-Jonathan Butler with special guests RICK BRAUN and Richard Elliott (RnR) visit artist website
Every now and then, an artist creates a special project so rich in content, so joyous in emotion, so fresh and inspired, that it becomes almost impossible to find a title that fully embraces the range and heart of the project. Such was the challenge when the gifted singer, two-time Grammy nominated songwriter, guitarist, and producer, Jonathan Butler, delivered his latest CD to his new label, Rendezvous Entertainment
After numerous creative meetings between artist, managers, and the label, to find just the right title to convey the essence of the music, it became evident that the challenge was so difficult because Mr. Butler is such a truly unique talent. So, the album is simply titled Jonathan, reflecting exactly what this album is: pure Jonathan Butler. And that says it all. Jonathan is the product of South Africa.
Born and raised in Cape Town, Jonathan Butler spent his youth under the shroud of apartheid, an official government policy of political, legal, and economic discrimination against non-whites. His escape was music. The youngest of twelve children, he began singing publicly in South African townships at the tender age of seven. Not even in his teens, Butler's talents as a singer and guitarist were recognized and he soon found himself touring his poverty-stricken country in a traveling variety show.
Though his musical abilities would soon take him away from the world he grew up in, Jonathan would neither forget the plight of his fellow South Africans, nor the man who ultimately led them to freedom. "Mandela Bay," the second track on Jonathan, is a lively instrumental tribute to the legacy of Nelson Mandela. The song exudes optimism - the joy of liberation, the celebration of life. Akin to a musical sunny day, "Mandela Bay" will raise spirits and stamp a smile on faces, guaranteed to last at least four minutes and eleven seconds, though no one will be blamed for putting it on repeat.
Jonathan is the product of the Western World. At thirteen, Jonathan's talents caught the ears and eyes of British record producer Clive Caulder. He was signed to Caulder's Jive Records and as the old cliché goes, the rest is history. Jonathan's first single broke down racial barriers. It became the first song by a black artist to be played by white radio stations in South Africa. The single earned a Sarie Award, South Africa's equivalent to the Grammys. Because Jive was headquartered in England, Jonathan decided to move there to focus on his recording career, where he resided for seventeen years. His commitment to his craft paid off with his self-titled debut album, which received a Grammy nomination for the pop hit "Lies."
Jonathan's ability to blend his roots in African music with western pop sensibilities would be a trademark of many albums to follow, though never more refined than in his latest release. For example, the first single from Jonathan is a rendition of the folk-rock classic "Fire and Rain." Butler breathes new life into this classic, infusing the vocals with intensity, as subtle as it is powerful. The musical arrangement is lively and soulful, indicative of his roots in World music. "Fire and Rain" is already garnering accolades from top radio programmers. Lori Lewis, program director for WSMJ in Baltimore states, "It literally gave me a lump in my throat. I walked into the studio and introduced it live on air. Vocals this great are really rare."
An instrumental, "Going Home," earned a Grammy nomination and the mid-tempo ballad, "Sarah, Sarah," confirmed Butler's place in popular music. A collection of diverse albums followed. Through them and extensive concert tours, Butler solidified his presence in the 1990s with a body of music that crossed color and age lines. Was he a jazz instrumentalist that sang soulfully or a passionate R&B singer that played a cool jazz guitar? "I came to the West seeking artistic freedom to express myself," he recalled. "While my albums have always offered vocal cuts and instrumentals, for me it was never about creating music for a particular format or type of audience. That's too narrow and restrictive. For me, it's about surrendering to the will of the music and just letting it flow through me, whichever direction it may go."
-Vusi Mahlasela visit artist website
Vusi Mahlasela, is simply known as “The Voice” in his home-country, South Africa. Celebrated for his distinct, powerful voice and his poetic, optimistic lyrics, his sound is a hybrid of folk, world, blues and soul, one that connects Apartheid-scarred South Africa with its promise for a better future.
Mahlasela, an accomplished guitarist, percussionist, composer, arranger, band leader and performer, has bridged generations at home and abroad. Over the past three years of heavy, world-wide touring and spreading his message, Mahlasela has remained true to his roots. Born Vusi Sidney Mahlasela Ka Zwane in 1965 in Lady Selborne, South Africa. Mahlasela became enchanted by music at an early age, building his first guitar out of tin and fishing line. Reared in the Mamelodi Township, a vibrant artist community where he still resides, he gravitated toward poetry and song writing as a teen, eventually joining youth organizations protesting South Africa's separatist, white government.
Reading poems at night vigils, funerals and anti-Apartheid marches triggered a long streak of police harassment. Local police soon began requiring that he keep them abreast of his whereabouts at all times, and his poems and songs were routinely confiscated—forcing him to memorize his work. It was a time when people like him would 'just disappear indefinitely,' he recalls or, in Mahlasela's case be held for periods of time. 'Somehow you get some sort of courage. You look at what's happening to your comrades, and you see that their struggle has to be testified—and you don't have to be afraid.
'Mahlasela never knew his father, finally locating him in 2000, sadly six months after his death. When he was in his early 20s, his mother collapsed in church dying the same day, just a year after she'd proudly held his first recording in her hands and wept. He wrote the song 'River Jordan' for her and it was with her inspiration and the motivation of leaders like Nelson Mandela, that Mahlasela crafted his official debut 1991's When You Come Back, produced by Lloyd Ross who returns to the controls for Guiding Star.
In 1988, he joined the Congress of South African Writers, developing a new level of confidence as a poet and a writer. He struck up a creative friendship with South African poet Lesego Rampolokeng (who joins Mahlasela and Dave Matthews on 'Sower of Words'), while falling under the spell of artists like Miriam Makeba and Phillip Tabane and the work of Victor Jara— all central influences on Mahlasela's music and lyrics.
After the end of Apartheid, Vusi performed at Mandela's inauguration in 1994, and is now an ambassador to Mandela's 46664 Foundation, a campaign to help raise Global awareness of Aids/ HIV. Mahlasela proudly promotes Mandela's message at all of his performances.
Mahlasela released a string of albums in South Africa. Following a world-wide tour and international acclaim, as well as the debut of the 2003 documentary film “Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony”, American were finally given the opportunity to glimpse and hear Mahlasela. The film charts South Africans' long time struggle for racial equality
In a rave Los Angeles Times review, noted critic Robert Hilburn wrote: 'Vusi Mahlasela's voice is so pure and commanding; you wonder whether you should have gotten an entire album by him.' After the release of the film, long-time admirer and fellow South African, Dave Matthews, signed Vusi to his own ATO Records label and released The Voice (2003) - a collection of the best songs from Vusi’s catalog.
Dave Matthews calls Mahlasela 'one of the most important influences of my life.’ It was an album so chock full of beauty, soul and struggle that it had a profound effect on American listeners in the wake of 9/11—even though much of the album wasn't sung in English. And that's a power that Mahlasela doesn't take lightly.
One of the hardest things to learn as a musician is when to not only recognize inspiration, but also trust and follow it. Over a musically and socially consequential career, Vusi Mahlasela has successfully followed his muse. That trust in his gift is at the root of his latest album, Guiding Star (Naledi Ya Tsela). In 2007, ATO released Guiding Star as his first full-length release in the States.
Mahlasela wrote and recorded this album as he toured the globe. Its soul-stirring title is very much a product of the new friends he's met and experiences he's had touring. Bearing the influences of various music and voices from throughout the world, Guiding Star features guest appearances from friends that Vusi has met along the way, including Dave Matthews ('Sower of Words'), band leader and Allman Brothers guitarist Derek Trucks ('Tibidi Waka'), Australian didgeridoo star Xavier Rudd ('Chamber of Justice'), singer-songwriter Jem ('Everytime') and longtime friends and touring mates Ladysmith Black Mambazo ('Heaven In My Heart').
Mahlasela also drew on the talents of numerous South African guests, including the legendary 'Black Moses' Ngwenya of the Soul Brothers, the children's choir from the Agnes Chidi School in his home Township, Mamelodi, and the KCC Gospel, among many others.
The bulk of Guiding Star was recorded on a farm in rural South Africa. Like any Vusi Mahlasela album, there are songs that connect him and the people of South Africa with both their past, present, and hopes for a better future: 'Song for Thandi' tells the story of detained freedom fighter Thandi Modise, while the affecting 'Sower of Words'—featuring Dave Matthews—is a lament for the late Black Consciousness poet and writer Ingoapele Madingoane, who wrote the influential poem 'Africa My Beginning, Africa My Ending.' A single listen to Guiding Star, is all one needs to be assured that Mahlasela is a gifted performer. And with that gift comes responsibility, says Vusi: 'I know that I have something that is like a borrowed fire from God. And I have to use it in a very positive way.'
Vusi performed at Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday celebration in Hyde Park, London. Over 50,000 people gathered for the event to raise awareness for Mandela’s 46664. Vusi also performed with Paul Simon for a week of shows in New York and toured with banjoist Bela Fleck this past spring. In the midst of a busy international touring schedule, Vusi remains dedicated to his social activism and partnerships with non-profits, including his own Vusi Mahlasela Music Development Foundation (www.VMMDF.org), committed to the promotion of and preservation of African music.; OXFAM; The Acumen Fund; The African Leadership Academy, the ONE campaign and more.
-Rachelle Ferrell visit artist website
When you hear Rachelle Ferrell sing, then you realise the possibilities that exist with the human voice. For Ferrell, the voice is the first instrument.
In her 1990 debut album First Instrument, the US singer demonstrates capabilities that the voice possesses. With her contralto voice, Ferrell can soothe listeners with a lullaby while being equally capable of enticing feelings as she scats and hits the highest registers.
Not only is she able to imitate the sounds of instruments, but in some of her songs you will find that Ferrell mimics the sounds of chirping birds as well.
Born in Pennsylvania, Ferrell learnt to play the violin and piano at an early age. This is before she enrolled at the Berklee College of Music in Boston where she studied arrangements, vocals and songwriting.
Among her classmates she counts artists such as Branford Marsalis, Kevin Eubanks, Donald Harrison and Jeff “Tain” Watts.
Since her graduation, Ferrell has made her name not only as a songwriter and recording artist but a great live performer as well.
-Selaelo Selota visit artist website
These days it seems like everything SELAELO SELOTA touches turns to Gold! The multi-talented musician’s career keeps developing at an outstanding rate, and the last two years have seen him carve out a sparkling career in the highly competitive South African Afro Jazz scene – but the scary thing is that he is only just getting started. In addition to the recent success of his landmark 2000 debut album PAINTED FACES achieving Platinum status for sales in excess of 60 000 units, his latest release ENCHANTED GARDENS has also achieved Gold status. The former gold miner is now mining the same precious metal, but armed with a guitar rather than a drill.
SELAELO SELOTA was born and grew up in a rural village near Polokwane (formerly Pietersburg) in South Africa’s most northern Limpopo Province, where he remembers being greatly inspired by the traditional musical practice that was abundant all around him. On completing high school, and not having financial resources to further his studies, he found employment in mining. Working in the mines and living amongst the migrant workers, he was exposed to the traditional songs and dances from many other South African tribal groups. After three years, in 1989 he left the mines and went to Johannesburg – commonly known as “Egoli” (The City of Gold) – in search of a new direction in his life
In Johannesburg he found work at Market Theatre as an usher and later as a cleaner at famous Newtown Night club Kippies Jazz International, where he seized every opportunity to learn from the musicians he heard performing there night after night. During that year he bought his first guitar from the FUBA (Federated Union of Black Artist) Academy. By June 1998 Selaelo was playing with his first band at the Market, and also gigging with renowned Ghananian artist George Lee and his outfit Anansi.
In 1992/93 SELAELO SELOTA worked on the Shell Road of Fame Competition while teaching Jazz Guitar at FUBA Academy and in 1994, came a pivotal moment when he enrolled at the University of Cape Town’s renowned College of music to Study a Degree in Jazz Music. As a student and bandleader he performed with Meropa, who played at the Grahamstown Festival Fringe in 1995. Selaelo then formed his band Taola in 1996 as a vehicle of his original compositions, which were and still are an energetic and emotional fusion of Pedi music, modern elements and the traditional African musical experiences of his youth. Taola appeared numerous times on television and at live performances and festivals across the Cape region, including the UCT Jazz Festival held at the Baxter Concert Hall in Cape Town in 1997.
The band was then invited to perform at the Fin de Siecle Music in Nantes, France in October 1997, receiving a standing ovation. Selaelo himself was awarded second prize in the prestigious Adcock Ingram Music Competition in1996 and in 1997 he won first prize, both in the Jazz category. By now he enjoyed a growing reputation and was regularly featured as a soloist and composer with the UCT Big Band. 1996 saw Selaelo appointed as one of the guitar teachers at the University, which followed into 1998 when he taught Jazz Guitar and Jazz Improvisation. SELALEO SELOTA graduated from UCT in 1997 with a Jazz Degree, majoring in Jazz Composition and arrangement. In that same year he worked with well-known musicologist and researcher, David Fanshwane during his “African Sanctus” tour with the London Bach Choir in 1997.
In 1998 Selaelo featured on the debut CD of fellow musician Frank Mallows and Brydon Bolton entitled “Adamstor –The spirit of Table Mountain”, his first studio recording experience. Selaelo performed in early 1999 with the quartet at the Blue Note’s “Cape Town Salutes the Guitars” event to great acclaim, and it was at this concert that the managing director of the North Sea Jazz Festival, Theo van den Hoek, sported Selaelo and booked him for that year’s Festival. In March 1999 came another critical moment, when he won the instrumental Category of the Old Mutual Jazz Into The Future Competition (Western Cape regional finals). This is when Selaelo came to the attention of Dave Thompson, Marketing/A&R Director of BMG Africa, who instantly signed the Johannesburg-bound young star to BMG’s new Giant Step record label.
Virtually unknown outside of the Cape music circles, Selaelo set about recording his debut album PAINTED FACES in Rhino Studio near Mmabatho, working closely with Cape Town Gavin Goldberg. Featuring “Ma Modiegi” (that became a huge hit) and a slew of other superb songs, the album was released in 2000, and by the time Selaelo bounded onto the stage at the 2001 South African Music Awards to collect two SAMA’s Best Newcomer and the Best Contemporary Jazz Album, there was no doubting that this incredibly gifted musician mare than deserved the accolades.
The brace of SAMA’s signalled his arrival in a big way, and since the release of his debut album, Selaelo had rapidly earned the recognition of his peers, music critics, and perhaps most importantly, thousands of music fans around the country for his beautiful composition and his incendiary live performance- igniting the stage and the hearts of every single fan around the country with every performance. Selaelo’s international reputation is also growing in leaps and bounds. He has already shared the stage with several international stars including Jonathan Butler, Bob James, Kirk Whalum and more recently with Richard Bona.
He has also worked with Ronny Jordan amongst others. Selaleo Selota performed in New Orleans in November 2001 as part of a cultural exchange programme, made possible through the New Orleans South African Connection (NOSACONN). Selaelo visited the huge Womex (World Music) Trade Fair in Germany in October 2002, a trip that with no doubt opened further doors for his burgeoning careers.
Selaleo Selota’s second album offering, ENCHANTED GARDENS went Platinum selling more than 60 000 copies. It is an 11-track album that continues the intelligent Afro Jazz thread that the songwriter wove so beautifully on PAINTED FACES. Only this time it steps harder on the creative pedal to turn the new record into one of the must-have Afro jazz purchases of 2002, and well beyond into a timeless collector’s item. Produced by Selaelo himself (revealing the artist to be just as skilled in this field…more on that later), ENCHANTED GARDENS boasts the musical talent of his highly accomplished live band by travelling a musical path that includes traditional sounds, smooth jazz, stunning instrumentals, inspired vocals and much, much more. ENCHANTED GARDENS is a varied, textured, and diverse album with standouts including the live favourite ‘Thrr…Phaa!’ (recorded live at Caesars Palace in Gauteng and also turned into a stunning music video), ‘ Baya Ndipatha-Patha’ (featuring the sassy vocals of Xolisa Dlamini) and ‘Le Ile Kae’, the latter surely one of the most exquisite South African compositions of recent years.
In the artist’s own words: “ENCHANTED GARDENS is very much about asserting my voice. I wanted this album to be one where I re-assert the voice that I have already set up with “PAINTED FACES”. In preparing for the album I had many chats with retailers and hawkers on the street and every time I visited them they’d say: ‘You’re never gonna to produce a classic like this’, holding onto a copy of ‘Faces’. So that was a challenge for me. I had to go back and listen to ‘Faces’ time and time again and I thought that it was beautiful indeed but I needed to come up with something that would say I maintained and took the standard further by solidifying my statement as a musician and my own voice and style. When I listen to both albums I can hear that this is the same person who recorded them both. If I am going to come with another album and people say ‘who is this’ it means that I do not have a voice”.
As with all the creative work undertaken by Selota, ENCHANTED GARDENS has at its core, a definite theme and vision. “It’s about the Enchanted Gardens of your soul where beauty can be found- it’s that moment of life when you are enchanted by things. Take the song ‘Naomi First Dance’. After my daughter was born and I saw movement for the first time, I thought about a human being’s first dance and realised that this was just what she was doing. And I realised where my innate ability to dance- which is something I’ve only discovered recently- comes from”
SELAELO SELOTA, is quick to pinpoint that his many live shows – now renowned for their combination of beauty and visceral energy – are providing an excellent vehicle to enable him to find that style and voice. “More and more as I perform live, the artist within has been coming forward and making his own statement. I’ve always found myself restricted in my mind, but when I am on stage and let go, there is someone who comes forward and that person has been inspiring me. He’s a very energetic dancer and he’s very passionate when he has to sing and could even put lyrics to all instrumental songs.
Words play an important role in this jazz artist’s life. Several songs on ENCHANTED GARDENS are enhanced with the intelligent use of lyrics and the album’s sleeve contains notes – penned by Selaelo himself- on each of the album’s tracks, bringing to life the moment in time, the stories, and the people that inspired this exceptional recording. With ‘ENCHANTED GARDENS’, Selaelo’s reputation as amongst the foremost Afro – jazz artists working today, is considerably enhanced and a slew of counting life shows to promote the album is likely to earn this gifted young man further acclaim.
The hugely talented musician has done a lot more than create successful albums for himself alone. Since the phenomenal success of JUDITH SEPHUMA’S debut album A CRY, A SMILE, A DANCE (Triple Platinum sales status of more than 160 000 units) which was arranged and produced by the maestro himself, Selaelo has taken producing one step further by repeating the magic on troubadour UMANJI’S latest album WANTOLOBELA and more recently with that of fellow jazz guitarist, SASHA SONNBICHLER whose debut album was released through BMG Africa’s Giant Steps label in November 2002.
SELAELO SELOTA, is both an academic and a passionate, professional performer. He is making a fresh and substantial contribution to the development of South African music and enjoys sharing his work and inspiration with the wildest possible audience. It should come as a no surprise now that in conjunction with Keynote Artist Development, Selaelo has embarked the Selaelo Selota Artist Development Programme, made possible by various funders.
