Youth, World Music/Gospel, Cross-over, Mainstream, Modern and Afro-Jazz are the focus areas for this year's Standard Bank Jazz Festival.
Youth, World Music/Gospel, Cross-over, Mainstream, Modern and Afro-Jazz are the focus areas for this year's Standard Bank Jazz Festival.
Local stars lead from the front, with legendary South African musicians Mango Groove, Sibongile Khumalo, our own “King of RB” Loyiso Bala and Afrikaans rapper Jitsvinger all making much-anticipated appearances in various jazz venues.
Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz 2012, Afrika Mkhize, represents the exciting new face of South African jazz. Steeped in South Africa’s musical heritage, he displays a fresh, international perspective and plays across the spectrum – from African grooves to hip-hop to straight-ahead jazz – and in any company.
For his first Young Artist performance, showcasing his own compositions, he has chosen a band of young Turks from across the country and adds a special guest, flautist Eddie Parker, who is a significant voice in British Jazz.
For his second Young Artist gig he brings together a vibrant group of young musicians from Johannesburg to pay tribute to the compositions of Bheki Mseleku and other influential African composers. Eddie Parker was central to the bands of Bheki Mseleku and his flute solo on Angola is well known to South African jazz connoisseurs.
2009 Standard Bank Young Artist Award Winner, drummer Kesivan Naidoo, is sure to set the stage alight with his performances, as is Benjamin Herman who has claims to fame as both the Most Promising Dutch Jazz Musician, and Best Dressed Dutch Man.
Morris Goldberg oozes appeal and panache, playing his own unique celebration of South African jazz. Dutch/Belgian pianist Jack van Poll will pay homage to one of the most admired pianists in jazz, Oscar Peterson.
Cross-cultural collaborations are a strong feature as always, with Cape Town master percussionist Ronan Skillen showing the fruits of his artist residency in Switzerland; UCT alumnus, vocalist Nicky Schrire, returning from a sojourn in New York with a top-class international band; and top Norwegian saxophonist Morten Halle showcasing his years of collaboration with South African pianist Andre Petersen, as just some of the highlights.
French pianist and composer Carine Bonnefoy showcases some of the compositions which have earned her a reputation as one of Europe’s leading composers and arrangers in Jazz, Classical and Nu-Music; with her new Large Ensemble – a mini-orchestra of 17 that includes strings and brass with a rhythm section.
Two of Europe’s leading exponents of the double bass, Hein van de Geyn and Martin Sjöstedt, pay special tribute to the beauty of their instrument. Five excellent musicians from five different countries and backgrounds present a collection of jazz standards interpreted in their own original and captivating way: Mro Fox (sax – Germany), Fredrik Noren (trumpet – Sweden), Jason Reolon (piano – SA), tbc (bass – Netherlands), and Jakop Hauan (drums – Norway).
The Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2012 with a suitably powerful line-up of musicians and teachers, boasting young performers from around the country as well as youth musicians from Sweden and France; a Big Band of South African and Swedish youth; the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band, conducted by pianist Paul Hanmer; the Standard Bank National Schools’ Big Band, conducted by James Bassingthwaighte; and a host of other performances.
For more information check www.standardbankarts.co.za or www.youthjazz.co.za
