Festival year 1998
33rd Pori Jazz started on July 10th and closed on July 19th. The festival received positive feedback – the artistic lines pleased even the critics. 150 000 people attended the festival and 76 300 tickets were sold. 750 musicians performed at the festival (119 groups) and there were 110 concerts of which 55 were free of charge. 12 concert venues offered genuine surroundings for the music.
On July 17th the concert in Kirjurinluoto was sold out for the very first time in the history – Phil Collins Big Band with Oleta Adams & Gerald Albright along with Michael Brecker Band and others attracted 25 000 people to buy a ticket to the concert.
70% of music was categorized as pure jazz and the rest was rhythm music closely related to jazz.
Guitarist Tuomo Dahlblom was chosen as the artist of the year.