SELAELO SELOTA travelled to Canada on July 8th, 2003 to make his debut performance at the prestigious Nuits D’Afrique Festival where he shared the stage with artists like Lokua Kanza, Diblo Dibala, Oliver Mutukudzi and many more. He was awarded the Song Writer of the year in 2003 by the South African Recording Rights Association Limited (SARRAL) and for the first time in history, the University of Cape Town conferred an Alumni Award on Selaelo Selota in the recognition for his Contribution to South African Music.
Selaelo Selota has just completed a Tour of North America and he was billed to perform at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in April, 2004 which was followed by a club tour of Ashford and Simpson’s Club Sugar Bar and Satalla in New York. He was also invited back to Montreal, Canada where he gave a sterling performance at Kola Note. Late in May he performed at the UCLA Jazz Festival in California, which was followed by a short tour of Zimbabwe and Zanzibar, Tanzania. He performed at the Zanzibar International Film Festival (ZIFF) in 2004.
In October 2004 the government of Limpopo Province in recognition of leaders in various fields conferred a Morula Award on Selaelo for his avid role in development in his hometown as well as his achievements in the music arena.
C-Lota Records. He has just completed production on his 3rd Album entitled “STORIES LIVED & TOLD” which promises to inspire, excite and explore hidden emotions of all those forgotten moments in life which need to be highlighted once again.
In November, 2006 SELAELO SELOTA released a fourth album THE AZANIAN SONGBOOK under his (new) recording company LIVE AT THE SHACK ENTERTAINMENT which will be focusing on capturing live performances in an audio and visual format.. This product is a well thought out, beautiful and mature album that captures the style he began with six years ago. Selota has grown impressively as a composer over the years. His songs cover a wide range, from sentimental ballads and hymns to classic dance tunes. The songs range from his sing-along tune Ordinary Day which features his daughter Tebelelo, to Nkatanga which is a Tsonga song featuring Paledi Malatjie.
SELAELO SELOTA went to perform in Mozambique on the January 14th, 2007 where he gave a massive performance that left the crowd shouting for more. During the rainy days and sunny times alike, Selota has always pushed the boundaries and has gained the respect of South African jazz lovers countrywide. Live At The Shack Entertainment is now in a Joint Venture with Sony BMG Entertainment. This venture has released its first artist Malatji with an album called The First Prince produced by SELAELO SELOTA. SELAELO SELOTA produced Judith Sephuma’s latest album Change Is Here which was released on the August 25th, 2008.
Now just finished his 5th Album SELAELO SELOTA describes this latest offering Lapeng Laka as “finally being home”. This album promises to provide a deeply satisfying experience. SELAELO SELOTA has been invited by the University of Southern California to be Artist in Residents where he will have series of workshops.
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS:
Morula Awards
Eric Moloto Foundation awarded him a certificate for being an inspiration
He is the FIRST RECEPIENT OF THE ALUMNI AWARD for his contribution to SOUTH AFRICA MUSIC awarded by the University of Cape Town (UCT)
-Michaela Rabitsch & Robert Pawlik Quartet visit artist website
Michaela Rabitsch, singer, composer and Austria’s only and top female jazz trumpet player and her ingenious partner – composer and guitarist Robert Pawlik are pleased to release their junior release Moods. This album presents ten songs that reflect the passion, energy and emotions of their life.
Moods is their first recording with exclusively original compositions presented by both leaders, reflecting the core of their current work. The album was recorded and mixed in their private studio, which they try to optimize always according to their needs, constantly looking for and achieving the ultimate sound using vintage and only the finest gear in recording.
In the past both focused a lot on the standard repertoire – Michaela more on the Jazz repertoire and Robert more on funky and fusion side of music.
For more than ten years now they have shared their private and musical lives, playing together in their jazz quartet and their acoustic duo, writing for both groups and playing concert tours together.
The fact that they studied the Jazz repertoire extensively as well as much Jazz related music genres, gives them a rich musical vocabulary to draw from. Listening to their music will always bring new horizons to your listening palette.
Together they have developed a rich and eventful style, never only attempting a purist’s approach, but always looking for the core message of each song they are writing or playing, and how they can express it best.
The fact, that Michaela is a trumpet player and singer at the same time gives her an extra avenue of possibilities in expression and interpretation. “The fact that I can choose to sing or to play a tune on the trumpet helps me to get to the essence of each tune and its mood.”
As international touring artists, Michaela and Robert have performed at Festivals and Jazz Clubs not only in their home country Austria, but also in Germany, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania, Israel, Italy, Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, Russia, Iran and China.
Michaela Rabitsch Biography
Michaela Rabitsch was born and raised in Upper Austria. She began lessons in classical violin at the age of seven and moved to Vienna at the age of fourteen, to attend the Musikgymnasium and studied violin at conservatory of Vienna. Michaela graduated with a university-entrance diploma.
Later Michaela studied the trumpet, jazz and popular music at the Bruckner conservatory Linz (now Anton Bruckner private University Linz) with Ingrid Jensen and Peter Tuscher. She also studied classical trumpet with Fritz Handlbauer.
She plays and played with bands such as Two of a Kind, Hypersax, stage music at the Burgtheater Wien, Just for funk, Ladybirds, MBB, Blechvögel, Michaela Rabitsch Quartett feat. Lukas Zimmer, Robert Pawlik Quartet, Sophisticated Ladies, Theater des Kindes Linz, Damen der Gesellschaft, Con Moto, and various other big bands.
In these last years she has focused especially on her own compositions played together in quartet or duo with Robert Pawlik. Michaela has been described as "A modern day female Chet Baker" by Kyle O' Brien from Jazzscene
Robert Pawlik Biography
Robert was born and grew up in Vienna and began piano lessons also at the age of seven. At the age of twelve. Robert then changed to the guitar and, after receiving his university-entrance diploma, he studied jazz guitar at the conservatory of Vienna and at the American Institute of Music with Peter Legat, Claus Spechtl, Les Wise, Wayne Brasel and Karl Ratzer.
Robert has performed with bands of all styles such as Two of a Kind, Al Fats Edwards, Andy Lee Lang, Respect, The Blues Punch, The Giant Tones, Fatal, Funky Stew, JJ Capone, The Original Brothers, Jazz Terminators, Patty Miller, Robert Pawlik Quartett, Five in Love with Betty, Broadway Big Band, Musical Time Out with Marianne Mendt and Alfons Haider, the band of Nacht der Amateure Show (Café Jenseits Combo), and also shows such as That’s Entertainment, and Viva Las Vegas with Andy Lee Lang, Loui Austin, Three Girl Madhouse, The Jive Giants and Doretha Carter.
In these last years he has also focused especially on his own music played together in a quartet or duo with Michaela Rabitsch. Robert has been praised with "incredible fluid guitar playing" by Don W. Seven from LMNOP Magazine.
-Judith Sephuma visit artist website
Judith Sephuma was a SAMA 2009 nominee for Female Artist of the Year as well as Best Contemporary Jazz Album for her third solo album CHANGE IS HERE. This album has confirmed Judith’s standing as South Africa’s pre-eminent female vocalist.
CHANGE IS HERE is nothing short of a musical tour de force that skillfully combines a graceful sophistication, with enough playfulness and whimsy to deliver a thoroughly listenable offering that never strays from Sephuma’s African roots. Alike its predecessors, this album will find a dominant (and lasting) place in the music collections of fans of quality music throughout the country, and beyond its borders.
You only need listen to ‘Thul’ umamele’ straight after ‘Ga boMoloto’ to get a glimpse of Sephuma’s ability to keep pushing the benchmark. The former is simply a brilliant track that thrusts Sephuma into a world where Mbaqanga guitar work and driving organs provide the backdrop for her vocals on the only Zulu song on the CHANGE IS HERE album.
Meanwhile, ‘Ga boMoloto’ is driven by a jazzy piano that spurs Sephuma’s vocals into Latino territory, the diversity of styles melding together in an irresistible way. Taken together, they reveal the sound of the artist in full flight.
“With maturity comes growth and, with that the confidence to try out different things with the music,” Sephuma reveals. “We had great fun in the studio, playing around with which direction each song should go and creating something special for each one.”
The starting point for CHANGE IS HERE was a desire by Sephuma to return to her Sepedi roots, making the album something of a homecoming for the girl from Polokwane, who has turned into the flag bearer for soulful jazz with its roots firmly planted in African soil.
Sephuma relates how many of her fans had pressed her to record an album of songs in the vein of the Sepedi. ‘Mme Motswadi’ is one such track off 2005’s ‘New Beginnings’. “So many people came up to me, at gigs and in the street and told me how much they adored that song, so when it came to the new album it seemed a natural fit to go to my roots,” Sephuma explains.
Fittingly joining Sephuma in her in this journey, is producer Selaelo Selota who helmed her 2003 debut ‘A Smile, A Cry, A Dance’, and who has swiftly gathered the creative elements to assist the singer in executing her vision. The result is nothing short of mesmerizing, and choosing to work with Selota was stroke of genius. “When I thought about recording mostly in Sepedi, Selaelo was the only person who seemed just right for the job. He just understands where I am coming from and it made the studio work very easy and natural.”
The results of Sephuma and Selota’s longstanding creative relationship are easily heard on CHANGE IS HERE. The album moves along at a graceful pace, revealing an increasing number of sonic treasures with each listen. Among these is perfect balance of Sephuma’s vocals against those of the track’s backing singers on ‘Lerato La Pelo Ya Ka’, a song that is already finding deserved traction at radio. And keep listening to ‘Gae’ and you’ll discover that this reverential song hides a great deal of beauty within its simple folds.
Easily two of the most beautiful – and simply rendered songs – Sephuma has yet recorded are also included on CHANGE IS HERE in the form of ‘Tshiwana’ and ‘Thapedi. The former is supported by little more than an acoustic guitar, and allows Sephuma’s voice to stand strong. The fact that the track is co-written by Albert Frost, lends bluesy feel that never detracts from the song’s African-ness. It’s the same with the lullaby-esque ‘Thapedi’, which brings Selota and Sephuma together – as both songwriters and performers - in a way that is certain to send shivers down the spine of the listener, with its tenderness and exquisite beauty.
Sephuma herself says CHANGE IS HERE is the most intimate recording she has done, and the evidence of the influence of her life as a wife and mother is scattered throughout the album.
‘Ask Me Who I Am’, one of just four English-language songs on the album, features Sephuma’s clearly gifted daughter, Tebelelo Sephuma and will strike a chord with mothers and daughters around the globe with its tale of love, no matter what. “I wanted to write a song that somehow captured this relationship – which is not the easiest. You know teenagers often forget who they are, at least in the eyes of their parents and parents find it hard to deal with the fact that their children do grow up. But through it all, mothers love their children as much as they do when they were just a baby.”
For Sephuma, allowing her listeners this glimpse into her life is part of her reason for being an artist. “There is a passage in the Bible that says a person will never get over the pain in their life if they don’t use it to help others, and that really struck a chord with me. So even if I am going through challenges, I must use those to write lyrics that really help the people who listen to my music. It makes creating music so much more satisfying.”
As has become Sephuma’s benchmark. CHANGE IS HERE features a stellar cast of supporting players including Randal Skippers on piano and synthesizer, Michael Phillips on bass guitar, Kwazi Shange on drums, Tlale Makhene on percussion and Sifiso Khanyile, Mahalia Buchanan and Margaret Motsage on backing vocals. The release of the album also marks a new part of Sephuma’s musical journey. “I have realised that when you release an album you are in business, and I am really paying a great deal more attention to that side of my life.”
As a result of this, CHANGE IS HERE was released through a joint venture between Sony BMG and Sephuma’s own label, Lalomba – something that the artist is extremely proud of.
For Sephuma, CHANGE IS HERE signals nothing less than the adaptability that modern life demands of us. “Things are always changing but, that change always takes place in the here and now so we need to be open to it,” this one-of-a-kind artist says.
For the fans who adore Sephuma’s reverence for quality at all costs, CHANGE IS HERE signifies the moment they first hear the 12-track record and, like everything Sephuma delivers, it will change their life forever.
-Lira visit artist website
Lira set a soul scorching benchmark with her 2006 album FEEL GOOD - and with her late 2008 release, SOUL IN MIND she's once again created a record that is defined by its honesty, soulfulness, femininity and utter joyfulness.
What's more, the 29-year-old has also delivered an album that effortlessly shows Lira's growth over the past two years - most especially as a songwriter and intuitive performer, turning the young girl who showed the first glimpses of her gift more than five years ago into a woman with a world class talent.
"I think the album is the sound of a woman getting into her own skin, of finding her own creative voice and exploring the music that people heard on 'Feel Good' but taking it much deeper," Lira explains.
Importantly, however, that "taking it deeper" is never at the expense of alienating her audience: instead Lira has, in SOUL IN MIND, crafted an album that will fold itself into the hearts of listeners, offering the warmth and comfort of someone who instinctively knows how to convey life's big themes in a way that instantly resonates.
SOUL IN MIND is a perfect example of this. Its lyrics may be potently personal ("I am a child born of love/so let love remain in my heart and my mind/let love enjoy be my friend/give me peace with no end/let me live with no fear and no shame/let me begin to see love come alive come alive in my life/let me feel how it feels to be me") but Lira delivers them with such intensely felt emotions that it's impossible not to feel how they intersect with your own life. When Lira sings "I want it all", all the desires of her fans will be swept along with her, caught in the slipstream of this gifted artist's musical power.
For Lira 'Soul In Mind' is the album's key track. "It's a very sincere song and it the one song that gave birth to everything else on the album," she says Lira may be a South African style icon, and a young woman who relishes the playful aspects of living, but she thinks deeply about life - and the responsibility of being an artist with a now established fanbase. "My music has to be empowering," Lira says, with real force. "I am very, very conscious of that - especially growing up in Africa. I don't want to bring anything negative into my music yet do that in way that is not preachy."
That Lira has been successful at her goal is easily heard in one of the album's standout tracks - 'Rise Again'. A classic pop track that quickly burns into your heart with effortless hook and words that snag in all the right places, the lyrics ("Still I rise again/Yet I rise again/Yes I rise again/And yet I rise again") in many ways define the experience of living in Africa: at times it seems impossibly hard but the continent always surges back.
'Rise Again' was composed by Lira alone - and its impact says a great deal about how she's grown as a songwriter. "If you are a songwriter at your creative core, you never stop writing and since the release of FEEL GOOD I have been writing lyrics, melodies - all to work at my craft. Even now I am still writing songs."
Another song that carries Lira's signature songwriting style is 'My Company', an achingly beautiful, but simple song that allows the spotlight to fall on Lira alone: Although co-written by Grant Tregellas, it sees Lira unmasked in a song that is as moving a love song as you're likely to hear all year.
Lira describes SOUL IN MIND as "a personal prayer" about wanting to feel the joy in life - but there are a handful of songs on the album that do step into life's darker edges including 'Hamba'. A song about realising that your partner is simply not the one for you, 'Hamba's' heart-catching refrain turns it into an album highlight.
Although Lira's music is frequently described as Afro-Soul, the diversity on SOUL IN MIND makes such classifications less easy this time around. "I need the freedom to express myself through my music and so am not bound to a genre when working on an album," Lira says. "But there is a common thread through the songs and that is that they are honest - the come from my soul." So there is 'S'thandwa Sam' ("my Kasi song about a girl wondering why her 'boyfriend' won't declare their relationship publicly"), the old school sound of 'Made For Me', her out-and-out girly song 'It's Alright' and the unashamedly upbeat 'Celebrating Life' which is made for the dancefloor.
Lira's especially pleased with the way SOUL IN MIND has turned out but admits that creating the album was not always easy. "With FEEL GOOD I had time to really commit to being in the studio and work consistently at the songs, but this time around we had to fit the recording around live appearances and other commitments and it was hard. "My biggest challenge at the moment is maintaining a balance in my life. At times I do get down and berate myself because everyone knows me as the 'Feel Good' girl but life is made up both sides, the dark and the light, and if the dark makes you grow more in the light, you are living life to the full." Lira pays tribute to her band members - several of whom have cowritten songs with her - for turning SOUL IN MIND into the astonishing album that it is. "It was wonderful recording with my live band and I believe we have created something special here."
Victor Mngomezulu (keyboards), Tshepo Sekele (bass), Grant Tregellas (guitars) and Joshua Zacheus (drums) form the core of Lira's band and as well as playing a pivotal role on SOUL IN MIND, they have accompanied her on the growing number of high-profile and important live dates that she has notched up since the release of FEEL GOOD. The latter album has proved a potent calling card for Lira, unleashing several hit songs which remain perennial radio favourites, including the title track. FEEL GOOD has been released in Italy and Thailand and the past year has seen Lira's sound go international with live dates in Italy, Fiji and more. Here at home, she remains one of the country's premier live performers, having appeared at the Joy of Jazz, the recent Macufe Festival, Oppikoppi and the 2007 Cape Town International Jazz Festival. "It was after that festival that I realized just how my music affects people from all different backgrounds because I suddenly started getting fanmail from people all over the world. It's very gratifying."
For Lira's multitude of fans, a new album from the artist is as gratifying - and in SOUL IN MIND they have been given a gift of a record that provides the perfect companion to FEEL GOOD and has classic written all over it.
-George Benson - With a 28 piece orchestra visit artist website
At various points along the four-decade continuum of George Benson's career, he has been heralded as a jazz guitarist of unparalleled chops, a vocalist with great emotional range and sophistication or a combination of both. However, he regards himself as an entertainer in the broadest sense of the word – a singer of songs, a spinner of tales. That's the essence, Songs and Stories.
"It's a very simple equation," the National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Master says of the longevity of his career and the ten Grammy Awards that have punctuated it along the way. "In the end, it's about the songs and the stories. That's what keeps the music fresh for me. That's what keeps me coming back. If you come up with a great melody and put the right lyrics to it, I'm immediately excited." That excitement is evident in his new release, Songs and Stories, due August 25, 2009 on Concord Records/Monster Music. The album is a collection of tunes penned by some of the most prolific and enduring songwriters of the last half-century, including James Taylor, Smokey Robinson, Lamont Dozier, Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway and several others. Some were written specifically for this new recording, while others were hand-picked by Benson for their ability to convey simple but universal truths about the human experience.
Songs and Stories was produced by Concord exec VP of A&, R. John Burk and renowned bassist/composer Marcus Miller. Benson, Miller, keyboardist Greg Phillinganes, guitarist Jubu and drummer John Robinson make up the core unit for the project. They were joined by special guests: guitarists Lee Ritenour, Steve Lukather, Wah Wah Watson and Norman Brown, vocalists Lalah Hathaway and Patti Austin, keyboardist David Paich, saxophonists Tom Scott and Gerald Albright along with several others. "Brother, with that team, you can do just about anything," said Benson. "We recorded in the studio for three days straight, and everything we touched had something on it that made us all glad we were there. It was just the right mix of people and material. Once we realized that, the challenges disappeared. It just became an exercise in great joy. We were happy to jump on it, we knew we were going to get something special, and that's what we got." The combined talents of these writers and musicians make for a series of unforgettable tales, and Benson himself is the narrator who weaves it all together.
