Standard Bank Jazz

Programme 2009

Standard Bank jazz festival, Grahamstown 2009
(Incorporating the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival).

Support funding from:

Mmino
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of The Netherlands
Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture
ProHelvetia
Basel Akademie
SAMRO
Tararam - South Africa/Israel Culture Fund
Paul Bothner Music

Programme at a glance:

Venue	Thur 02	Fri 03	Sat 04	Sun 05	Mon 06	Tue 07	Wed 08	Thur 09	Fri 10	Sat 11
14.00 Nombulelo Rhini			Jazz Double Bill I – Petter Olofsson Quartet + Chris Hani Ensemble	Jazz Double Bill II – UKZN Jazz Band + OR Tambo Ensemble
17.00 DSG Hall	Vocal Celebration	Intergalactic Rhythm Exchange	North Sea Big Band	Standard Bank National Schools’ Big Band	Songs for the North	Amathole Ensemble	Vivid Africa	Standard Bank Young Artist Quartet
19.00 DSG Auditorium		Youth vocalists, Petter Olofsson Quartet, UKZN Jazz Band	SACS, Rondebosch, Stirling High
19.30 DSG Hall	United Nations of Grahamstown	SBYAA Jazz 2009: Kesivan & The Lights	Awesome Big Band	Awesome Big Band	Salim Washington & Ronald Snijders	Vivid Africa	Standard Bank Young Artist Quartet	Offshore + Buddy Wells, Marcus Wyatt & Jonathan Crossley	Freshly-ground	Simphiwe Dana
21.00 DSG Auditorium	Taiwa Youth Band, Little Giants, Stellenbosch University	Rossi & Narunsky	NYJF Youth Choir, Westerford High, UCT Big Band	Arctic Circle Fireworks
22.00 DSG Hall	Andre Petersen	Victor Masondo	SBYAA Jazz 2009: Babu	Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band		Nelson Mandela District Ensemble	Jonathan Crossley Electric	Cacadu Ensemble	Simphiwe Dana	Freshly-ground
23.00 DSG Auditorium	Jazz Jam	Jazz Jam	Jazz Jam	Final Jazz Jam

Full programme:

Thurday 02 June

17.00 Vocal Celebration

We kick off the 2009 festival with the beautiful voices of two talented vocalists: from Oslo comes Norwegian singer Guro Gravem Johansen, Assistant Professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music, where she specialises in free improvisation, and from Cape Town comes songbird Melanie Scholtz, who has made a name for herself in both opera and jazz in Cape Town, and is extending her international reputation through Europe. She has performed with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Sibongile Khumalo, Joe McBride and many more in a variety of music styles. Ironically, she leaves Grahamstown on Tuesday to perform in Oslo, Norway! Joining these two stunning singers is the lyrical trumpet of Brian Thusi, who is known for his poignant performances in places as far afield as Japan, West Africa and Haiti and has performed with an equally diverse range of musicians – the Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, African Jazz Pioneers and Kenny Baron to name a few. Backing them is the top-class rhythm section of Melvin Peters (piano), Jazz lecturer at Natal and Pretoria Universities; Marc Duby (bass), Professor of Music at Rhodes University; and Mozambican drummer extraordinaire Frank Paco.

DSG Hall R60

19.30 United Nations of Grahamstown

The Jazz Festival in Grahamstown is renowned for the amazing mix of musicians gathered for a week together, teaching at the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival by day and performing on the Main Jazz Stage at night. 300 students and 50 teachers gather for the NYJF, itching for new musical ideas and keen to interact with the 80 musicians invited as performers and teachers. These performers come from nine countries and represent some of the hippest directions being taken in jazz around the world. As an introduction to the festival, we put together six musicians from opposite ends of the globe, each bringing their own compositions and reflecting their national style, and each with extensive and impressive performance pedigrees. From New York comes Salim Washington (sax), from Switzerland Samuel Blaser (trombone), from northern Sweden Tommy Lakso (guitar), from Israel Micu Narunsky (piano), and with a South African rhythm section of Mike Campbell (bass) and Kevin Gibson (drums).

