue to programme the sort of music that the Triskel was showcasing.

Still, in amongst the big name Americans long past their creative peak, there are a few concerts worth seeking out.

Brazilian pianist Eliane Elias plays in the Everyman Theatre with an excellent rhythm section of bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Adam Nussbaum, and American clarinetist Don Byron has a new project which features pianist Ed Simon. Vibraphonist Gary Burton and accordionist Richard Galliano's quartet will also be worthy of the ticket price.

Buried in the back of the programme, and consigned to the bear pit that is the Metropole Festival Club, there are also several Irish acts of note. Louis Stewart makes his usual appearance, but as usual it is not in a setting that will necessarily be conducive to hearing the finest European jazz guitarist since Django Reinhardt. Fuzzy Logic, carrying the banner alone for Dublin's extraordinarily rich contemporary scene, are a group with serious creative intent but they are given an afternoon slot in the Metropole, and veteran pianist Jim Doherty also presents his trio there, though as he doesn't merit a mention in the programme . . . who that trio are remains a mystery. Guitarist Hugh Buckley, promoting his excellent new CD Sketches of Now (see review), is mentioned in the programme, but like Stewart, Doherty and the Fuzzies, his fine group of Irish stars merit only one show in the festival club.

Amongst the groups who merit two or more slots on this year's festival programme are Greggi G and his Crazy Gang and Big J and Piccolo Chickens. How could the Arts Council refuse ?