And yet, for all of the high-caliber musicians on hand, the most important guests are the songwriters, says Miller. "Smokey Robinson doesn't perform on this record, but he's still a guest," he says. "Lamont Dozier is a guest. Bill Withers and James Taylor are guests. If you take great songs from writers like these, and you put them in the hands of George Benson and a great band, you'd better just get out of the way and let things happen, because the result is going to be something great." For Benson, a great song has the capacity to actually alter reality – not just for the listener but for the performer as well. "When I play a song like Christopher Cross'’ or ‘Sailing,' which you hear at the very end of Songs and Stories, it actually puts me out on the ocean," he says. "And I'd like to think the song can do the same for the people who hear it. That's why people like Frank Sinatra or Nat King Cole were so successful. When they started singing, they would actually take you to another place. And for a few moments, at least, you could actually feel the atmosphere of that place and that story all around you. Nobody did it better than those guys, but that's a little of what I try to do – not just on this record but on all of my records. I try to take the listener to another place."
While he may hold the likes of Sinatra and Nat Cole in a category all their own, Benson himself is at the center of a unique musical story that stretches all the way back to his early childhood. At age eight, he was already singing and playing the ukulele in local nightclubs in his native Pittsburgh. By his teenage years, he had switched from ukulele to guitar, and he had stopped singing for the most part to focus more on his instrumental work. His musical sensibilities shifted toward jazz, due to his exposure to records by Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian and Charlie Parker.
By the early '60s, Benson had joined organist Jack McDuff's band – a gig that was educational but short-lived. He left to form his own band and launch his solo career with the 1964 album, The New Boss Guitar (a nod to Montgomery's album, Boss Guitar released just a year earlier). The album caught the attention of legendary Columbia Records talent scout John Hammond, who signed him to the label. Benson recorded two solo albums for Columbia and played session dates for numerous other artists, including Miles Davis' 1968 opus, Miles in the Sky.
He left Columbia in the late '60s and recorded on a number of labels for the next several years. All the while, he'd been looking for a way to redevelop his vocals and make them part of his overall repertoire, but most of the producers and record execs at the time dismissed the idea, which became a source of growing frustration. But producer Tommy LiPuma saw the idea differently, and the result was Breezin', the 1976 blockbuster album that marked the beginning of a long association with Warner Brothers. The first jazz record to achieve platinum sales, Breezin' yielded a number of hits, including the instrumental title track, the soulful update of Leon Russell's "This Masquerade" and the lively "Give Me The Night. Throughout the remainder of the '70s and into the '80s, Benson and LiPuma crafted a string of great records that collectively cemented the guitarist's global reputation. In the mid-'90s, Benson followed LiPuma to the GRP label, where the two basically picked up where they'd left off at Warners. High points from the period include That's Right (1996) and Standing Together (1998).
Since the start of the millennium, Benson has shown no signs of slowing down. Some of his more notable offerings of the past decade include Absolute Benson (2000), the sexy and soulful Irreplaceable (2004), and Givin' It Up (2006), a duet recording with Al Jarreau that scored two Grammy Awards and marked his Concord Records/Monster Music debut.
Songs and Stories, the follow-up to Givin' It Up, is an equally satisfying affair. The set opens with a Latin-flavored cover of James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," one of two tracks on the album recorded in Sao Paulo, Brazil with a team of Brazilian session players. "James Taylor is a great songwriter, and a great performer too," says Benson. "Not many people are brave enough to cover his songs because he does them so well himself, and with such simplicity. It's hard to beat that combination, but I tried my hand at it while I was down there, and it came off so well that I decided to put it on the record."
The first songwriter Benson contacted when he began assembling material for this project was Rod Temperton, author of his biggest hit "Give Me The Night". Temperton, whose credits include much of Michael Jackson's seminal album "Thriller" among many other classics, contributed the spectacular tune "Family Reunion". Further into the sequence, Benson is joined by vocalist Lalah Hathaway on "A Telephone Call Away," a heartfelt duet written by Bill Withers, who came out of retirement to write it specifically for this album. "Every song Bill Withers touches seems to appeal to a huge audience," says Benson. "He understands the inner workings of people's hearts and minds, and it comes through in his songwriting." “Nuthin' But a Party", a guitar duet with Norman Brown, is everything the title suggests. The song was written by a crew of funk purveyors from the '80s that includes brothers Roger and Larry Troutman (of Zapp fame) along with Marlon McClain and Robert Harris (of the Dazz Band). "This song is more about the dueling guitars than anything else," says Benson, although Brown does sing a few supporting lines throughout the track. "I was surprised at how well Norman handled his vocal parts in the song. His guitar playing is superb, which didn't surprise me at all, because he's a fabulous musician. But he also has good vocal range, which did surprise me."
"One Like You" written by Smokey Robinson, lays it on the line with a no-holds-barred declaration of love that features guest guitar work by Lee Ritenour. "I've known Smokey since we were teenagers," says Benson. "Just look at his body of work. He writes nothing but magnificent songs – simple but universal ideas that everyone can relate to, colorful stuff with great harmonies. This song is consistent with that track record."
Songs and Stories closes with the aforementioned cover of "Sailing," the 1980 pop smash hit by Christopher Cross. On this second track from the Brazil sessions, Benson conjures rich layers of atmosphere with the help of acoustic guitarists Toninho Horta and Marcelo Lima, along with Noel Lee on wind chimes. "To be honest, I had no particular feeling for the song when I first heard it years ago," Benson admits, "but when I actually played it; I began to understand the thinking that went into it. I understood why people liked it so much. It carries more weight than I originally realized, and it conveys an idea that's very simple but heartfelt."
More than forty years after Benson cut his first recordings, could the songs ever become repetitive? Could the stories get old? "If they did, I would be the first to know," he says, "because I get bored quickly. If that ever happens, I'll find something else to do. But it has yet to happen, and it never will. Music is too incredible of an experience for me. There's always someone new coming along with a fresh idea that turns the music inside out and changes the way we listen and think. There's always someone out there – someone we've never even heard of yet – with a new song and a new story."
Concord Records is proud to once again partner with Monster Music® on presenting the newest George Benson album Songs and Stories on High Definition Surround™ Sound SuperDisc™. The Monster® version, also available August 25th, is a specially priced two-disc package that consists of Songs and Stories on compact disc mixed in traditional stereo and a bonus DVD, containing Monster's High Definition Stereo and Surround mixes. In addition, the bonus DVD features behind-the-scenes video footage of the making of the record including an in-depth interview with George Benson. With its innovative High Definition Surround technology Monster Music is revolutionizing the listening experience. Mastered in the highest resolution possible, HDS SuperDiscs are specially engineered to capture the true harmonic depth and tonal richness of the music. THX certified HDS SuperDiscs deliver the music through a 5.1 speaker system just the way the artist heard it in the studio when it was recorded, the way they intended you to hear it.
-Mezzoforte visit artist website
30 years on, MEZZOFORTE seem on a great roll being still fresh-faced, creative and vibrant. After all they were only teenagers when they created Iceland´s first international chart-hit, GARDEN PARTY in 1983. This well crafted instrumental paved the way, allowing musical ideas to flow, develop and mature and, making sure their over-night success should not be just a one-night stand.
Their stamina and well balanced longevity reflects the name itself: MEZZOFORTE - Playing it strong without distorting. More like a CRESENDO. A steadily growing enhanced signal. From ‘strength to strength’ well describes MEZZOFORTE´s continuing saga of success. With forty countries already visited, and eleven albums released. The year 2009 saw their twelfth album followed by tours of European and Asian countries, as well as their brand new collection of works on DVD distributed worldwide.
With original founders Eythor Gunnarsson on keyboards, Gulli Briem on drums and Johann Asmundsson on bass, the guitar chores are now amicably shared between axe-maestro Bruno Mueller and original guitarist Fridrik Karlsson. Other teammates include Reykjavik reedman Oskar Gudjonsson, Sebastian Studnitzky, on keyboards/ trumpet and percussion - powerhouse Thomas Dyani.
This line-up recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of GARDEN PARTY with an open-air concert in the most appropriate Central Garden of Reykjavik, Hljómskalagardurinn. This con-cert gave a truly magnificent overview of MEZZOFORTE´s great body of work, starting with numbers from their self-titled debut in 1979, through albums such as SURPRISE, SURPRISE! OBSERVATINS, RISING, NO LIMITS, PLAYING FOR TIME , DAYBREAK, MONKEY FIELDS, FORWARD MOTION and finishing off with new compositions from their recently released grand DVD outing, MEZZOFORTE COLLECTION.
It was a grand GARDEN PARTY indeed, mirroring their own glorious musical history while marking a new exciting phase for this extraordinary group. While MEZZOFORTE is truly based on solid musical pillars, the group keeps refreshing and reinventing itself by constantly reveling in new concepts which typically lead to imaginative new global & musical adventures.
There is undoubtedly a lot to look forward to indeed for us MEZZOFORTE followers!
-Musa Manzini visit artist website
Musa Manzini was born at Inanda, north of Durban, South Africa in 1971 from parents Makhobane and Nomusa Manzini. He then moved to Cape Town in 1986 for high school and university studies. It was later in his high school days that he first picked up the guitar just as a hobby, but was hooked to it ever since. "I was faced with having to choose between music as a full-time career or becoming a lawyer which is the career my parents had carved for me. At one point, I thought I could be a lawyer who plays the bass".
After high school Musa enrolled at a MAPP institution that was a Swedish and Kagiso Trust initiative to assist musicians from previously disadvantaged communities of South Africa. This introduced him to the basic aspects of music theory and improvisation. In 1992-he enrolled at the University of Cape Town where he completed a Bachelor of Music degree, majoring in composition and arrangement. In 1995, while at UCT, he received the Prof Peter Klatzow Award for composition and orchestration "It was a big challenge coming from the township and being introduced to classical music at tertiary level, having to analyse the music of Bach, Chopin, Mozart, Debussy, Schonberg and other European composers"
After graduation, Musa spent three years as a part-time lecturer at UCT instructing electric and acoustic basses, jazz theory and improvisation to bridging course students, while at the same time performing and recording as a session musician around the country with musicians like Rene" MacLean, Jimmy Dludlu, Jonathan Butler, Gavin Minter, Nhlanhla Magagula, Kevin Gibson, Mark Goliath, Judith Sephuma, Winston Ngozi, Sipho Mabuse, Menyatso Mathole, Selaelo Selota, Joe McBride, UCT Jazz Orchestra and many other muso"s of that period.
The multi-facetted Cape Town music scene has honed Manzini’s style and sound, mostly the townships of Guguletu, Langa, Mitchell"s Plain and Khayelitsha. In 2000 Musa released his debut recording entitled "New Reflections" through BMG Records Africa, and was at the same time introduced into the film and television industry by Mfundi Vundla, where he worked on daily drama series like Backstage and Generations as film scorer and musical director. In 2002, Musa released his second cd Tributes and Memories under his own label Manzini Entertainment (Pty) Ltd with Gallo Jazz.
Musa has performed at North Sea, New Orleans, Joy of Jazz, Muscat, Jazzathon, Arts alive as well as many other club gigs, functions and musicians" workshops locally and abroad. The most successful producer of the South African TV soaps, Mfundi Vundla of Morula Pictures who appointed him as the Musical Director in the youth soapie ‘Backstage’ in 2000, has recognized his talent and ability. He has in 2002 joined the very successful TV show ‘Generations’. These appointments particularly to Generations, the soap with largest viewer-ship in South Africa, points once more to the versatility of his talent.
-The Glenn Robertson Jazz Band visit artist website
Glenn Robertson was one of the founding members of the band Airborne and was lead vocalist for the Tony Schilder Trio for a season, at Club Montreal in Manenberg. His musical influences come largely from the music of Al Jarreau, Nat King Cole, Jimmy Messina, Earth, Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder and his leaning is definitely toward a latin jazz flavour. Glenn is a family man, and has a wife Michelle and two daughters called Lisa and Caelyn.
Tony Drake was the piano player for the band Rio who played at the Sandton Holiday Inn, the Pig & Swizzle in Rondebosch, Cape Town. Rio then became Tokyo Rose. Tony was involved with Gerald Sharp as part of Raven Rain and played at places such as Fudruckers. Tony then went on to record with David Kramer, All Night Radio, The Sweat Band, Andre de Villiers, and Mynie Grove. More recently, besides running his own studio, called “Lightway Studios” (Tracking Station), he has been doing a residency at the Louis B's Restaurant at the Arabella Sheraton for two seasons. Tony has three children: Jared, Tyler and Darren".
Andre Henry is the Bass player and he played with various bands for the past 20 years. He did his studies at the Jazz Workshop in Cape Town with Alistair Andrews. He played in various venues in Cape Town either as a band member or session musician. He played with final connection, collaboration as well in the Gospel band Davahu.
Fabian has been playing drums since the age of thirteen. He played in a youth band called Generation Jam for 1999. He has also been playing in the Church Band. He attended the Jazz Workshop for two years with Denver Furness. Fabian also played for Prompt when they originally started as well as with Trevor Parker, and Liezl Graham to name a couple. Fabian was the fill-in drummer for the Glenn Robertson Jazz Band until recently, replacing James Porter, and joining them in a full-time capacity.
Donveno Prins recently he performed in the award winning smash hit musical "The Kramer Petersen Songbook" by David Kramer, and most recently the extremely funny romantic show "Where the boys are" featuring Alistair Izobell, Loukmaan Adams and Mono Dullisear directed by Bazil Apollis. He’s currently busy with a show called 3 Wise men where he's leading a four piece band backing Marc Lottering, Riaad Moosa and Nik Rabinowitz at the Baxter theater.
-Stix Hojeng visit artist website
Ko-Kasi is a contemporary 12-track Jazz Album produced in 2007 by Stix Hojeng, bassist, producer, composer and pianist extraordinaire. The first track on the album, Time After Time, successfully reached number one on Kaya FM’s Jazz Top Ten.
Stix Hojeng was born into music in the small mining town of Kimberley, not far from the Big Hole. His mother was a vocalist, his father played the trumpet, and his brother played the drums. Stix’s first love affair was with the guitar when he was just twelve years old. But the piano finally won his heart.
He has played with some of South Africa’s greatest talents, including the late Miriam Makeba, Jimmy Dludlu, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Tsepo Tshola and the late Brenda Fassie. He also played with the band CC Beat, Jimmy Dludlu, Frank Paco and John Nassan. Stix was founder member of the band Loading Zone. Later he joined another group Africa O-Ye and, with this band produced an album called Moment of Truth.
The Stix Hojeng Jazz Band was an overall winner of the SABC/RBF Challenge in 2008. This was the first time the challenge was ever won by a jazz artist.
-Regina Carter's “Reverse Thread” visit artist website
“…Carter is a knockout violinist who leads a knockout band.”
-O Magazine
“Regina Carter creates music that is wonderfully listenable, probingly intelligent and at times, breathtakingly daring…taking the listener into the future of jazz.”
-Time Magazine
Regina Carter’s career has been a veritable crescendo of success that shows no sign of letting up. She is on a mission: to make a meaningful musical contribution and do it on her own terms. Indeed, she tours with relentless purpose and a seemingly endless supply of energy. Over the past seven years, Ms. Carter and her group have brought audiences to their feet with exhilarating performances worldwide. In 2006, Ms. Carter won the highly esteemed MacArthur Fellowship, which is given to individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits.
During the 2007-2008 season, Ms. Carter continued to lead her group through an extensive, national and international tour. Along the way, she performed music from her critically acclaimed release, Paganini: After A Dream, with music from her latest release, I’ll Be Seeing You: A Sentimental Journey, both on the Verve record label.
Back in December 2001, Regina Carter traveled to Genoa, Italy and made history. She became the first jazz musician and first African American to play the legendary Guarneri del Gesu violin owned by classical music virtuoso and composer Nicolo Paganini. Less than a year later, Carter returned to Genoa to accomplish another milestone-using the treasured violin to record her classical-infused album.
Regina Carter’s recent triumphs by no means came without paying her dues as a side person, a student and her early musical experiences, in her hometown, Detroit, Michigan. Carter’s master classes with violin giants, Itzak Perlman and Yehudi Menuhin, as well as her association as a member of the Detroit Civic Symphony Orchestra and with the pop-funk group, Brainstorm, provided the needed experience to play with a range of artists. Ms. Carter has had the opportunity to perform, with such jazz luminaries as, Ray Brown, Dr. Billy Taylor, Marian McPartland, Kenny Barron, Wynton Marsalis, Randy Weston and Cassandra Wilson. She has also performed with POP icons, Dolly Parton and Billy Joel.
During the 2002–2003 season, Ms. Carter and her touring band began performing with numerous orchestras including, the Atlanta Symphony, the Milwaukee Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra. Ms. Carter and her band also performed a special engagement with the Boston Pops, featuring classical virtuoso, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and celtic star, Eileen Ivers. Together, the three violinists debuted a song written especially for them, by Chris Brubeck (Dave Brubeck’s son), entitled “Interplay.”
Just as prolific as her accomplishments on stage are Carter’s performances on record. Included in her discography, along with recordings with Patti Labelle, Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige and Lauryn Hill are recordings with vocalists, Cassandra Wilson and Carmen Lundy, trombonist, Steve Turre, pianists Kenny Barron and Danilo Perez, guitarist Rodney Jones, saxophonist James Carter, Quartet Indigo, led by cellist, Akua Dixon and the String Trio of New York.
Her influences have ranged from R&B to East Indian, to classical music. As a college student, Carter took on a double major in classical music and African American music at both the prestigious New England Conservatory and Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Performance.
Regina currently has five discs under her own name, two on Atlantic Records, Regina Carter (1995) and Something for Grace (1997). In 1998 Regina changed record labels and in the spring of 1999 Rhythms of the Heart made its debut under the auspices of VERVE Records (Universal). Her fourth CD, Motor City Moments, was released in September 2000 and is a tribute to the musical legacy of her hometown of Detroit. Freefall, in collaboration with pianist Kenny Barron was released in the spring of 2001 and was nominated for a GRAMMY Award in February 2002. The aforementioned Paganini: After A Dream, was released in April 2003 and her latest CD, I’ll Be Seeing You: A Sentimental Journey, made its debut in June of 2006. On this disc Regina pays homage to her late mother by performing music from the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s.
Regina Carter, one of the most popular contemporary violinists in modern music, further reveals her diverse musical personality with the upcoming release Reverse Thread — a celebration of traditional African music with a modern perspective.
-The Gauteng Jazz Orchestra visit artist website
“The Gauteng Jazz Orchestra has been established through a partnership between the Gauteng Provincial Government Department of Sport, Arts, Culture and recreation and the Music Academy of Gauteng Jazz Orchestra; which will form the nucleus and base of the Gauteng Jazz Orchestra under the leadership of Johnny Mekoa; whilst drawing in various musicians from all over Gauteng
By supporting the establishment of the Gauteng Jazz Orchestra the Department contributes to efforts to ensure that this musical heritage is preserved and promoted through creative and innovative musicianship”
MEMBERS OF THE ORCHESTRA
Barney Rachabane (Saxophone)
Khaya Mahlangu (Saxophone)
Sidney Mavundla (Trumpet)
Johnny Mekoa (Trumpet - Executive Director)
Bheki Mbatha (Trombone)
Jabu Mdluli (Trombone)
Nkanyezi Cele (Drums)
Mduduzi Mthsali (Piano)
INTERNS (students who have graduated from Jazz Programmes)
Hendrick Monyeki (Vocal)
Tumelo Kwinika (Trumpet)
Oscar Kgware (Saxophone)
Ntombizodwa Zililo (Saxophone)
Thabang Motloung (Bass Trombone)
Benvolia Malumane (Piano)
-Delft Youth Big Band conducted By Ian Smith visit artist website
This Delft Big Band under the Directorship of Ian Smith started in August, 2008 as an initiative by the Department of Social Development and NGO Cape Outdoor Adventure Service and Training.