DSG Hall R70

21.00 School/Youth Bands I

Top young jazz players from around the country flock to Grahamstown each year to try their luck for the national bands, and attend the festival sometimes as established bands. From the Moses Molelekwa Arts Foundation in Soweto comes the Taiwa Youth Band under Joe Mkhombo and from Cape Town come the Little Giants, the long-standing development band of Ezra Ngcukana and George Werner. In the third slot of this session is the Stellenbosch University Jazz Band.

DSG Auditorium R30

22.00 Andre (Petersen) & Avi (Lebovich)

A conflation of composers from South Africa, Israel and Sweden is certainly worth watching, and here we present three from different continents. Pianist Andre Petersen began his musical education and career as a Classical musician, but Jazz has become his strength and love. He is firmly established on the Cape Town scene and performs regularly with Winston “Mankunku” Ngozi, Robbie Jansen, Errol Dyers and many others. He has spent much time in the past couple of years collaborating with Norwegian musicians such as Andreas Bye (drums), who joins him after performing together in Norway. Israeli trombonist Avi Lebovich returned to Israel in 2003 after a frenetic decade in New York, where he collaborated with artists such as Chick Corea, Milt Jackson, Roy Hargrove, Brad Meldau and other legendary jazz musicians. His main project in Israel has been the Israeli Jazz Orchestra – 13 top jazz musicians capturing the essence of Israeli contemporary music. On bass is a master musician from Sweden - Martin Sjöstedt – who is one of Scandinavia’s leading musicians and a progressive composer.

DSG Hall R60

23.30 Jazz Jam

The nightly NYJF jam session includes professionals from the Main Jazz Stage in spontaneous collaboration, musicians attending the NYJF or locals eager to play.

DSG Auditorium R20

Click on thumbnails to enlarge.


Jam Sessions	Melanie Scholtz	Andre Petersen	Brian Thusi

Avi Lebovich	Samuel Blaser	Guro Gravem Johansen	Martin Sjostedt

Friday 03 July

17.00 Intergalactic Rhythm Exchange

What do you get if you add a Dutch flute player from Surinam, a Norwegian percussionist enamoured with traditional African rhythms and a Khoi descendent proud of his musical heritage, which he presents on the European jazz circuit? An exchange of rhythm patterns of an intergalactic standard! Ronald Snijders (flute) performed in Grahamstown in 2007 and blew the audience away with the rhythmic complexities of his personal style of Afro-Caribbean jazz, which he calls Kawinajazz. He returns to join pianist Hilton Schilder, who comes from a Cape Town musical aristocracy and a family that has enthused audiences for generations. He is equally comfortable on piano, the traditional Khoi mouth bow or hip-hop rapping, jumping with ease across what are normally musical barriers. 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 Johannesburg trumpeter Prince Lengoasa and Cape Town jazz professor Mike Campbell, both with performance credentials stretching over decades.

DSG Hall R60

19.00 School/Youth Jazz Bands II

We first feature a selection of the top young vocalists attending the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival, under the guidance of vocal teacher and performer Melanie Scholtz. Next up is a special guest quartet from Sweden - the Petter Olofsson Quartet - winners of the Swedish Jazz Federation Youth Competition 2008. We finish the session with the University of KwaZulu-Natal Jazz Band.

