|
|
|
|
Top artists for grahamstown fest
A winter jazz fiesta
|
May 7, 2009
By Arts writer
In the fusion-spirit of jazz, artists from America, Norway, Swedan, Israel, Switzerland, Holland, Australia, Mozambique and South Africa will join creative forces in Grahamstown to present a Standard Band Jazz Festival programme from July 2-11.
This annual celebration at the National Arts Festival will be jam-packed with big band ensembles, cutting-edge Standard Bank Young Artist Award winners, as well as showcasing the talents of the 300 plus rising stars that take part in the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival.
Highlights at this year's Jazz Festival will feature collaborations between international and homegrown performers, such as Simphiwe Dana, Victor Masondo and Freshlyground.
Six of the winners from of the prestigious Standard Bank Young Artist Award will perform together. Saxophonist Shannon Mowday, pianist Mark Fransman, bassist Concord Nkabinde and drummer Kesivan Naidoo will come together as a quartet. Joining them are the 2005 winner for Jazz, Andile Yenana (piano), and 2008 Music winner, opera star Zanne Stapelberg.
International collaborations will include an opening night with a vocal celebration by Norwegian singer Guro Gravem Johansen and local songbird Melanie Scholtz.
Joining them will be the lyrical trumpet of Brian Thusi, a rhythm section of Melvin Peters (piano), Marc Duby (bass), and drummer Frank Paco.
Pianist Andre Petersen has spent much time in the past couple of years collaborating with Norwegian musicians such as Andreas Bye (drums), who joins him in Grahamstown with Israeli trombonist Avi Lebovich. Performing with them is Swedish bassist Martin Sjöstedt.
A Dutch flute player from Surinam, a Norwegian percussionist enamored with traditional African rhythms and a Khoi descendent proud of his musical heritage will come together for an Intergalactic Rhythm Exchange. Ronald Snijders (flute) returns to Grahamstown to join pianist Hilton Schilder. Norwegian drummer/percussionist Ottar Nesje has performed on over 100 professional recordings and rates as a highlight his work in Namibia's Kalahari Desert, collaborating with traditional Kalahari musicians. Smoothing this extreme mix are Joburg trumpeter Prince Lengoasa and jazz professor Mike Campbell.
Israeli-born pianist Micu Narunsky brings his musical partnership with woodwind specialist Michael J. Rossi, Professor of Jazz at UCT, to the stage. Shaun Johannes, plays bass and drummer Frank Paco completes the ensemble. Two guests add to this collaboration - New York's Salim Washington (sax), Professor at Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music, and Oslo's Guro Gravem Johansen (vocals).
Guitarist Tommy Lakso lives and performs in Malmberget. To this is added drummer Kesivan Naidoo, Swedish bassist Martin Sjöstedt and two of Scandinavia's saxophonists - Karl-Martin Almqvist and Johan Hörlén.
Ronald Snijders (flute) will meet up with tenor saxophonist Salim Washington, who is one of the rising stars on the New York Jazz scene today. On piano is Hotep Idris Galeta, Dr Marc Duby, on bass and Kesivan Naidoo on drums.
For the first Jazz Double Bill session, the Petter Olofsson Quartet from Sweden joins with the local Chris Hani Ensemble. Jazz Double Bill II sees the UKZN Jazz Band perform with the OR Tambo Ensemble.
The Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band is this year led by one of South Africa's leading trumpeters - Feya Faku, who will put a small elite combo of the nation's very best young players under the age of 26 through their paces.
Other bandstand acts will include tabla player Ashish Joshi, guitarist Jonathan Crossley, trumpeter Arne Hiorth, pianist Martin Wolfaardt, bassist Paul Gibbings, drummer Jonathan Sweetman, saxman McCoy Mrubata, oud player Greg Georgiades, trombonist Siya Makuzeni, bassist Mlungisi Gegana, and drummer Wynand van der Walt.
See National Arts Festival
[Email this story...]
[Easy Print...]
|
|