This development programme is targeted at vulnerable youth from high schools in Leiden, Rosendal and Voorbrug. Through this programme, which has early intervention as a core element, music is used as a vehicle to equip the youth with valuable life-skills.
Currently more than 100 learners from these areas participate in the programme of which more advanced musicians make up the Delft Big Band. This new band has already performed to high accolade at a number of high profile events, including the Sekunjalo Edujazz and The Cape Town Big Band Festival at the Baxter where they received standing ovations. Other concerts include the Cummunity Jazz Festival in Guguletu for the Amy Biehl Foundation.
There were various other performances some of which took place at the City Hall such as, The Brass Band Pops and concerts with the Americal Palm Springs Band. The band recently combined with the SA Army Band in concert at the V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre, and also performed at the Arts and Culture Conference at the CTICC and many other high profile government and NGO events
-Ronny Jordan Organ Trio visit artist website
Born Ronald Laurence Albert Simpson on November 29, 1962 in London, England, Ronny Jordan is a guitarist at the forefront of the acid jazz movement at the end of the twentieth century.
He came to prominence after being featured on Guru’s tour de force, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1, which saw release in 1993. He was also one of the artists whose recordings are featured on Stolen Moments — a compilation album released in 1994 to benefit the Red Hot Organization.
Ever since the release of 1992’s Antidote, recordings from Jordan have been a mainstay on a variety of Billboard charts. He has also been the recipient of a slew of awards, including The MOBO Best Jazz Act Award as well as Gibson Guitar Best Jazz Guitarist Award. His 2000 release, A Brighter Day, was nominated for a Grammy award in the Best Contemporary Jazz Album category.
-Paulo Flores visit artist website
Paulo Alexandre da Silva Flores is one of Angola's most enduring musicians. From his first record release at sixteen Paulo has seen other musicians' popularity wax and wane but has always maintained a dedicated and large following.
Born in Luanda in 1972, Paulo moved to Lisbon at a very early age. His first performances were as a dancer with Teresa Mukuyo, a Mozambican funk singer - now resident in the UK. But with the release of his first album in 1988 (aged only 16), his career took off and he established himself as one of PALOP Africa's hottest singers.
His status as Angola's most enduring singer lies in his voice and his lyrics. Never a stranger to the truth his songs deal candidly with the lives of Angola's ordinary people who live extraordinary lives. The war, corruption, hunger and the government all come under his lyrical scrutiny. This is not to say that all songs are serious. His first big hit was about Gingas, a term referring to a sexy 'African' way of walking. Lyrics are sung in a mixture of Portuguese and Kimbondo all though he admits that his Kimbondo is a bit rusty and sometimes he gets his grandmother to help with grammar!
Since his first album he has recorded a further eight and toured extensively in Africa, Canada, Spain and France, the latter leading to his music being featured on the sound track of the French film "La Grande Ourse"
A passionate and intimate performer whose voice mixes soul with gentle power, Paulo always searches for new directions. His latest album scheduled for imminent release on Sony Portugal brings the fusion of Angolan Semba and Brazilian Samba.
-Jeff Lorber visit artist website
Over three decades after breaking ground as leader of the pioneering Jeff Lorber Fusion, the Philly-born and bred composer, producer and keyboard legend is still keeping the vibes fresh and the grooves funky. On Heard That, his highly anticipated Peak Records debut, Lorber keeps the soulful momentum going, collaborating brilliantly on pop, jazz, R&B and bluesinfluenced tracks--and even harkening back a bit to his early 80s Fusion heyday--with one of urban jazz’s top hit makers and sonic architects, Rex Rideout.
Highlighted by the first single, a swinging, bluesy-brass twist on Amy Winehouse’s Grammy winning “Rehab,” Heard That features a typically vibrant Lorber all-star guest list, including trumpet great Rick Braun, guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr., saxman Gary Meek, bassist Alex Al, trumpeter Ron King, guitarist Darrell Crooks, and saxman Gerald Albright. Lorber has been touring all throughout 2008 as part of Guitars & Saxes with Albright, Jessy J, Jeff Golub, and Peter White.
As high charting, pop-jazz oriented releases like West Side Stories (1994), State of Grace (1996) and Midnight (1998) were establishing him as one of the genre’s top artists, Lorber also became an in demand producer. Every artist looking for a hit melody and groove, from Albright to Eric Marienthal, Richard Elliot and David Benoit, tapped his behind the board talents. On his later projects, Lorber sought new inspiration himself by collaborating with other producers. Kickin’ It (2001), Philly Style (2003) and 2005’s Grammy nominated Flipside, the keyboardist partnered with fellow first call producer Steven Dubin. Leaning more jazzy on his eclectic 2007 date He Had A Hat, (which earned him his third Grammy nomination) he worked with legendary Blood, Sweat & Tears drummer and Chris Botti producer Bobby Colomby.
Eager to return to his trademark R&B sound when he signed with Peak, Lorber immediately sought out Rideout, who has lent his Midas touch over the past ten years to a virtual who’s who of contemporary jazz and soul instrumentalists and vocalists: Albright, Elliot, Boney James, Paul Taylor, Kirk Whalum, Maysa, Will Downing, Lalah Hathaway and Ledisi. Lorber first worked with Rideout when he produced his track “For You To Love” on the popular 2006 Luther Vandross Tribute Forever, For Always, For Luther, Vol. 2.
“I have been a fan of all of the records he’d been doing in the urban jazz realm for years. My last album He Had A Hat was more of a serious jazz exploration, and I wanted to get back to more of a hard-hitting, focused, funky, multi-keyboard approach that would be totally today, yet also have some of those jamming fusion flavors and jazzy chord changes like one of my classic songs, ‘Tune 88’ from 1979’s ‘Water Sign,’ which is one of my favorite old albums. Songs on Heard That like ‘The Bomb’, ‘Night Sky’ and ‘Gamma Rays’ are heavily influenced by these kind of fun, jazzy chord changes. As we began working on more tracks, we also tapped into a big blues sound on the title tune and ‘Don’t Stop.”
That exciting blues twist is also a prominent element in Lorber’s instantly infectious romp through “Rehab,” which was actually added to the set list of Heard That at the last minute—in much the same way as his cover of Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody,” which has become a staple of his live shows, and was a final stroke of brilliance on Kickin’ It. “I was just messing around at the piano,” says Lorber, “and realized it would be a good instrumental song, very bluesy, based on a Wurlitzer piano figure, which I included in my version, of course! It all came down very quickly. Tony Moore, a good friend just happened to be coming over and played the drum part on Bobby Colomby’s 30 year old Slingerland drum set that he used to play with Blood Sweat and Tears. We got into a groove reminiscent of Ramsey Lewis’ ‘In Crowd’ immediately. Rex suggested a Motown style back beat guitar part, which I recorded with plenty of spring reverb, like a record from the 60’s. Gary Meek and Rick Braun laid down their horn parts a few days later --and everything just clicked!”
While most of Lorber’s previous recordings exclusively feature him on piano, Wurlitzer, Hammond B-3, Fender Rhodes and synthesizers, the spirit of the sessions forHeard That allowed him to share the keys with Rideout, most notably on the old school soul-jazz jam opener “Come On Up” (highlighted by a swirl of Rhodes and piano with the Ron King/Gary Meek horn section and a crackling Paul Jackson, Jr. guitar solo); the cool, slow jam soul ballad “You Got Something” (which they wrote with featured vocalist Phillip “Taj” Jackson); the wild and soaring, brassy funk/fusion explosion not called “The Bomb” for nothing!; and the sensual vocal track “Take Control,” which blends a thick funk ballad rhythm and dark keyboard chordings with co-writer Lauren Evans’ vocals.
“Rex and I were surrounded by tons of keyboards in my studio,” Lorber says, “and every time we came up with a new idea, whoever was closest to the one that would have the right sound basically played it. I play keys so much that it was great to have his flavor as a complement to my style.
I wanted him to play as much as possible.” The rest of the tracks include the guitar and bass driven “Don’t Hold Back”; the percussive, Lorber Fusion-influenced “Gamma Rays” (with Rick Braun on trumpet and Gary Meek on tenor sax and flute); the sensual, bass and horn accented “Don’t Stop”; the vibrant up-tempo “Night Sky,” featuring Lorber’s bright piano melody and retro wah-wah guitar and the high energy, swinging funk/jazz title track closer which Lorber wrote with rising urban jazz star Eric Darius, with whom Lorber toured Indonesia and Japan in early 2008.
Since the late 80s advent of the New Adult Contemporary format, Jeff Lorber has found himself filling a unique dual role. Having played a significant role in developing the late 70’s, early 80s R&B-jazz hybrid sound that later evolved into today’s smooth jazz, the keyboardist is a true elder statesman of the genre and mentor to many of this generation’s top artists. Berklee educated, Jeff Lorber had no specific design in mind when he recorded his first album for Inner City Records, The Jeff Lorber Fusion (1977) and Soft Space (1978) -- both of which have been recently re-issued.
Lorber fondly refers to the wealth of music he created on his six popular Arista albums from 1979-1985 (which led to his first Grammy nomination for Best R&B instrumental for “Pacific Coast Highway” in 1985) as “second generation fusion.” In 2000, Arista Records released The Definitive Collection, which gathered the best material from these classic recordings. After the heyday of Jeff Lorber Fusion — a band which featured a then little known sax player named Kenny G, whose first album Lorber produced — the keyboardist produced R&B artists like Karyn White (including her Top Ten hit “Facts of Love”) and entered his remixing phase. Getting back into the instrumental groove in the 90s, he produced tracks on Dave Koz’s first two albums (and later, 1999’s The Dance) and other projects for Eric Marienthal, the late Art Porter and Michael Franks.
Throughout 2004 and 2005, Lorber anchored the immensely popular tribute tour Groovin’ For Grover, which featured Gerald Albright throughout its run in addition to stints by Richard Elliot, Paul Taylor and Kirk Whalum. In November, 2004, the keyboardist had a kidney transplant surgery (his wife Mink was a perfect match) after experiencing end stage renal failure due to the genetic condition Polycystic Kidney Disease; he is currently a spokesman for the PKD Foundation. True to his hardworking form, Lorber was back in action within a few weeks, performing gigs and getting back to his popular, weekly three hour radio show Lorber’s Place, Sunday nights on Sirius’ Satellite Radio’s Jazz Café Channel.
“I’m very grateful to be healthy and having the opportunity to do what I love to do, which is making music,” says Lorber. “I think the key to my success and longevity is that I’ve always had a strong work ethic and the time I spend focusing on writing. Some artists only compose songs when it’s time for the next album, but I’m open to inspiration and ideas 24 hours a day, always thinking about harmony, melodies and chords. The best part of recording Heard That was having the chance to work with and become friends and partners with Rex, who generously brought his talent and perspective to the project. Jazz thrives on being a collaborative medium and working with Rex was for me a great opportunity to learn and bring in new ideas.” So as you’re grooving along to Jeff Lorber’s Peak Records debut, shout it
out as loud as you can: I Heard That!
-Allou April visit artist website
Guitarist Allou April got his start over 15 years ago playing with garage bands from the tender age of 16. After moving from his hometown of Saldanha to Cape Town in the 1970’s, he was discovered by some of the city’s top gospel bands, and so began his career as one of the most sought after session musicians in the Mother City. He later moved on to playing in clubs, doing standards with instrumental jazz bands.
Over the years, Allou has developed his own unique style of guitar playing that reflects the many eclectic genres within the South African music environment. He has become a significant voice within South Africa on the contemporary African and jazz music landscape, now with his most recent album “The Living Years” he branches even further into commercial R&B and fusion sounds, even with tracks that have “club” and dance focus.
Allou says…”I find it important to project my personal passion through the music of Cape Town, Africa and also the international jazz genre. The time is ripe to share this music with the rest of the global community by encouraging the meeting of different cultures which adds many more dimensions to the world of music.”
Allou has had the opportunity of collaborating with many outstanding musicians such as Sibongile Khumalo, Robbie Jansen, Hotep Galeta, Joe McBride and Al Jarreau.
Sheer Sound released his long-awaited debut album, Bringing Joy in 2003 to critical acclaim and good market responses. This album reflects on various styles, including funk, goema, gospel, township contemporary, and R&B, and is a collection of the best material from compositions he has been putting together for the past 10 years. Allou says of his music that it “…covers a wide range of experiences that reflect my roots and place in the new world.”
This album featured, amongst others, pianist Andile Yenana, trumpeter Marcus Wyatt, Basi Mahlasela on percussion, Robbie Jansen on saxophones, and R&B songstress TK
“A Place Called Love” with TK saw a video being filmed and being widely flighted, matched by nationwide high rotational airplay.
“Colourful World”, like the previous album, it is a fusion of various styles and influences with many different flavours presented from song to song. Featuring awesome personnel and guests, this album has something for everyone.
R&B comes to the fore with Jennifer Jones and Carla Diamonde on lead vocals (“Like an Angel,” “In My World and “Thank You”” respectively). Jazzy vibes prevail and dominate with guests and top personnel the likes of Robbie Jansen. House flavours emanate in “Colour People”, Gospel comes to the fore in “I Found You Lord”.
An album jam packed with amazing tunes!
Allou Aprils brand new release “The Living Years” follows the above trends, and takes them a step further, with even more musical diversity and amazing guests! Haunting jazzy instrumentals like “New Day”, “Motherland”, “Soul Heart” and “Let’s Worship Him” combine with killer funk oriented gospel track “Uphold Me” (made famous by the Winans brothers) and other more “Ronnie Jordan/ Santana” like commercial tracks such as “Saving All My Love” and “Summer Dance.” Robbbie Jansen again comes to the fore on this release, this time as a vocalist rather than sax player, on the crooner track “I Belong With You.” R&B oriented tracks get a very good look in on this album with tracks such as “Love is the Only Way” (with Alicia Solomons). “I’m Yours” (with Neville D). A new commercial line that Allou also represents well and strongly in this album is the more Cape based “club” sound with dance tracks like “One Love, One Heart”, Can’t Hurt Me” and In The Club.”
A diverse and rewarding album that will leave no old fan disappointed; and that will win Allou many more!
As recognised journalist Sandile Memela – City Press said:
“He is destined with his majestic guitar playing to become yet another consummate professional and role model for any young musician interested in the guitar.”
Sandile Memela – City Press
-Sammy Hartman Project feat Robbie Jansen and Ezra Ngcukana visit artist website
Sammy Hartman, pianist extroadinaire, has a wealth of performing experience. He has been developing the art and passion for jazz music for many years. His styles vary from quiet, background jazz at various sophisticated restaurants, to having backed Sylvia Mdunyelwa and Winston Munkunku locally and the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland.
One of the highlights of his career was having ha the opportunity to perform with James Moodey at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Cape Town.
Basil Moses, who has become a household name, is no doubt one of the premier double-bass players in the country. His reputation is preceded by his accompanying international jazz artists such as Mark Murphy, Walter Bishop, Abdula Ibrahim and Steven Scott, to mention a few.
On drums is Denver Furness, also has an extensive list of successful collaborations that clearly shows his ability to hold his own. Locally, he has performed with renowned artists like Elvin and Errol Dias, and the late Dave Lithins. His associations with international musicians such as Dave Young, Herb Ellis and having shared a stage with Steve Gad has demonstrated his outstanding musical ability.
It stands to reason that the wealth of experience and the length of time they’ve worked together has, no doubt, made them one of the most exciting trios around.
-Toots Thielemans Quartet visit artist website
Toots Thielemans was born in Brussels, Belgium in 1922. He immigrated to the United States thirty years later in 1952. Thielemans began playing the harmonica as a hobby and acquired his first guitar in the form of bet winnings. He developed his love for Jazz during his German occupation with his first idol having been Django Reinhardt. Charlie Parker also influenced him from an early stage. Thielemans acquired his nickname “Toots” after Toots Mondello and Toots Camarata.
Thielemans made his first international breakthrough when he joined Benny Goodman on his European concert tour in 1950. His early career in the United States began as a member of Charlie Parker’s All Stars in Philadelphia as well as being part of the George Shearing Quintet. In 1962, Thielemans composed “Bluesette” and created a new and original sound by combining whistling with the sounds of guitar.
Thielemans became a whistler for commercials, the most well-known of which was for “Old Spice”. He also became a harmonica soloist for the film scores, “Midnight Cowboy”, “The Getaway”, “Sugarland Express”, “Cinderella Liberty”, “Turks Fruit” and, “Jean de Florette”. He performed in concerts and took part in recordings with other artists such as George Shearing, Ella Fitzgerald, Quincy Jones, Bill Evans, Jaco Pastorius, Natalie Cole, Pat Metheny, Paul Simon, and Billy Joel.
Thielemans was also a harmonica soloist for the popular children’s television show, Sesame Street. He was also nominated as the perennial winner of the DownBeat Magazine’s Readers and Critics Poll for “miscellaneous instruments” for 10 years between 1991 and 2002.
Thielemans received positive adoration from the late Clifford Brown in his comment after Thielemans’ nomination: "Toots, the way you play the harmonica they should not call it a miscellaneous instrument".
And later from Quincy Jones’ liner notes: "I can say without hesitation that Toots is one of the greatest musicians of our time. On his instrument he ranks with the best that jazz has ever produced. He goes for the heart and makes you cry. We have worked together more times than I can count and he always keeps me coming back for more ..."From Quincy Jones' liner notes
Q's Jook Joint, 1995
-McCoy Tyner with special guest GARY BARTZ visit artist website
Tyner's blues-based piano style, replete with sophisticated chords and an explosively percussive left hand has transcended conventional styles to become one of the most identifiable sounds in improvised music. His harmonic contributions and dramatic rhythmic devices form the vocabulary of a majority of jazz pianists.
Born in 1938 in Philadelphia, he became a part of the fertile jazz and R&B scene of the early '50s. His parents imbued him with a love for music from an early age. His mother encouraged him to explore his musical interests through formal training.
At 17 he began a career-changing relationship with Miles Davis' sideman saxophonist John Coltrane. Tyner joined Coltrane for the classic album My Favorite Things (1960), and remained at the core of what became one of the most seminal groups in jazz history, The John Coltrane Quartet. The band, which also included drummer Elvin Jones and bassist Jimmy Garrison, had an extraordinary chemistry, fostered in part by Tyner's almost familial relationship with Coltrane.
From 1960 through 1965, Tyner's name was propelled to international renown, as he developed a new vocabulary that transcended the piano styles of the time, providing a unique harmonic underpinning and rhythmic charge essential to the group's sound. He performed on Coltrane's classic recordings such as Live at the Village Vanguard, Impressions and Coltrane's signature suite, A Love Supreme.