DSG Auditorium R30

19.30 Standard Bank Young Artist: Kesivan & The Lights

Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz for 2009 is phenomenal young drummer Kesivan Naidoo, who has made his presence felt strongly in South Africa over the past decade and has begun to carve himself an international reputation. He is a fine example of the success South Africa is beginning to reap from its youth development programmes, as he was selected for the Standard Bank National Schools Big Band in 1995 and the Standard Bank National Youth Big Band in 1999 and 2000. His particular strengths are a transformatory energy on stage, a keen commitment to maintaining the integrity of his artistic expression, and a willingness to explore all musical genres in an effort to give voice to the music inside. The bands he performs in and composes for range in style from post-bop to traditional Indian to acid jazz and all have one thing in common – they are cutting-edge. This evening he fuses a variety of musicians who have influenced him in past years, drawing from them their “musical light” to achieve a common goal on stage. Joining him is the virtuosic alto saxophonist from Stockholm, Johan Hörlén; Australian trombonist Adrian Mears, a leading light in the European avant garde; Reza Khota, steeped in Indian and Classical guitar; adventurous Cape Town pianist Andre Petersen; and one of Europe’s busiest bass players, Swede Martin Sjöstedt.

DSG Hall R70

21.00 Rossi & Narunsky

Israeli-born pianist Micu Narunsky studied in Tel-Aviv, New York and Canada where his teachers included Richard Bierach and Dave Holland. He has performed in international jazz festivals and clubs in Israel, Belgium, France and Ireland with such artists as David Liebman, Dee Dee Bridgewater and a range of others, and has recorded extensively. He has also performed with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. He has struck up a musical partnership over the past six years with woodwind specialist Michael J. Rossi, Professor of Jazz at UCT, who regularly performs at jazz festivals in South Africa, Europe and the United States. He has performed with as diverse array of musicians as the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, Clark Terry, Aretha Franklin and Winston “Mankunku” Ngozi. One of Cape Town’s busiest young musicians, Shaun Johannes, plays bass and drummer Frank Paco, originally from Maputo and now in great demand on the Cape Town jazz circuit, completes the ensemble. Two guests add to this fascinating collaboration – New York’s Salim Washington (sax), Professor at Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music, and Oslo’s Guro Gravem Johansen (vocals), Assistant Professor at the Norwegian Academy of Music.

DSG Auditorium R50

22.00 Victor Masondo

Bassist extraordinaire Victor Masondo, Standard Bank Young Artist in 1996, makes a welcome return to Grahamstown in an intimate quintet. He enjoys huge respect for his abilities on bass, having performed with the likes of Miriam Makeba, Dizzy Gillespie and Hugh Masekela, and has a massive following in Japan, where he performs regularly and creates signature basses for Yamaha as a specialist artist. He has become even better known in South Africa for his classy record production, producing the albums of musicians as diverse as PJ Powers, Miriam Makeba, Ringo Madlingozi and Freshlyground. Here he meets up with a pair of musicians who, as he did, studied jazz in Durban with Darius Brubeck - Melvin Peters (piano) and Kevin Gibson (drums) – both of whom have gone on to perform and record with the luminaries of South African jazz. Added to this superb rhythm section is the excitement of two outstanding saxophonists - Shannon Mowday and Karl-Martin Almqvist, the highly-acclaimed lead tenor from the Stockholm Jazz Orchestra who has been described as “one of Sweden's most lyrical tenor saxophone players”. Almqvist has studied with musicians such as George Garzone and Bob Mintzer and has played extensively throughout Europe and also toured Mexico, Latin America, Asia and the U.S, with 2009 his first visit to Grahamstown.

DSG Hall R60

23.30 Jazz Jam

The nightly NYJF jam session includes professionals from the Main Jazz Stage in spontaneous collaboration, musicians attending the NYJF or locals eager to play.

DSG Auditorium R20

Click on thumbnails to enlarge.


Mike Rossi	Ronald Snijders	Shannon Mowday	Kesivan Naidoo

Shaun Johannes	Karl-Martin Almqvist	Victor Masondo

Saturday 4 July

14.00 Jazz Double Bill I – Petter Olofsson Quartet + Chris Hani Ensemble

First up on the double bill, from Sweden comes the talented young Petter Olofsson Quartet, winners of the Swedish Jazz Federation Youth Competition 2008 - Ellen Arkbro (vocals), Filip Ekestubbe (piano), Petter Olofsson (bass) and Christian Tapper (drums) - under the guidance of Swedish guitar virtuoso Tommy Lakso. The second set comes from an ensemble of musicians from the Chris Hani district (Queenstown) who are part of the arts development programme of the Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture.