In 1965, after over five years with Coltrane's quartet, Tyner left the group to explore his destiny as a composer and bandleader. Among his major projects is a 1967 album entitled The Real McCoy, on which he was joined by saxophonist Joe Henderson, bassist Ron Carter and fellow Coltrane alumnus Elvin Jones. His 1972 Grammy-award nomination album Sahara, broke new ground by the sounds and rhythms of Africa. Since 1980, he has also arranged his lavishly textured harmonies for a big band that performs and records when possible. In the late 1980s, he mainly focused on his piano trio featuring Avery Sharpe on bass and Aarron Scott on drums. Today, this trio is still in great demand. He returned to Impulse in 1995, with a superb album featuring Michael Brecker. In 1996 he recorded a special album with the music of Burt Bacharach. In 1998 he changed labels again and recorded an interesting latin album and an album featuring Stanley Clarke for TelArc.
In the summer of 2005, Tyner joined forces with the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York and became the first client of Blue Note Management. That summer, Tyner began work on some unique projects, including performances with tap-dancer Savion Glover and the development of the Impulse! Septet, featuring his trio with some of today's top hornmen.
Tyner's partnership with the Blue Note has led to the formation of his own record label, aptly titled McCoy Tyner Music. The label is a subsidiary of the Blue Note's In-House record label, Half Note Records. The label launched on September 11, 2007, upon the release of Tyner's latest CD, "Quartet" featuring Joe Lovano, Christian McBride, and Jeff "Tain" Watts. Recorded live on New Year's Eve 2006, the album features a working band at its finest with some of today's "legends in training." Additionally, the record shows that Tyner, who now carries the torch as the only surviving member of the John Coltrane Quartet, is still at the top of his game as a composer, performer, and bandleader.
In review of Tyner's latest album "Quartet," Thomas Conrad of JazzTimes wrote "'Quartet' succeeds not only because everyone plays so well, but also because they play so well together. The pairing of Tyner and Lovano is synergistic. The McBride/Watts rhythm section, for intelligent propulsion, is state-of-the-art. 'Quartet' succeeds once more because of its excellent sonic quality. It was recorded by engineer Phil Edwards at Yoshi's in Oakland, Calif., over New Year's Eve weekend 2006. Almost always, even the best-sounding jazz albums require you to make a choice. You can have the visceral in-the-moment reality of a live recording, or the full bandwidth resolution of a studio session. This one has both."
McCoy Tyner's second release for the McCoy Tyner Music label is scheduled for a summer 2008 release. The recording features the stellar rhythm section of Tyner, Ron Carter, and Jack DeJohnette with four modern guitarists (and one banjo) of our time: Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, John Scofield, Derek Trucks, and Bela Fleck. The package will be a CD/DVD featuring state-of-the-art technology that allows the viewer to manually choose which musician(s) they would like to view in the studio at any time during each track. In 2009, Tyner will release his third recording for McCoy Tyner Music, a solo piano performance recorded live in San Francisco during the summer of 2007.
Tyner has always expanded his vision of the musical landscape and incorporated new elements, whether from distant continents or diverse musical influences. More recently he has arranged for big bands, employed string arrangements, and even reinterpreted popular music. Today, Tyner has released nearly 80 albums under his name, earned four Grammys and was awarded Jazz Master from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2002. He continues to leave his mark on generations of improvisers, and yet remains a disarmingly modest and spiritually directed man.
-Charles Lloyd New Quartet featuring Jason Moran, Reuben Rogers, and Eric Harland visit artist website
At 71 when most individuals are thinking of ways to slow down and kick back, Charles Lloyd has shifted to a higher gear and formed a new quartet, perhaps his best. To celebrate his 70th birthday in March of 2008, he released his first live quartet recording in over twenty-five years, “Rabo de Nube” on ECM. The new group with Jason Moran on piano, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Eric Harland drums, brought European audiences to their feet during the group’s first outing together in the Spring of 2007. " Charles Lloyd’s approach to performance is quite different. The more Lloyd goes inside himself the more he draws his audience in. With Jason Moran on piano, Eric Harland on drums, and Reuben Rogers on bass, Lloyd once again has a group able to follow his excursions into the music and into the mystic. Lloyd is one of the greats, rather like Joan Miro in modern art, he has no peer save himself. Music of total transport and delight."
Duncan Heining, Jazzwise, UK July 2007
His concerts and recordings are events of pristine beauty and elegance, full of intensely felt emotion and passion that touches deep inside the heart. In 2004 in honor of his lifelong friend, Billy Higgins Charles formed a group with with tabla master, Zakir Hussain and young drummer extraordinaire, Eric Harland. They call the trio “Sangam”, which means confluence. The live recording of their 2004 concert at the Lobero was released on ECM Records in the spring of 2006. This not entertainment, but the powerful uncorrupted expression of beauty through music. When music vibrates, the soul vibrates and touches the spirit within.
The New Quartet has been hailed around the world as perhaps, Lloyd’s best group to date – bringing to mind his original quartet with Keith Jarrett, Jack De Johnette and
Cecil McBee. With Jason Moran on piano, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Eric Harland
on drums, Lloyd brings a fresh and adventurous listening
journey to the music lover.
Charles Lloyd:
Credited by many musicians with anticipating the World Music movement by incorporating cadences of many cultures in his compositions as early as the late1950s, Charles Lloyd describes his music as having always "danced on many shores." As Peter Watrous wrote in The New York Times, "Mr. Lloyd has come up with a strange and beautiful distillation of the American experience, part abandoned and wild, part immensely controlled and sophisticated." From the moment he first came to prominence as the young music director of the Chico Hamilton Quintet in 1960, Lloyd began to take audiences on journeys that traversed enormous distances. Over nearly four decades, his compositions have punctuated the post-bop period, embraced the traditional music of a host of world cultures and ciphered the psychedelic 1960s with avant-garde improvisation. Lloyd was one of the first jazz artists to sell a million copies of a recording ( ‘Forest Flower’) and then he surprised us by walking away from performing just at the point that he was dubbed a jazz superstar. Actually he was just following a trajectory that was taking him closer to the essence of the music he was hearing.
Charles Lloyd was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 15, 1938. Like New Orleans, 400 miles to the south on the Mississippi, Memphis has a rich river culture and musical heritage saturated in blues, gospel and jazz. Lloyd's ancestry of African, Cherokee, Mongolian, and Irish reflects a similar rich culture. He was given his first saxophone at the age of 9, riveted to 1940's radio broadcasts by Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington, he was transported by jazz. Lloyd's early teachers included pianist Phineas Newborn and saxophonist Irvin Reason. His closest childhood friend was the great trumpeter Booker Little. As a teenager Lloyd played jazz with saxophonist George Coleman and was a sideman for blues greats Johnny Ace, Bobby Blue Bland, Howlin' Wolf and B.B. King.
Classical music also exerted a strong pull on the young Lloyd, and in 1956 he left Memphis for Los Angeles to earn his Master's in music at USC where he studied with Halsey Stevens, a foremost Bartok authority. While his days were spent in academia, Lloyd spent nights getting educated on the job in L.A.'s jazz clubs, playing with Ornette Coleman, Billy Higgins, Scott La Faro, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, Eric Dolphy, Bobby Hutcherson and other leading west coast jazz artists. He also was a member of the Gerald Wilson big band.
In 1960 Lloyd was invited to become music director of Chico Hamilton's group when Dolphy left to join Charles Mingus's band. The Hungarian guitarist Gabor Szabo and bassist Albert "Sparky" Stinson soon joined Lloyd in the band. Hamilton's most memorable albums for Impulse Records, ‘Passin' Through’, ‘Man from Two Worlds,’ featured music arranged and written almost entirely by Lloyd, and during this period of prolific composing he was also finding his unique voice as a saxophonist.
Lloyd joined the Cannonball Adderley Sextet in 1964, and performed alongside Nat Adderley, Joe Zawinul, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes. He remained with Cannonball for two years, and to this day continues to acknowledge the important role Cannon played I his own development as a leader. A memorable collaboration took place between Lloyd and the Nigerian master drummer Babatunde Olatunji, with whom the saxophonist played when he wasn't on the road with Hamilton.
Also in 1964 Lloyd signed with CBS Records and began to record as a leader. His Columbia recordings, ‘Discovery,’ (1964) and ‘Of Course, Of Course,’ (1965) featured sidemen including Roy Haynes and Tony Williams on drums, Richard Davis and Ron Carter on bass, Gabor Szabo on guitar and Don Friedman on piano and led to his being voted Downbeat Magazine's "New Star." Of Course Of Course was reissued on Mosaic Records in 2006.
Lloyd left Cannonball Adderley in 1965 to form his own quartet, a brilliant ensemble that introduced the jazz world to the talents of pianist Keith Jarrett, drummer Jack DeJohnette and bassist Cecil McBee. Their first release together was a studio recording, ‘Dream Weaver.’ followed by ‘Forest Flower: Live at Monterey,’ (1966). ‘Forest Flower’ made history as one of the first jazz recordings to sell a million copies and the album's firsts continued as it became a stunning crossover success that appealed to a popular mass market and gained heavy airplay on FM radio. The Quartet was the first jazz group to appear at the famed Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco and other rock palaces and shared billing with Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Cream, the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane.
In 1967 Charles Lloyd was voted "Jazz Artist of the Year" by Down Beat and the Quartet was invited to tour the world. The Lloyd quartet found a warm reception in Europe at the new jazz festivals in Montreux, Antibes, Molde. Its performances in the Far East, the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc nations of Europe often marked the first time these audiences had heard an American jazz group live. At the peak of the Cold War in 1967, Lloyd made headlines when his Quartet became the first jazz group from the U.S. to play in the USSR by invitation of the Soviet people rather than through government sponsorship. Its first stop was Tallinn and subsequent concerts took place in Leningrad and Moscow.
The acoustic group fused virtuoso improvising with a constantly changing combination of musical tropes, incorporating the challenge of avant-garde or “free jazz” with elements of non-Western music, impressionistic harmonies and occasional rock rhythms in open-ended musical flights that echoed the free spirit of the psychedelic 1960s. Electric jazz/rock germinated in a series of original performances that, ironically, were acoustic. Miles Davis and other jazz figures were highly influenced by Lloyd's explorations and soon plugged in to play to the young fans that Lloyd had reached through his acoustic outings.
And then, at the height of his career, Lloyd disbanded the quartet and dropped from sight in the early 1970s, withdrawing to pursue an inner journey in Big Sur, the wild haven that had previously attracted other artists and seekers including Robinson Jeffers, Langston Hughes, Henry Miller, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Jack Kerouac, Jean Varda and Jamie DeAngulo.
It wasn't until 1981 that Lloyd moved to break a decade of silence when a remarkable 18 year old pianist from France, Michel Petrucciani, arrived in Big Sur and Lloyd was compelled to help introduce this gifted artist to the world. This led to U.S., European and Japanese tours in 1982 and 1983 with Petrucciani on piano, Palle Danielsson on bass and drummer Son Ship Theus. British jazz critic Brian Case called Lloyd's return "one of the events of the 1980s." The group produced a special edition cassette ‘Night Blooming Jasmine,’ and two live records, ‘Montreux '82,’ and ‘A Night in Copenhagen,’ which also features Bobby McFerrin (recently was reissued by Blue Note Records.) Satisfied that Petrucciani was beginning to receive the recognition he deserved, Lloyd again retreated to Big Sur.
After being hospitalized, in 1986, with a nearly fatal medical condition, Lloyd rededicated himself to music. When he regained his strength in 1988 he formed a new quartet with the renowned Swedish pianist Bobo Stenson. When Lloyd returned to the Montreux Festival in 1988, Swiss critic Yvan Ischer wrote: "To see and hear Charles Lloyd in concert is always an event, not only because this saxophonist has been at quite a few crossroads, but also because he seems to hold an impalpable truth which makes him a thoroughly original musician...This is what we call grace."
In 1989, seven years after he had made his last album, Lloyd returned to the studio to record ‘Fish Out of Water,’ (1990) for ECM Records. The project marked the beginning of a new wave of Lloyd compositions and recordings and ECM's producer, Manfred Eicher, compared the recording to a Giacometti painting, saying "I really believe this is the refined essence of what music should be. All the meat is gone, only the bones remain."
In April of 1997, he returned to Tallinn to commemorate the 30thyear anniversary of his performance there in 1967. People came from hundreds of miles to join in celebrating his return to Estonia and give him the keys to the city of Tallinn. The concert with his quartet was once again a triumph and in his rave review Down Beat's Tom Conrad wrote: "When they got to Forest Flower, the ascent and affirmation in the final notes brought the crowd to its feet as if they had been lifted on an updraft of air."
Lloyd’s recording ‘Canto’ was dedicated to his friend Billy Higgins. Manfred Eicher suggested that Lloyd bring Higgins in on the next project. For Voice in the Night, released in 1999, Lloyd brought in Higgins, guitarist John Abercrombie, and bass great Dave Holland. Entertainment Weekly hailed the recording "a triumph.” Higgins and Abercombie stayed on board for the next Lloyd recording, ‘The Water is Wide,’ released in the Fall of 2000. Two young lions were also added to the mix; Brad Mehldau and Larry Grenadier. ‘The Water Is Wide’ received awards and high praise around the world. Aside from the many ‘best of’ lists in the US, it won Jazz Record of the Year 2000 in Japan and Czecklaslovakia, several awards in Germany and Disc de l’Annee from Jazzman in France.
Billy Higgins death in May 2001 was a tragedy for Lloyd. They met as teenagers when Lloyd was studying at USC in 1956 – Higgins was Lloyd’s closest friend and musical collaborator. However, 2001 ended on a high note for Lloyd with his November duo performance with Zakir Hussain at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. On the heels of the tragedy of 9/11. they found a way to lift the spirits of the community through the music. This concert which was part of the San Francisco Jazz Festival was the first concert of the festival to sell out and it is the first time in the festival history that the cathedral series sold out.
Lloyd’s ninth project for ECM is a double disc titled ‘Lift Every Voice’, released in October, 2002. Jazzwise in the UK called it “one hell of a recording..” In March 2004, ECM released the last recording that Lloyd and Higgins made together ‘ Which Way Is East’. It is not only a unique and extraordinary document of the wide ranging flow of their musical creativity – but as well, it documents a deep and lasting friendship. This double disc was on many “best of 2004” lists, including that of the New York Times, Jazziz, The New Yorker, and The LA Weekly. It was also selected by Jazz Magazine in France in the ‘Best of 2004’ category. The documentary HOME about the making of Which Way Is East has been screened at several film festivals.
Charles Lloyd maintains an active touring schedule with performances at festivals and concert halls.
Jason Moran was born January 21, 1975 in Houston, Texas. He began studying the piano at age 6, but longed to quit the instrument until he first experienced the sounds of jazz legend Thelonious Monk, an experience that renewed his interest in music and established an early role model in his creative development.
Moran went on to attend Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts where he became an active member of the jazz program, playing in the big band and leading a jazz quartet. His aspirations and talents eventually led him to New York City where he continued his education at the Manhattan School of Music, a school to which he was drawn by the prospect of studying with the pianist Byard, a jazz leftist who became Moran’s teacher for 4 years and a role model for life. It was during this time that Moran also took lessons from other forward-thinking pianists such as Muhal Richard Abrams and Andrew Hill, creative musicians who imparted a profound influence on Moran, and encouraged him to find his own distinct voice.
In 1997, while Moran was still a senior in college, the drummer Eric Harland, a high school classmate of Moran’s, recommended him to saxophonist Greg Osby who was in the process of assembling a band for a European tour. Osby hired Moran based solely on Harland’s description of his playing, and the match proved to be auspicious. The connection between Osby and Moran was present as soon as they hit the bandstand, and Moran has become a fixture in Osby's touring and recording bands ever since.
Moran made his professional recording debut on Osby’s 1997 Blue Note CD, Further Ado, which brought him to the attention of Blue Note executives who signed the pianist to his own record deal shortly thereafter. The association with Blue Note is fitting, placing Moran in the lineage of innovative pianist/composers whose career beginnings were nurtured by the veteran jazz label, musicians such as Monk, Herbie Hancock and Herbie Nichols.
Moran’s debut recording as a leader, Soundtrack to Human Motion, which found him in the company of Osby, Harland, vibraphonist Stefon Harris and bassist Lonnie Plaxico, was released in 1999 to great critical praise (Ben Ratliff of The New York Times named it the best album of the year). The following year’s Facing Left found Moran stripping down to a trio with bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits, and prompted JazzTimes Magazine to declare the album "an instant classic." Moran augmented the trio for his third Blue Note release, Black Stars, adding avant-garde icon Sam Rivers, who plays saxophone, flute and piano on the recording. Gary Giddins of the Village Voice exclaimed "Black Stars is possibly a Blue Note benchmark, definitely one of the year’s outstanding discs."
Moran has performed as a sideman with such artists as Cassandra Wilson, Joe Lovano, Don Byron, Steve Coleman, Lee Konitz, Von Freeman, Ravi Coltrane, and Stefon Harris. He was the youngest honoree of the New Work Commission by the San Francisco Jazz Festival. He was also awarded a grant from Chamber Music America’s "New Works: Creation and Presentation" program, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. For these two grants Moran used sampled conversations as vocal triggers. These compositions would be the foundation for many of Moran’s new compositions. Jazziz magazine wrote “Moran is blessed with the courage of his own convictions—part scavenger and part seer, fluent in the cut/paste/splice devices of hip hop production….”
In 2002, Moran released his universally acclaimed solo piano disc Modernistic. The Cork Jazz Festival awarded Moran the 2002 Guiness Rising Star Award. 2003’s The Bandwagon, culled from the trio’s six-day stint at New York’s Village Vanguard, earned the team of
The Jazz Journalists Association awarded Moran with the "Up-n-Coming Jazz Musician" of 2003. He has appeared on the cover of JazzTimes with Joe Lovano and on the cover of Down Beat with his mentor Andrew Hill. Moran topped the Down Beat Critics Poll in three categories in 2003 and 2004 – Rising Star Jazz Artist, Rising Star Pianist, Rising Star Composer. In 2002 and 2003, the First Run Film Festival awarded Moran "Best Original Score" for Pagan Harlemann’s "Two Three Time" and Chris Dillon’s "All We Know of Heaven". New York’s Nightlife Awards honored Moran with awards for "Best Jazz Combo – The Bandwagon" and "Best Performance – Solo Piano at The Jazz Standard".
He has been lecturer/instructor at Banff Center for The Arts (’03,’04), Denmark’s’ Vallekilde Jazz Camp (’03), Skidmore (’00), Manhattan School of Music (’02-’04), The New School (’04) and his alma-mater, HSPVA (High School for the Performing and Visual Arts). In 1994, Moran’s family created HSPVA’s “Moran Scholarship Award,” which is awarded to an outstanding junior and senior in jazz. Moran took over responsibility in 2001 as a commitment to education.
Moran-Mateen-Waits a title as "the best new rhythm section in jazz" (The New York Times) and caused Rolling Stone to proclaim Moran "the most provocative thinker in current jazz."
Jason was recently named Playboy Magazine's first ever Jazz Artist of the Year (2005). He recently had a world premiere of his latest commission, RAIN, at Jazz @ Lincoln Center. In 2007 and 2008 Moran has been presenting a project called In My Mind, Monk at Town Hall, touring with his group the Bandwagon, and with Charles Lloyd.
Reuben R. Rogers has a natural penchant for story telling. And Rogers, himself, will be the first to tell you his skills have coalesced under the influence of his impressive contemporaries.
Rogers' ability to transport the emotion of a piece into his accompaniment is akin to that of a fine woven tapestry, creating a blanket of rhythm and harmony that is welcomed by vocalists and instrumentalists alike. From a hard-hitting groove to a featherlike touch, with each interjection, Rogers echoes an affirmation of the soloist's statement, rendering a musical conversation in which the narrative is smoothly passed.
His own musical narration, often shaded in a palette of blue, has reached a point in its development where a leading flight is inevitable. This can be heard on Rogers' debut solo project, "The Things I Am," co-produced by renowned saxophonist Ron Blake. Born November 15, 1974, and raised in the Virgin Islands, Rogers was exposed to varieties of music that included Calypso, Reggae, Gospel and Jazz. In his formative years, Rogers received encouragement from his parents to explore his exceptional musical talent. He began with the clarinet, experimented with the piano, drums and guitar, yet at the tender age of 14 found his true passion in the bass.
Under the watchful eye of his high school band teacher Georgia Francis, this passion found its focus in jazz encountered during workshops conducted by fellow Virgin Islanders Ron Blake and Dion Parson. Rogers' potential was well recognized by numerous awards, grants and scholarships from the St. Thomas Arts Council and other local organizations. This in turn opened the door for Rogers' summer studies at Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan and in Boston at Berklee College of Music. Upon completion of their five-week summer program, Berklee awarded Rogers a scholarship toward his degree studies.
Rogers' musical education is punctuated by numerous outstanding student awards, most notably, a scholarship endowed by the Fish Middleton Jazz Society. He earned his Bachelor of Music in 1997 from Berklee College of Music. Rogers' command of both the electric and acoustic bass has aided him in adapting to various musical genres. This versatility in addition to the creative energy that Rogers brings to the stage and recording studio has led him to be one of the most sought after bassists of his generation. He has enjoyed the opportunity of intense musical relationships with jazz artists of world-renown, such as Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Joshua Redman, Marcus Roberts, Nicholas Payton, Mulgrew Miller, Jackie McLean, Charles Lloyd and Dianne Reeves, amongst others. Rogers' peers continue to influence and enrich his musical style and direction. He has toured extensively all over the globe, and has recorded on over 60 CDs.
Ever committed to supporting the arts in the Virgin Islands, Rogers returns when his schedule permits to conduct music workshops in local schools and organize fundraising concerts that benefit the education of today's island youth. His musical endeavors come full circle during performances with Ron Blake and Dion Parson in the Caribbean jazz group "21st Century."
Eric Harland seems destined for greatness. At the age of 30 his accomplishments include performances and recordings with a long list of Who’s Who in the world of Jazz: Terrance Blanchard, Joe Henderson, Greg Osby, Ravi Coltrane, Betty Carter, Stefon Harris, Jason Moran, McCoy Tyner, Jacky Terrason. In 1998 he was on Downbeat Reader’s poll in the Best New Talent category.
Harland left his hometown of Houston, Texas to go to the Manhattan School of music. It wasn’t long before word of his talent and sensitivity on the drums got around and in 1995 he recorded with guitarist Rodney Jones. In 1996 he toured with Greg Osby, which lead to his working with Betty Carter and Jazz Ahead until her death in 1998. At that time he got a call from Terrance Blanchard and an invitation to join his group. During that time he recorded 3 albums with Blanchard as well as participating on the soundtracks for Original Sin, Bamboozle, Summer of Sam, Glitter, Jim Brown, and Bojangles.
During the summer of 2002 he toured with McCoy Tyner’s band is on McCoy’s current release Land of the Giants. He is also on the popular Jacky Terrason recording. Smile. In the fall of 2002 Charles Lloyd asked Eric to join his band. Lloyd says, ‘He is one of the most natural drummers, I have heard in a long time. In Eric’s playing you can hear such joy and inventiveness, such swing and soulfulness. I always look forward to sharing the bandstand with him. ‘ Eric has just made his first recording with Lloyd, Jumping the Creek, on ECM, has been followed by Sangam and Rabo de Nube. He is a member of the SFJAZZ Collective. In Down Beat's 65th Annual Readers Poll, he was included in the short list of top drummers, in the company of masters like Roy Haynes and the late Elvin Jones. His nickname is Hercules.
-Mervyn Africa 'Kaapse Finale' visit artist website
South African born Mervyn Africa has pursued a successful musical career, in South Africa and the rest of the globe.
1950’s
Born in 1950, he began piano lessons at the age of five, at the Holy Cross School in District Six, Cape Town. Mervyn continued to study piano with various classical tutors at the University of Cape Town’s College of Music.
1960’s
With great encouragement from his musical parentage, he studied jazz piano with tutors such as Henry February and Chris Schilder. Later he studied jazz harmony with Kenny Barron at Rutgers University, Frank Foster, Larry Ridley, Monk Montgomery, and Freddy Waiters. He performed profusely as a young child, being involved with piano trios, solo recital pieces, and playing as an accompaniment for opera, dance and choirs. He was also a member of the Cape Town Boys Choir.
Being a child of the sixties influenced his musical and artistic development. As a teenager he formed bands who reflected the best of the jazz/rock fusion of the time. In addition to this, Mervyn continued to pursue his studies at the College of Music in Maynardville. After College he continued working with his already successful band, Oswetie and they went on tour to Angola and Gabon.
On his return to South Africa, Mervyn worked with Des and Dawn Linberg’s production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado”. The backing band for this production consisted of Duke Makasi, Sipho Gumede, Russel Herman, Gilbert Mathews, and George Tyefumani. They later formed the band ‘Spirits Rejoice’ (original music), and the famous vocal group ‘Joy’. The band won nine Sari Awards for their music and production, including the legendary song ‘Paradise Road’. ‘Spirit Rejoice’ also backed visiting UK and US artists such as Dobey Gray, Clarence Carter, Double Exposure, and Leo Sayer.
1980’s
Like so many of his predecessors, Mervyn Africa found the South African political regime completely incompatible with his multi-cultural approach to music. In 1981he left his homeland to settle in England where he worked with fellow exiles Dudu Pukwana (Brotherhood of Breath), Julian Bahula, Johnny Dyani, Jo Malinga, and later Hugh Masekela (Europe, USE, Canada). He was the founder of the London based group District Six who were also fortunate to tour and record two albums.
During this period, he also performed with a multitude of musicians in Europe and the United Kingdom. He toured as a pianist with the renowned vocalist Carmel, contributing compositions and arrangements to her album ‘Set Me Free’. At the same time, Mervyn formed a band named ‘Kaap Finale’ who produced the album ‘Mellow Mayhem’. This album reflects Mervyn’s rich musical heritage and his ingenious blend of the many variations of musical genres.
1990’s
Mervyn was commissioned by the Greater London Arts Council to compose and perform a jazz concerto for piano and full orchestra. The original score is in the British Music Archives, and the District Six Museum Cape Town. During the 1990s Mervyn composed music for numerous television documentaries and dramas, as well as various dance groups, films and BBC. Mervyn was also known around England’s pop scene as a great composer and coordinator of backing instrumentals. He virtually worked with everyone, encompassing SKA, R&B, and Rock.
During this decade, Mervyn Africa was in high demand for his solo piano performances and developed a demanding career in the UK and Europe. Acknowledgement must also be given to the various group performances he has done with South African exiled musicians, as well as great UK, European, and American artists such as Archie Shepp, Max Roach, and Courtney Pine.
Mervyn also worked with the British Council, producing a series of concerts and workshops throughout Eastern Europe.
More recently he has composed and performed with the local London band ‘Jazzhearts’, and can be heard on their CD ‘ The Way It Feels’.
“One of the best jazz tunes to come around in a long time in the form of jazz pianist Mervyn Africa’s highly creative composition, ‘22nd September.’
JazzReview, on CD ‘The Way It Feels’
Africa creates sumptuous piano improvisations and compositions, drawing from his rich cultural and musical background. He draws on influences ranging from classics or carnival songs, through township jazz, to a Malaysian musical heritage. His performance style, in which songs or storytelling might enter a concert just as naturally as a host of musical directions, leaves the audience in no doubt about his dynamic and direct approach. He has released his first solo CD ‘After the Storm’ on his own record label ZONE 1.
2000’s
In 2000 he was invited to Cape Town to play at the Baxter Theatre. This was the first time in twenty years that he played in South Africa. The millennium also brought a very special event for Mervyn. He was invited by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth ll to perform a piano solo in London, at a special occasion for the then South African President, Mr. Thabo Mbeki.
In the summer of 2001 he toured with David Murray’s Mbiso (a tribute to Johnny Dyani) with fell fellow compatriots Pinise Saul, Lucky Panku, and the World Saxophone Quartet.
He also did a concert with David Murray at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Cape Town, with whom he also toured Japan to great acclaim.
There have been several ‘Exiles Return’ Concerts throughout South Africa, and Mervyn has participated in many of them. In December 2005 he was the musical director for the ‘Exiles Re-Initiation’ Concert, a project with the Department of Arts and Culture. This unique performance was held in New Brighton, Port Elizabeth – home to many of South Africa’s legendary jazz musicians. The concert also paid tribute to the late artist/sculptor Dumile Feni - a friend of Fela Kuti’s in America.
Mervyn Africa has returned to Cape Town and hopes to bring his worldly musical experience back to his home town. He has currently released the CD, ‘No Way Home’. This CD was composed, arranged, and performed by him, and the only instrument used is a Yamaha Clavinova Digital Keyboard.
Venues
Mervyn has worked in hundreds of clubs throughout the world, and many of the world’s most spectacular concert halls. He has also performed at most of the International Music Festivals, including Berlin, Tokyo, Montreal, North Sea, Edinburgh, Glastonbury and Montreux.
Teaching
Mervyn has consistently taught throughout his career, privately, master classes, workshops, and was a composer in residence at Bath University, England.
-Makeson Browne and Akoustik Knot feat. Johan Hørlen visit artist website
MARK FRANSMAN
FESTIVAL
Mark Fransman has performed on stages in Europe such as the Euro De Afrique festival in Italy (along with such names as Yusuf N'dour and Papa Wemba), the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague, Holland 2000 and 2002 and the Swedish Jazz Celebration in Sweden, Stockholm in 2006.
Back in South Africa he has frequented the stages of the North Sea Jazz Festival in Cape Town 2000 / 2001 / 2002 / 2003 / 2004/ 2006 (as a leader with his own band Strait and Narro), the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festivals 2000 to 2005 and Old Mutual Jazz festivals. Playing with such names as Jimmy Dludlu, Zim Ngqawana, Musa Manzini, Gloria Bosman, Marcus Wyatt and Errol Dyers to mention a few.
ARTISTS
He has performed with the likes of Winston Mankunku, Rene McLean, Hein van de Geyn, Zim Ngqawana, Gloria Bosman, Selealo Selota, Judith Sephuma, Errol and Alvin Dyers, Jimmy Dludlu and Dave Young. And on the same stage with such jazz artists as Cedar Walton, Andrew Hill, Donald Brown, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Danilo Perez and Yusef Lateef.
AWARDS
He also has three years of musical theatre experience in musicals "Poison" and "Kat and the Kings" (Both David Kramer/Taliep Petersen productions), and received the FNB Vita Award for most outstanding performer in musical theatre (1995/96) for the latter. Has also won the Adcock Ingram (Jazz) competition of 2000 (university level).
PRODUCING
Besides performing he also enjoys producing music for albums released on various record labels.
Among these are Jimmy Dludlu's album "Affrocentric", with Universal records (on which he played and co-produced). The album won the 2004 South African Music Award (SAMA) for Best Producer, and validates Mark's abilities as a producer.
He also produced Moreira Chonguisa's debut album, The Journey, for More Productions in 2005. Mark produced the album "Our Language" of the group Tribe with Ready Rolled Records in 2003. The latter is a group for which Mark is both a composer and pianist. Mark produced his own band, Strait and Narro's album called, “Ahead”, for Tritone Music. Mark is also the Executive producer on the album
RECORDING
He recorded with Errol Dyers on his album "Kou-Kou Wa", Steve Dyer on "Life Cycle" and Marcus Wyatt?s album, "Africans in Space" all with Sheer Sound. He recorded along with Jimmy Dludlu on his albums "Winds of Change and Afrocentric" for Universal Music.
CURRENTLY
He is currently involved with his own group, Strait and Narro, a seven piece band featured on their debut album, Ahead and Johnnie Walker Jazz Impressions vol. 1.
The band boasts a once in a lifetime opportunity, as they were the only South African band to be selected by the Department of Arts and Culture (of South Africa) to represent South Africa at the Olympic Games of 2004 in Athens, Greece.
Mark's role in the band is that of composer, leader and arranger. The band boasts a group of new breed younger musicians in the likes of Buddy Wells, alto and tenor saxophones (Tribe), Lee Thomson, trumpet (Golliwog, Springbok Nude Girls), Kevin Gibson, drums, samples (Jimmy Dludlu,Wired to the floor), Gavin Minter (Wired to the floor) Wesley Rusten, bass (Gramadoelas) and Melanie Scholtz, vocals and poetry (Jimmy Dludlu).
The music played by the band has a wide ranging sound pallete and incorporates a fresh urban South African sound fused with elements of Hip-hop, Trip-hop, Funk and Jazz.
Akoustik Knot is a collective of musicians that explore the boundaries of acoustic music in it’s most primal of settings… without amplification… The music is dealt with in a most sensitive and expressive manner according to the demands of various pieces. The group comprises of Brydon Bolton (acoustic bass), Heinrich Goosen (drums & cymbals), Darren English (trumpet, pocket trumpet & flügelhorn) & Makeson Browne aka Mark Fransman (saxes, alto-clarinet & spoken words) The group also does interactive improvisations with visual artists (painters, sculptures etc.), where both entities seek to push each other to greater artistic heights…
-Brooklyn Funk Essentials visit artist website
Brooklyn Funk Essentials was born out of New York’s buzzing hip-hop-jazz and slam poetry scenes of the early nineties. Originally conceived by producers Arthur Baker and Lati Kronlund as a series of studio jam sessions, the group soon turned into a 12-piece live outfit consisting of some of the finest young musicians, singers, rappers, dub poets and dj’s the Big Apple had to offer. Lati Kronlund played bass, and other members included Hanifah Walidah (aka Sha-key), Joi Cardwell, Papa Dee and Stephanie McKay (vocals), Everton Sylvester and David Allen (dub poetry), Josh Roseman (trombone), Bob Brockmann (trumpet), Paul Shapiro (sax & flute), Yancy Drew and Tony Allen (drums), E.J. Rodriguez and Danny Sadownic (percussion), Desmond Foster and Masa Shimizu (guitar), ATN Stadwijk and Yuka Honda (keys), Bill Ware (vibes) and dj’s Jazzy Nice and Smash on turntables.
The debut album ‘Cool & Steady & Easy’ (1994/95) also featured prominent guests like Maceo Parker, The Tower Of Power Horns, Michigan & Smiley and even Dizzy Gilespie. It was first released by renowned UK label Dorado in Europe, but was soon picked up by RCA’s Groovetown imprint for the US and the rest of the world. The first single – a funky reggae-inspired reworking of Pharoah Sanders’ classic ‘The Creator Has A Master Plan’ became an instant hit reaching the Top 20’s. The album, which topped Billboard Magazine’s ”Best R&B Album Of The Year 1995”, also featured songs like ‘Big Apple Boogaloo’, ‘Take The L Train’, ‘Dilly Dally’ and ‘A Headnadda’s Journey To The Planet Adidi – Skizm’, all of which became classics of the genre. The popular album cut 'Bop Hop' was featured in a world- wide Nike commercial featuring Grant Hill and ‘Take The L Train’ became a signature tune for Hennessy Cognac’s TV ads.
Apart from being regulars at New York’s buzzing club scene, BFE began touring the world marking highlights in the company of acts like Parliament Funkadelic, The Roots, James Brown, Jamiroquai, Spearhead and Ben Harper. One of these tours found the group headlining the Fuji Jazz Festival in Istanbul, Turkey. The reception was so great that BFE recorded their second album there with 11 Turko-Roman folk musicians know collectively as Laço Tayfa. The result was 1998’s ‘In The BuzzBag’, which became a milestone in Anatolian collaborative projects and earned BFE a Grammy nomination. It also escalated the group to a stadium capacity act in Turkey.
In 2000, BFE released their third album ‘Make Them Like It’, which concluded where the first album left off: A happy mélange of funk, Latin, reggae, jazz, house, dub, electro and hip hop which featured the fan favorites ‘I Got Cash’, ‘Mambo Con Dance Hall’ and ‘Woman Thing’.
After the 2001 world tour the band members took a hiatus and pursued a number of noted solo interests.
Offers of recording and touring where plentiful, and BFE songs kept being featured on compilation albums around the world, and in the summer of 2006, a core of BFE members got back together again to do a tour of three world continents as BFE Sound System (mixing classic BFE with electro and dub). By the end of 2006, the sound system model had been abandoned for a return to the group’s original all live funk line up consisting of Hanifah Walidah, Papa Dee and Everton Sylvester (vocals), Lati Kronlund (bass), Yancy Drew (drums & vocals), Desmond Foster (vocals & guitar), Iwan van Hetten (trumpet, keys & vocals) and Philippe Monrose (percussion).
The group continued touring the world in 2007 and 2008, while at the same time writing and recording songs for the forth album ‘Watcha Playin’, which was released in the spring of 2008 in Europe and in the summer of 2009 in the US.
Radio stations around the globe immediately picked up songs like ‘The Park’, ‘Dance-Free Night’, ‘Work It Out’ (featuring raï diva Amina Annabi on guest vocals) and ‘Bellybuttons T & A’, which was also supported by a video, while the clubs went for tracks such as ‘S-Curve’ and the epic 12:41 minute ‘Need’ featuring a guest appearance by Turkish legend Hüsnü Senlendirici on clarinet. Turkey was also the first territory to release the song ‘Dibby Dibby Sound’ as a single. The song was based around Mozart’s melody ‘Rondo ala Turca’, which BFE brought back to Turkey via Kingston, Jamaica.
-Iridium Project visit artist website
Iridium Project is an Electronic Band fused with jazz, soul, funk, tribal & house.
Iridium Project was born in 2001 when Mario Parmeggiani and Nick Matthews met at a record shop on Bree Street, Cape Town. After a couple of meetings Mario decided that they should play a gig at one of Cape Town’s more up-market clubs, Rhodes House. On the night of the performance Mario introduced Nick to a very talented musician by the name of Ricardo Moretti, and the three worked effortlessly together as a dance floor hit.
When 2003 dawned, Iridium had begun producing their first tracks and laid down the initial concepts for their first album, Stroboscope. Lu Chase was invited to sing vocals and they produced their first single “Smoke & Fly”. Her strong performance both in the booth and on stage enveloped her into what was becoming a frequently requested act at club gigs around Cape Town. By the following summer, the project had performed at numerous private functions between Clifton and Johannesburg.