Nombulelo Hall, Rhini R40

17.00 North Sea Big Band

For years Norwegian trumpeter Arne Hiorth has been promoting musical contact between South Africa and Norway, particularly through his innovative combination of professionals and students in the North Sea Big Band, drawing on compositions and arrangements from both countries. The band alternates between performances in Oslo and Cape Town and this year comes to Grahamstown for the first time. A standard Big Band format is used, drawing on a core of top professional musicians and with 8 of the best students from Scandinavia and South Africa added. This is a Big band with power and beauty, as well as the intensity of youth. Professionals from South Africa are Shannon Mowday (sax), Mike Rossi (sax), Graham Beyer (trombone) and Shaun Johannes (bass); from Norway Frank Brodahl (trumpet), Arne Hiorth (trumpet), Andreas Bye (drums) and Ottar Nesje (percussion); and from Israel Avi Lebovich (trombone). The participation of these musicians was made possible by the support of Norwegian funding organisation Mmino.

DSG Hall R60

19.00 School/Youth Jazz Bands III

Jazz at high schools around the country is improving rapidly and here we feature three full Big Bands from schools attending the NYJF – SACS High School (Cape Town), Rondebosch High (Cape Town) and Stirling High (East London).

DSG Auditorium R30

19.30 Awesome Big Band

One of the sell-out trademarks of the Jazz Festival in Grahamstown is the Awesome Big Band – a unique selection of top international jazz musicians in a standard Big Band format. A band of this nature is also known as a Jazz Orchestra for the dynamic and harmonic depth and contrast that arrangers can produce from 17 instruments, reminiscent of Classical orchestras but with the added power and energy that jazz exudes. This year’s band pays tribute to Duke Ellington’s music in arrangements written by Victor Masondo, who was invited to arrange music in honour of the Duke for the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival held annually in Washington DC. Dizzy Gillespie’s band – the United Nation Orchestra – played Masondo’s arrangements with trumpeter Roy Hargrove as guest, and we now present those arrangements in Grahamstown. In addition, the band plays two compositions by Australian master trombonist Adrian Mears, whose work includes performances with the Vienna Art Orchestra, McCoy Tyner`s Big Band and Joey Calderazzo. The band consists of Sax: Johan Hörlén (Sweden), Francois le Roux, Karl-Martin Almqvist (Sweden), Salim Washington (US), Chris Engel; Trumpet: Fredrik Norén (Sweden), Prince Lengoasa, Sydney Mavundla, Lee Thomson; Trombones: Adrian Mears (Australia), Samuel Blaser (Switzerland), John Davies; Piano: Jason Reolon; Bass: Victor Masondo; Drums: Kevin Gibson

DSG Hall R70

21.00 School/Youth Bands IV

Durban vocal teacher Natalie Rungan has put together a jazz choir of the top young vocal students attending the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival, and tonight they get a spot on stage. Following them is the Big Band of Westerford High (Cape Town) and the well-known UCT Big Band (Cape Town).

DSG Auditorium R30

22.00 Standard Bank Young Artist: Babu

Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz 2009, drummer Kesivan Naidoo, has consistently pushed the boundaries of the art form whilst remaining true to the fundamental principles of jazz. After a jazz degree at UCT he spent a year in India on a SAMRO scholarship to further his studies at the Rhabindra Bharati University in Kolkatta. With Babu he thus fuses the complexity and vibrancy of jazz with the long-standing improvisational practices of Indian Classical music, which has had an extensive history of spirituality in music. This fusion of two streams of musical expression taps into the more complex realms of human experience - the subconscious, perhaps mystical world – through the medium of four experienced, diverse, technically-impressive musicians. Babu features Reza Khota (guitar), Shane Cooper (bass) and Ronan Skillen (tabla, percussion, didgeridoo). The band undertook a very successful and acclaimed national tour earlier this year, leading to a nomination for a SAMA award.