In 2004, the project acquired its first taste of a big stage when they were selected as the opening act at one of The Springbok Nude Girl’s live performances. Many hours of attention were focused in the studio and “Smoke & Fly” was playlisted to high acclaim on local radio stations. The single was included in compilations such as Platform and The Nightwatchmen.
2005 was a very constructive year and saw the addition of bass player ‘The Passion’. Together the act started playing regular shows at Opium nightclub and an alter ego midweek gig called “The Magic Carpet Ride” at Strega. The music developed its own shape driving from elements of Funk, Soul and Blues. The result was a series of incredible live jam sessions that featured many excellent musicians.
By 2006, the group had recorded new material and released a couple of singles as well as a compilation. "Sequenced Funk", the Project's second single, charted on South Africa's 5FM radio station and reached #6. Iridium also featured as a support act for Fat Boy Slim and The Stereo MC's, and travelled frequently to Durban where they become well known. Near the end of that year the group asked their good friend and one of South Africa's top DJ's Craig de Sousa, to join the project.
2007 was the Projects most successful year to date. A motivated crew planned rehearsals and recording sessions. Craig flexed his studio muscle and the first result proved to be the groups third hit single, "Lu's Control" which reached no.1 on 5FM. They performed with new featured artists and new toys at many high profile events. They also performed at the Durban July and the A1 Grand Prix where large audiences gathered to see them.
In 2008, Iridium Project's debut album Stroboscope, hit the shelves at the end of January and saw the culmination of a four year journey with many friendships cultivated along the way.
After returning from a very successful Russian tour, the band decided it was time to look at working with a new female vocalist, Melanie Scholtz. Melanie became a phenomenal jazz icon in her own right, bringing a completely different look and sound to this already amazing band. Her groundbreaking lyrics and passion for Iridium's style of music, gave the band another hit single on 5FM called “Which Way to Go".
Subsequently the band felt that featuring artists was their strong point. They approached RJ Benjamin and results were highly rewarding. Their latest track is called “Show My Love” and is soon to be playlisted on all radio stations.
Featured Artists have included: Lu Chase, The Passion AKA Maurice Paliaga, Bokani Macho, Joseph Avergil, Tony Paco, Mantis, Carlo Moretti, Rayelle Goodman, Dan Shout and many more.
Corporate Events
2004
Performed exclusively the Carducci fashion show after party at Rhodes House
2005
Durban July performed in the Heineken Hospitality Tent
Camel Experience Event at The Castle
Standard Bank Year End Function at Rhodes House Cape Town
Ma gents Fashion Week mid 2005
Johannesburg Fashion Week after party
Opening night for Café D’Afrique
Album launch in Johannesburg & Cape Town
Good Hope FM & Vodacom Clifton Beach Challenge
Collaborated a Massive Mix Concert featuring Fat Boy slim & Metallica
Peroni Launch at Rhodes House
2007
A1Grand Prix afterparty in Durban
Durban July in the Millers Tent
Durban July after party
Performed the Sunday after the Durban July at Madame Zingara’s
Johnny Walker Red AAA student party in the Revolving Restaurant at the Ritz Hotel
Hugo Boss Women Store launch at Baia Restaurant
Heart 104.9 Client Awards Evening at Mannenbergs
Camel Event in Durban
Performed at a Barmitzvah at the beginning of December
Performed for MTN Lets Go Summer Tour at Ignite
2008
In January they performed at the J&B Met in the most prestigious hospitality tent “Cadiz” to a
high profile audience
May – FHM 100 Sexy event at Hemisphere
26 June - CTICC Staff Party at Hemisphere
28 June - CTICC 5th Birthday bash
05 July – Durban July for Tilt/Millers & Delasol After party.
Peroni – Fashion week after party at Hemisphere
New Years Eve - performed in Khaborvsk, Russia.
Performed for Peter Styvesant at Hemmingways in Cape Town.
2009
Mens Health - Summer Men’s fashion show at La Med in September 09.
Synergy Music Festival.
Residencies:
Rhodes House, “Magic Carpet Ride” at Strega – Thursdays
Opium - Friday’s
Chevelle – Monthly residency
Private Events:
2002
Performed for Carol Fox Birthday Party in Clifton
2003
Matrix reloaded event at Rhodes House
2005
Performed at a high profile wedding in Constania
2006
New Year Eve at Fu Shi Bar in Plettenberg Bay
First Time performance in Port Elizabeth at The Lennox.
Media Exposure:
Print
Magazines - SL Magazine, Obrigado Vida E magazine, Absolute mag, YOU and Huisgenoot, Essential Magazine
Newspapers - Cape Times and Argus.
Television
Featured their album launch on Show Biz Report on ETV
Radio
Good Hope FM & Heart 104.9 – “Lu’s Control” on high rotation since November 2007
5FM – “Sequenced Funk” climbed to no. 6 on ''Vodacom Hi5 at 5'';
5FM - “Lu’s Control” hit no.1 on "Hi5 at 5" in January 2008
They currently have a hit song “Which Way To Go” on high rotation
no.1 for 2 consecutive weeks on the Vodacom Hi5 @ 5
Contact: Heidi De Sousa from HDS Management on +27 21 5320648 or +27 84 4460069 or by email on heidi@hdsmanagement.co.za
-BLK JKS visit artist website
Founded in 2000 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the indie rock act BLK JKS is comprised of guitarists Lindani Buthelezi and Mpumi Mcata, who grew up together in Johannesburg's East Rand, and Soweto natives Molefi Makananise (bass) and Tshepang Ramoba (drums).
BLK JKS made their international recording debut in 2007 with a limited-edition 10" vinyl release of the single "Lakeside". In 2008 the band was befriended by Diplo during a DJ tour of South Africa, and after he spread some positive word about them, BLK JKS were offered a recording contract with Secretly Canadian, one of America's premier indie rock labels.
The band made its Secretly Canadian debut in 2009 with the four-track Mystery EP, which was recorded in collaboration with producer Brandon Curtis of Secret Machines and features a new version of "Lakeside".
Around this time, BLK JKS became a media favorite, appearing on the cover of the trendsetting magazine Fader, and mounted tours of both the United States and Europe, including appearances at the South by Southwest and Big Chill festivals.
-TKZee visit artist website
“TKZee is confidently showing the way of the future of Kwaito, the enormously popular township pop that dominates the black youth market. An usual mix of sow house grooves, solid classical backbones and intrinsically Jo’burg raps moves this group away from plethora of other kwaito bands on the market”
Diane Coetzer, Billboard Magazine, April 1998
TKZee is the band that has rewritten the South Africa’s musical history books by becoming the biggest selling kwaito group in the country. The group is made up of 3 school friends – Tokollo Tshabalala, Kabelo Mabalane and Zwai Bala, who had a passion for music and this showed in their success.
Zwai Bala, a classically trained musician who has been trained both locally and internationally, met with aspiring rappers Kabelo (Bouga) & Tokollo (TK), who had mad skillz, at St Stithians College. This is TKZee. Their sound is unique. It is a mixture of kwaito, hip-hop, classical, house and gospel beats that fuse into what is called “Guz” music. This is a deadly combination that had Mzansi’s youth jamming to a never-heard-before new and exciting beat.
In 1996, the group self produced the single and EP “TAKE IT EEZY”. Relatively unknown at the time, the sound was ahead of its time and didn’t do well.
The group shot to prominence in late 1997 and early 1998 with their smash hit singles PALAFALA and then SHIBOBO. PALAFALA became an instant hit, with the CD single selling over 100 000 units. The album also featured guest appearances by S’bu, who had been a member of Mashaplani with Tokollo.
The group's next big release was SHIBOBO in June 1998 with Bafana Bafana and Blackburn Rovers Striker, Benni McCarthy. The song, which samples THE FINAL COUNTDOWN, was an instant success. Sales topped the 100 000 mark in just over a month, a feat which made SHIBOBO the fastest and biggest selling CD single by a South African recording artist in history. This single featured hot new tracks Guz (named after TKZee’s hybrid sound) and SERENADE. The group quickly became household names, not just in South Africa but across the continent.
The third album, HALLOWEEN hit the streets in late October 1998. This was another huge hit for the group which contained the smash singles "DLALA MAPANSULA", “MAMBOTJIE” and “WE LOVE THIS PLACE”. The multi-platinum album earned them 4 SAMA’s (South African Music Awards) for Best Kwaito Album, Best Duo/Group, Best Single and Best Kwaito Single. The album also earned a 5th SAMA on that fateful night for “Best Video”. To date, this record haul of 5 SAMA’s in one night has not been surpassed.
In 2000 they produced GUZ 2001, a compilation album by TKZee Family, consisting of the original TKZee members alongside other names including Gwyza, Loyiso, 2 shot and the late Dr Mageu sharing the musical stage with Kutlwano Masote and jazz genius Moses Taiwa Molelekwa.
After much success, the group decided to pursue solo careers in 2002 but have re-grouped to produce one of the most anticipated albums of 2009. The trio’s latest album, “COMING HOME”, has 12 amazing tracks that will get South Africa dancing this summer. The new offering is modern and futuristic but still with that GUZ flavour. It celebrates all three members’ lives and musical journeys over the last decade. S’DUDLA is the first single to hit the airwaves and if the past is anything to go by, TKZee will be writing another chapter in the history of SA music.
Singles
1997: Phalafala
1998: Shibobo
1999: Dlala Mapansula
1999: Mambotjie /We love this place
2000: Izinja Zam
2000: Fiasco
2002: Ibola lethu
Albums
1996: Take It Eazy
1998: Shibobo
1999: Halloween
2000: Guz 2001 (TKZee family)
2002: Trinity
2004: Guz hits
TKZEE
COMING HOME
On TKZee’s first studio album in eight years, Coming Home, Tokollo “Magesh” Tshabalala, Kabelo “Bouga Luv” Mabalane, and Zwai Bala make no secret of their thrill at being back in the studio, back in the spotlight and back on top.
“Let me tell you a thing about TKZee/it’s a brand oozing with supremacy … you want repertoire? We got it/Earning capacity? We got it/Hits back to back? We got it?,” Kabelo boldly states on the superb and eternally optimistic ‘Thata Eezy’.
It’s a sentiment that ripples throughout the album’s 12-tracks – echoing the buzz that Tokollo, Kabelo and Zwai have felt since deciding to reunite to record a follow-up to 2001’s ‘Trinity’, much to the delight of the group’s extensive and loyal fanbase.
“We told you. We told you alright, we’ll be back with a bang,” goes album opener, ‘Everyday’ and on ‘Viva la Pantsula!’, TKZee (with the help of a few creative collaborators) reclaim the enduring street cred they always had and balance it, just like in the group’s early days, with an astute sense of high-end drama and musicality.
The magic of TKZee has always had its foothold in the singular combining of the vocal and lyrical style of each of the band’s three members – Tokollo rough-hewn and streetwise, Kabelo full of swagger and smooth where required and Zwai punching in with real sonic power.
Nowhere is this more evident than on ‘Dikakapa’, a track that’s bookmarked by the piano-playing and strings (both synth and live) that TKZee managed to always find a place for in its sound. With Zwai providing the spot-on hook, it’s left to Tokollo and Kabelo to riff off each other in a song that’s full of the bounce that always made TKZee’s songs so damn irresistible.
‘Dikakapa’ may be an album standout but the interplay of the trio of vocals is on brilliant form throughout ‘Coming Home’ – especially on songs like ‘Let’s Go’, which draws in all three vocals in the seamless, flowing way that has been TKZee’s signature in the 13 years since they first impacted the South African music scene with debut EP ‘Take It Eeezy’ in 1996.
Even in the earlier days, TKZee was able to lasso some scorching hot collaborators – and ‘Coming Home’ also features a brace of top-drawer collab efforts. The horn-heavy, swaggering and defiantly celebratory Viva la Pantsula! features Gwyza, S’bu and Loyiso on a stormer of a track that also underscores TKZee’s influence on and hand in creating the careers of other key urban artists.
As you may expect from a group that’s always effortlessly displayed its versatility, not every track on Coming Home is Guz-style, upbeat, and party-ready. Towards the end of the album are several songs that reveal the maturity and spirituality of the bands members. Among these are Coming Home, featuring Joyous Celebration and Ntokozo Mbambo, as well as TKZee’s version of ‘Children Hold On’ – both songs injecting a moving emotional element to the record.
What’s strikingly evident on ‘Coming Home’ is the meticulous attention to detail in the production. In this Zwai – who takes the production reigns for the most part – has observed the intricate workings of worldclass producers like Quincy Jones.
“Nothing is left to chance,” he confides. “Everything part of every song is arranged,” adds Zwai, hinting at the effort put into delivering a top-drawer product.
With Zwai at the helm and Kabelo assisting on several songs, ‘Coming Home’ has a polish and finely honed sense of musicality that has been lacking on many other releases in similar genres. “The result of everyone’s great efforts is the sound of TKZee all grown up and I think that fans will really respond to what they hear on the album,” says Tokollo.
Also weighing in with additional production are the likes of Terry Pinana and Godfrey “Guffy” Pilane - Pilane contributing production duties on the most defiantly kwaito of all the album’s tracks, ‘Sdudla’ which is already proving a radio hit in South Africa.
Another of TKZee’s music signature’s has always been a real ability to balance programmed music with live instruments and tracks like the out-and-out Gospel song ‘Coming Home’ features a trio of brilliant musicians in Zwai on piano, Victor Masondo on bass and Lawrence Matshiza on guitars.
All of this rigorous attention to the detail of the music, the lyrics, the performances means that recording ‘Coming Home’ was as much of a challenge as an exhilaration. “The emotions were running high throughout the recording process,” admits Kabelo, adding that while it may have been draining at times, this had the effect of pouring the trio’s passion into each of the songs.
“What I think is really key is that we didn’t just decide to get back together and make an album that is simply about delivering something new for fans to listen to,” says Zwai. “We wanted to treat this album with the same love for the genre that we had right in the beginning, although obviously bringing all our different professional and personal experiences into the mix.”
The vision that drives ‘Coming Home’ then is not one based on nostalgia or a whim: as all 12 tracks prove, TKZee have once again brewed up something special in the Guz kitchen to create a scorcher of a record that more than lives up to the expectations of fans – and gives urban music a real injection of fresh, optimistic energy.
So come summer 2009, it’s time to turn up the heat and dial up the volume switch. TKZee are back. Play it loud!
ABOUT TKZEE:
TKZee is the band that has rewritten the South Africa’s musical history books by becoming the biggest selling kwaito group in the country. The group is made up of three school friends – Tokollo Tshabalala, Kabelo Mabalane, and Zwai Bala - who had a passion for music and this showed in their success.
Zwai is a classically trained musician who met aspiring rappers Kabelo (Bouga) and Tokollo (TK) at St Stithians College. This is TKZee. Their sound is unique. It is a mixture of hip-hop, classical, house, and gospel beats that fuse into what is called “Guz” music. This is a deadly combination that had Mzansi’s youth jamming to a never-heard-before new and exciting beat since the late 90s.
In 1996, the group self produced the single and EP “TAKE IT EEZY”. Relatively unknown at the time, the sound was ahead of its time and floundered (though has since been rediscovered as a classic by many music fans and musicians).
But real talent will out and TKZee shot to prominence in late 1997 and early 1998 with their smash hit singles PALAFALA and then SHIBOBO. PALAFALA became an instant hit, with the CD single selling over 100 000 units. The album also featured guest appearances by S’bu, who had been a member of Mashaplani with Tokollo.
The group's next big release was SHIBOBO (June 1998) with Bafana Bafana and Blackburn Rovers Striker Benni McCarthy on the mic. The song, which samples THE FINAL COUNTDOWN, was an instant success. Sales topped the 100 000 mark in just over a month, a feat which made SHIBOBO the fastest and biggest selling CD single by a South African recording artist in history. This single featured hot new tracks GUZ (named after TKZee’s hybrid sound) and SERENADE. The group quickly became a household name not just in South Africa but across the continent.
TKZee’s third album, HALLOWEEN hit the streets in late October 1998. This was another huge hit for the group off the back of hit singles "DLALA MAPANSULA", “Mambotjie” and “We Love this Space”. The multiple-platinum album earned TKZee four SA Music Awards - for Best Kwaito Album, Best Duo/Group, Best Single and Best Kwaito Single. The album also earned a fifth SAMA on that fateful night for “Best Video”. To date (2009), this record haul of 5 SAMAs in one night has not been surpassed.
In 2000 came GUZ 2001, a compilation album by TKZee Family, consisting of the original TKZee members alongside other names including Gwyza, Loyiso, 2 shot and the late Dr Mageu sharing the musical stage with Kutlwano Masote and jazz genius Moses Taiwa Molelekwa.
In 2002, Zwai, Tokollo and Kabelo took the decision to pursue their solo careers – and all three have proved to be successful in different ways. Now, seven years later, TKZee is reformed, re-energised and ready to again claim their status as innovators and musical adventurers. ‘Coming Home’ is modern and futuristic but still with enough GUZ flavour to keep it unmistakably TKZee – and is nothing short of a celebration of the lives and musical journeys of three of South Africa’s most gifted artists.
Discography
1996: Take It Eezy (EP)
1998: Shibobo (EP)
1998: Halloween
1999: Guz 2001 (TKZee Family)
2001: Trinity
2004: Guz Hits (Compilation)
2009: Coming Home
-SOIL & "PIMP" Sessions visit artist website
SOIL&”PIMP”SESSIONS is an explosive Japanese jazz band, comprised of six musicians; Shacho (agitator, spirit), Tabu Zombie (trumpet), Motoharu (sax), Josei (piano), Akita Goldman (bass) and Midoryn (drums). At its core, the group is about giving pulsating live performances.
SOIL&”PIMP”SESSIONS combine the highest musicianship with the coolest of cool sounds and atmosphere. Their brand of jazz is rough around the edges, unadulterated entertainment and constantly kept at boiling point.
Each member brings his own unique talent and perspective. They originally met at a club event in Tokyo in 2001. The Tokyo club scene was dominated by DJs until SOIL&”PIMP”SESSIONS arrived, breaking the mold as live pioneers.
Calling their music “DEATH JAZZ”, they gained recognition for performing an original form of aggressive alternative jazz. The band comments: “We always felt that in the world of jazz, there was an unwritten rule that the musicians were to concentrate on their techniques and the audiences were simply there to admire, like a transmitter-receiver relationship. We wanted to break away from that and create exciting jazz with far more interaction between the players and the audience”. Shacho, who holds a rather unusual title in a jazz band as “the agitator”, plays a key role in this by stirring and stimulating the audience.
It did not take long for SOIL&”PIMP”SESSIONS to become one of the hottest new bands in Japan and becoming favorites of major festivals including Fuji Rock. Their international breakthrough came when Giles Peterson, the renowned British DJ, introduced them through his radio show “WorldWide’.
In the summer of 2005, by invitation from Giles, the band traveled to the UK to perform on his program. The name spread further via the international jazz network and at the BBC World Wide Award later that year, SOIL&”PIMP”SESSIONS was awarded with the “John Peel Play More Jazz Award”.
While continuing to perform in Japan, the band expanded their playing field performing in over 12 European countries and at major international festivals including Montreux and North Sea.
The band’s album ‘Pimp Master’ was released in 2006 through Compost in Europe and Brownswood Recordings in the UK. ‘Pimpoint’ is scheduled for early summer release in Europe and the UK by Brownswood Recordings.
-MiKANiC with special guests Zolani Mahola and Buddy Wells visit artist website
When Mike Rennie and Nick Turner formed MiKANiC in 2003, both musicians were already established in South Africa having founded Sons of Trout, one of the country's most popular and celebrated acts. Now as MiKANiC, they have crossed musical boundaries, developing their characteristic sound, which effortlessly spans genres and influences ranging from jazz, rock, reggae and traditional African. Lyrically powerful, relevant, humorous and energetic, the music has a wide appeal. With shows that feature virtuosic musicianship, funky grooves and catchy tunes, MiKANiC has quickly become a highly popular international live act.
In 2004 Mikanic released its first album, Swimming with the Women, to great critical acclaim and popular success. Subsequent albums included The Subway Tracks and their most recent, Africa My Love, recorded live in the United States in 2009. In this time, the US saw the historic election of Barack Obama, and to celebrate, MiKANiC hosted a successful run of shows in New York City with Zolani Mahola from Freshlyground. Zolani brings a new spirit and zest to the music, and is now being featured as a guest artist in their live shows, including the Cape Town Jazz Festival in 2010.
During their years in New York City, MiKANiC played at many legendary venues including CBGB's, Joe’s Pub, The Knitting Factory, Symphony Space, Lincoln Center and The United Nations. They toured Japan with great success playing sold-out concerts at Sweet Basil and Mandala in Tokyo and at Olive Hall in Takamatsu, collaborating with some of Japan’s biggest stars, and appearing live on radio and TV. Now based between the US and South Africa, MiKANiC will continue to develop new work and more exciting collaborations with the finest South African musicians worldwide.
More at www.mikanic.com
Exclusive Management by MAKESOMENOISEAFRICA:
www.makesomenoiseafrica.com
-LA MELODIA visit artist website
La Melodia represents warm, soulful hiphop with a raw touch, brought to you by a Dutch duo: MC Melodee and DJ/producer I.N.T.
Currently residing in Amsterdam, the two originally met in industrial city Eindhoven where hiphop heads live by a “do-it-yourself” mentality; creating their own soundsystems, organizing squat parties and running their own record store. It was within this underground atmosphere that I.N.T. developed his DJ/production skills and Melodee first stepped on stage.
After several projects the two decided to independently release their own 12? single which lead to a European tour alongside Stones Throw artists Oh No, Wildchild and Percee P. Upon their return home they were approached by Japanese label Handcuts Records who released their debut album “Vibing High” in 2006. A year later the album was released in the Benelux by PIAS and currently the album is available worldwide via iTunes.
Outside of La Melodia, Melodee is a resident host at popular parties & clubs throughout Holland. Next to her weekly radioshow Future Vintage, she works for Kindred Spirits Records, and she features on releases by producers all over the globe.
I.N.T. has released instrumental projects on labels such as Kindred Spirits, Fat City and Sonar Kollektiv. He was featured on 4Hero’s “Mixing…” compilation and produced tracks and remixes for Frank-N- Dank, Roc C, Rednose Distrikt & others.
At the moment La Melodia is taking their music to a new level by performing with their own live band and working on a new album.
-Kesivan & The Lights: Instigators of the Revolution feat. Feya Faku visit artist website
Kesivan Naidoo "caught the beat" at the tender age of 11, falling in love with percussion when he heard his aunt's boyfriend playing the drums over a song on the radio. That was in 1990. Three years later, aged 14, Naidoo made his professional on-stage debut at the Hogsback Arts Festival, playing with the Webster Jazz Quintet.
In 1994, Kesivan’s passion for music was fuelled further at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown where he got the opportunity to take lessons with internationally acclaimed jazz drummer Lulu Gontsana. These sessions started a mentorship process that would continue for two years. He then performed with jazz legend Hotep Galeta who encouraged him to study music at the University of Cape Town and in 1999 he became the youngest person to win the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition. Kesivan seized this opportunity to study under sitar guru Sanjay Bandophadyah, head professor at the prestigious Rhabindra Bharati University in Kolkata, India. Later that year he became the only South African to have performed with the Kennedy Centre Jazz Ambassadors, a touring group from New York City.
Kesivan has ploughed his experience into developing the future of South Africa's performing talent by facilitating workshops on performance at many South African universities. He was also one of the youngest people to be invited to lecture at the Grahamstown Youth Jazz Festival in 2003 and 2004. More recently Kesivan received the Standard Bank Young artist of the Year award for Jazz.
Through his involvement with cultural exchange programs with Switzerland and Sweden over the past 5 years, Kesivan has assembled a stellar cast of jazz artist from both South Africa and Europe, which he calls “The Lights”. “Kesivan & The Lights” has just recorded his debut album in Sweden called “Instigators of the Revolution”. The album is dedicated to the jazz artists who have contributed to the revolution of the acoustic jazz sound. Expect to hear works from Bheki Mseleku. Winston Mankunku Ngozi and John Coltrane. This year “The Lights” performing at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival are: Martin Sjöstedt, Mark Fransman, Reza Khota, Adrian Mears, Karl-Martin Almqvist, Johan Hörlén and special guest Feya Faku.
In 2009 Kesivan had the opportunity to perform with legendary saxophonist and educator Dave Liebman, known for performing and recording with Miles Davis. He has shared stages and recorded with an impressive string of leading South African musicians, including Miriam Makeba, Selaelo Selota, Feya Faku, Bheki Mseleku, Jimmi Dludlu, Marcus Wyatt, Zim Ngqawana, Judith Sephuma, Errol Dyers, Hotep Galeta and Steve Newman. Naidoo has also taken his music to international audiences, performing in the US, Germany, France, Amsterdam, England, Sweden, Poland, Switzerland and Norway, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.
Kesivan lists a wide range of musical influences from John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Thelonious Monk, Bjork to Rage against the Machine. Drummers that have inspired him include Elvin Jones, Max Roach, Tony Williams, Jeff “Tain” Watts and Brian Blade. "I believe that creative people with new ideas are the ones who will make this country work," says Naidoo. "Good ideas mean nothing if they don't become part of reality, just like a musical composition means nothing unless it gets performed. So I am working on creating venues throughout South Africa so that creative music can live." Naidoo co-founded a company called Silent Revolution Productions with Lee Thomson to raise the awareness of art music in South Africa.
The Lights are:
Kesivan Naidoo (drums)
Martin Sjöstedt (bass)
Reza Khota (guitar)
Johan Hörlen (alto sax)
Karl-Martin Almqvist (tenor sax)
Adrian Mears (trombone)
Feya Faku (trumpet)
Mark Fransman (piano)
-The Bokani Dyer Trio visit artist website
Acoustic Piano, Keyboards and Flute
2004
Bokani Dyer began his BA Music (Hons) degree at the College of Music, University of Cape Town, South Africa majoring in acoustic piano.
2006
- He was chosen by Andre Peterson to participate in the Youth band that were invited to a summer school in Sogne in southern Norway, led by leading Norwegian jazz musicians.
- He was chosen for the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band in Grahamstown which also performed at the Johannesburg International Jazz Festival, and then embarked on a 10-day tour of Sweden, playing in Stockholm, Sundsvalle and surrounding towns in a number of schools and major jazz venues.
- The Standard Bank Youth Jazz Band went on to perform at the prestigious Cape Town International Festival in March 2007.
- He played for the UCT Big Band that delivered a variety of concerts including the Duke of Ellington Tribute staged at the Baxter Theatre, Cape Town and the official opening of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2006 in Green Market Square.
- He played at the ‘Arts Alive’ concert celebrating ‘Women’s Day’ at Megamusic in the Newtown precinct, Johannesburg, an orchestration produced by his father, Steve Dyer featuring legendary music icons including Dorothy Masuku, Thandiswa Mazwai and Siya Makhuzeni
2007
- Bokani became a member of the band led by saxophonist Shannon Mowday who received the prestigious Standard Bank Youth Artist Award in 2006. With her group, he went on to perform at all the major jazz festivals in South Africa including the Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Grahamstown Jazz Festival and the Standard Bank ‘Joy of Jazz’.
- He joined leading South African Afro-Jazz guitarist Jimmy Dludlu’s band on keyboards with whom he continues to work and the two have performed all over the Southern African region and accompanied on several trips abroad.
- He travelled to Sweden in March 2007 to participate at the Swedish Jazz Celebration held in Lulea followed by a performance at the notorious jazz- club ‘Fasching’, Stockholm.
- He formed an original-groove music band with talented vocalist, Sakhile Moleshe called “Plan Be” who still perform regularly in and around the Western Cape.
- Bokani graduated in June 2007 from the College of Music, Cape Town, RSA with a first-class Honours degree Bachelor of Music (Hons).
- Bokani Dyer Trio became a regular fixture at Green Dolphin Restaurant, Cape Town.
- He performed at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in 2008 with Jimmy Dludlu’s band and with whom Bokani continues to tour in South Africa and the region, alongside the likes of well-seasoned musicians such as Jonas Gwangwa and Judith Sephuma.
- He joined the Moreira Project led by Mozambique saxophonist, Moreira Chonguica for the Launch of the second album staged in Namibia, Mozambique & Cape Town, RSA.
- He played keyboards with Judith Sephuma at the ‘Annual Jazzathon’ in the amphitheatre on the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.
2008
- Bokani continued to travel with Jimmy Dludlu which included a trip to Davos, Switzerland to play for the South African delegation at the World Economic Forum.
- He travelled to Zanzibar and Tanzania, with Moreira Chonguica to play at the annual Sauti za Busara Music Festival.
2009
- He performed with ‘Steve Dyertribe’ on keyboards as part of the line-up of the ‘Giants of Jazz: Afro-beat’ at Bassline, Johannesburg under the auspices of African Synergy. This event showcased Max Wild (NYC) in collaboration with Sam Mtukudzi, son of the Zimbabwean musician, Oliver Mtukudzi who was also featured on the line-up. The show was the first to showcase Bokani in a major public performance with his father, Steve Dyer and the set included two compositions from Bokani’s debut album which was released in South Africa in September/October 2009.
-Tete Mbambisa’s Big Sound visit artist website
In the middle of the 1976 uprising, Tete Mbambisa took an octet into the studio to record Tete's Big Sound. For three decades the big sound of Tete Mbambisa has not been heard. This is despite general agreement amongst musicians that the 65-year old musician is one of South Africa's greatest composers and pianists.
The Standard Bank Joy of Jazz Festival 2008 was proud to host a sextet to play the pianist's compositions. Joining Mbambisa on stage were Barney Rachabane (alto saxophonist); Ezra Ngcukana (tenor and soprano saxophone); Feya Faku (trumpet and flugelhorn); Herbie Tsoaeli (contrabass) and Ayanda Sikade (drums).
Rachabane was the only member apart from Mbambisa of the 1976 octet who is still alive. Rachabane's association with Mbambisa goes back to 1964 when they were members of a quintet.
Ngcukana was a guest in a recording of The Brothers - a band that was made up of Mbambisa, saxophonist Duke Makasi, bassist Victor Ntoni and Lulu Gontsana. Ngcukana and Mbambisa also played together in Xhosa Nostra. Feya Faku comes out of the Soul Jazzmen school - a band that is a music institution in Port Elizabeth.
In the 1970s, Mbambisa was not only with the Soul Jazzmen, he was featured in the recordings of the group such as Intlupheko. Faku and Mbambisa have played together as sidemen of Winston Mankunku Ngozi and Sylvia Mdunyelwa. The path of the two musicians also crossed recently when they worked on the soundtrack of the movie Sophiatown.
With his inventive piano playing, Tete Mbambisa helped to preserve South Africa's acoustic jazz tradition during the genre's decline in the 1970s and 1980s. In addition to performing as a soloist, Mbambisa often accompanies vocalist Ncediwe Sylvia Mdunyelwa. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide.
-Amanda Tiffin visit artist website
Amanda Tiffin has made her name in Cape Town, South Africa as a versatile vocalist and pianist, performing any number of styles from jazz to rock.
Amanda studied jazz at the University of Cape Town, graduating in 1999 with a Masters Degree in Vocal Performance And Jazz Composition. She received the degree with distinction.
Amanda has performed extensively in South Africa, and more recently has been touring Japan regularly as a jazz artist with the a.s.k. trio. She has also performed in London with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and has toured with Music theatre shows to Mauritius, Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Zimbabwe.
Amanda is also making waves as a songwriter, and released her debut album Who Am I? in 2005. She released an all-jazz recording A Woman Like Me in 2008.
Amanda has successfully produced a number of solo shows, to critical acclaim. She most recently produced, and performed in Piano In My Pocket, which received rave reviews and played to capacity houses. She has performed in, and musically directed her own show I’m Every Woman–a tribute to Female Vocalists of the 20th Century, and the Jazz tribute shows Ultimate and Now You has Jazz, which showcases her Little Big Band.. Amanda was also a founder member and leader of acclaimed all-female jazz vocal group Mamavox.
Amanda has appeared in various musical productions, such as the Abrahamse/Lingenfelder productions ABBAish/ABBAtoir, Discovery/Discovery Much, and Solid Gold Jukebox - Live!
Amanda is also a regular performer for corporate and private functions and events. She performed her own compositions with the Durban City Orchestra, arranged and conducted by German conductor, Philipp Maier.
She performed in and musically directed Tina Schouw and Christine Weir’s Lunar Tunes at the Two Oceans Aquarium. Amanda joined acclaimed a Capella group, Not the Midnight Mass in 2001 as Musical Director for their Live recording at the Planetarium, and for their run at the Oude Libertas Amphitheatre. In 2003, she worked with the all-male version of Not The Midnight Mass, writing all the arrangements for their show at On Broadway in August. She is working with Graham Weir (of Not the Midnight Mass) on his exciting new a capella musical Noah Of Cape Town, and was musical director/arranger for his A Circus Sideshow. in 2007
In 2005, Amanda was selected to be one of 20 participants in a film scoring workshop at New York University. The trip was funded with prize money from the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship, Composition, in which Amanda won the runner-up award.
As well as appearing regularly as vocalist and pianist on the Cape Town jazz scene, Amanda runs her own corporate function band Nightshift, and is actively involved in writing and arranging for various groups. She is a busy session singer and can be heard on a number of commercials running on South African Television and radio.
-The Bad Plus visit artist website
Four years ago, The Bad Plus released These Are The Vistas, their first recording for the venerable Columbia label. With a sound more akin to a rock and roll assault than to the politeness of a jazz piano trio, with influences ranging from Stravinsky to Ornette Coleman, and a repertoire blending diverse original material and provocative covers of Nirvana and Aphex Twin, The Bad Plus earned a reputation as one of the most forward-thinking groups in music.
Produced by Tchad Blake, among the most innovative engineers of the last 20 years, it sounded like no other jazz recording. Championed by mainstream rock press, reviled by jazz purists, hailed by others as music's great hope, Vistas was embraced here and abroad. The group became staples at NPR and college radio and developed a strong presence on the international concert circuit, playing more than 170 shows in 2006 alone.
Four years and two more landmark Blake-produced albums later (2004's Give and 2005's Suspicious Activity?), The Bad Plus turned the page with their newest release, PROG. An excitingly mature and exhilarating album, PROG is the work of a band in clear control of their musical intentions, their sound, and their business. It is at once a new beginning and a confirmation of past promise.
Joining The Bad Plus camp is English über-engineer/mixer Tony Platt -- best known for recording and mixing AC/DC's classic Back In Black along with his work for Bob Marley, the Stones, The Who and Led Zeppelin -- who engineered and co-produced PROG over a two-week period last fall in Minnesota. In sharp contrast to Blake's deliberately low-fi approach, Platt created a recording which is truer to the band's live sound.
The Bad Plus tackle four covers: Tears For Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule The World" and Burt Bacharach's "This Guy's In Love With You" plus massively deconstructed versions of Rush's "Tom Sawyer" and David Bowie's "Life On Mars." As is now a Bad Plus tradition, the covers frame the band’s original compositions, including the stunning new ballad, "Giant," the intricately angular "Mint," and the final installment in their tribute to athleticism, "1980 World Champion."
Regardless of the repertoire performed, the band is simply breathtaking. Favoring group improvisation over individual solos, eschewing all jazz cliches, The Bad Plus rip into each set with a combination of Swiss-watch precision, the spectrum of dynamics and reckless abandon.
The Bad Plus is a collective made up of bassist Reid Anderson, pianist Ethan Iverson, and drummer David King. All three are from the Midwest and they have known each other since their teens. Nonetheless, with the exception of one unimpressive meeting in 1990, it is only after spending their formative 20s apart -- King as a session player in Los Angeles, Iverson as the musical director for the prestigious Mark Morris Dance Group, Anderson as a prominent up-and-coming player on the New York jazz scene -- that they reunited in late 2000 to play a weekend club date in Minneapolis. The chemistry was immediate and obvious. They planned a second gig and a one-day recording session for the indie jazz label Fresh Sound and The Bad Plus was born.
On this same first gig, the nascent group played their first rock cover, Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Thus began The Bad Plus trademark of complementing original repertoire with their takes on mainstream pop “standards” including ABBA, Black Sabbath, the Bee Gees, Queen, Blondie, Aphex Twin, Neil Young, and Bjork.
While the covers helped to spread their reputation, they comprise less than 20% of the band's live repertoire. Anderson, Iverson, and King are all superb composers in their own right, each boasting a distinctive style. Iverson’s music is the more intellectual and complex, Anderson's the more melodic and romantic, and King’s the more rhythmic and surreal.
A CONVERSATION WITH THE BAD PLUS
The three members of The Bad Plus tackled a wide range of topics in recent conversations following the completion of PROG. Here are some of the highlights of these talks:
EARLY DAYS
DAVID -- When we met at 15, Reid and I were leaning toward progressive rock and some fusion stuff. But by the next year we were deeply entrenched in Coltrane and free jazz. We'd go to every concert that came to town. High school was the transition from prog-rock to free jazz and bebop and everything.
ETHAN -- I was in a hermetically sealed chamber in high school. I wasn't interested in classical music or rock and roll or anything but jazz. First I loved boogie woogie, then early jazz. Eventually I got my first Monk record and that really made an impression and I slowly started to figure out Miles Davis. When I met Reid at 16 or 17, I had a strong interest in free jazz-- so my history of jazz is that of jazz history.
REID -- Dave and I met in 1986 when I went to try out a bass amp at his house. We've been friends ever since. We bonded over the music that we liked. We both could play already. When you're that age, you're looking for other kids who can play. From that moment on we were inseparable. I met Ethan in 1989 when I spent one year in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, going to the university there. He was a high school kid at the time. We became friends and made music together as much as we could.
FIRST TIME (1990)
ETHAN -- We were all so determined to be individuals that we didn't have a common perspective yet.
DAVID -- Ethan came in as a heavily opinionated cat.