DSG Hall R60

23.30 Jazz Jam

The nightly NYJF jam session includes professionals from the Main Jazz Stage in spontaneous collaboration, musicians attending the NYJF or locals eager to play.

DSG Auditorium R20

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Babu	Awesome Big Band	John Davies	Sydney Mavundla

Frank Brodahl (Norway)	Adrian Mears	Shannon Mowday	Victor Masondo

Sunday 5 July

14.00 Jazz Double Bill II – UKZN Jazz Band + OR Tambo Ensemble

Festival audiences get a double bill of development: New York saxophonist Salim Washington features with the University of KwaZulu-Natal Jazz Band, where he is teaching on a 6-month sabbatical; and an ensemble of musicians from the OR Tambo (Mthatha) district of the Eastern Cape is presented by the provincial Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture as part of its arts development programme.

Nombulelo Hall, Rhini R40

Each year the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival sets the stage for a national search for the finest young jazz talent in the country. Hopefuls between 13 and 26 years get the chance to play their hearts out for a prestigious place in one of two national bands – one at school level, and one representing the best players under the age of 26. After Grahamstown, the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band performs in leading jazz festivals around the country and has performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Netherlands and twice in Sweden. See these newly-selected bands comprising the country’s top young jazz players performing together for the first time at 17.00 and 22.00.

17.00 Standard Bank National Schools’ Big Band

The Standard Bank National Schools’ Big Band will show you the strides being made in the jazz education programmes in high schools around South Africa. The band brings together the best young school players in the country under the guidance of Felicia Lesch, a very experienced music educator who ran the Heathfield High School Jazz Band for many years in Cape Town and is now co-ordinator of the Jazz Certificate Programme at Stellenbosch University. The irrepressible big band sound is the most popular genre in jazz and a wonderful vehicle for educating young players.

DSG Hall R40

19.30 Awesome Big Band

Repeat performance. See Saturday 4 July 19.30.

DSG Hall R70

21.00 Arctic Circle Fireworks

Guitarist Tommy Lakso lives and performs in Malmberget, 100km north of the Arctic Circle in northern, snow-covered Swedish Lappland. His speciality is plucked and acoustic guitar, and his music echoes the simplicity and starkness of a land besieged by the cold and dark. To this is added the fireworks of South Africa’s most exciting and energetic young drummer - Kesivan Naidoo – and the fire and ice that results from the North-South interaction will be spectacular and beautiful. Swedish bassist Martin Sjöstedt, no stranger to South Africa, melds the two together, and additional sparks are added by two of Scandinavia’s most impressive saxophonists - Karl-Martin Almqvist and Johan Hörlén – who join the trio as guests.

DSG Auditorium R50

22.00 Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band

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. We are proud of the fact that a number of past members of this band are featured on the Main Jazz Stage of the National Arts Festival this year, having made the step up from being talented students to seasoned performers in a demanding industry. Grab a glimpse of the future of South Africa’s jazz.

DSG Hall R40

23.30 Final Jazz Jam

The nightly NYJF jam session concludes the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival 2009.

DSG Auditorium R20

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National Schools Big Band	Kesivan Naidoo	Lee Thomson.jpg	Feya Faku

National Schools Big Band	Jam Sessions	Karl-Martin Almqvist

Monday 6 July

17.00 Songs for the North

Melanie Scholtz is one of South Africa’s rapidly rising musical stars and, though she graduated cum laude from the UCT Opera School she is a vocalist grounded in the down-to-earthness of the blues, R&B and legendary jazz singers like Dee Dee Bridgewater or Billie Holiday. Her Classical training gives her spectacular vocal technique and she employs this as a basis in her search for jazz expression. Last year she recorded in Stockholm with two stalwarts of the Swedish jazz scene – alto saxophonist Johan Hörlén and bassist Martin Sjöstedt, both of whom have performed in Grahamstown on a number of occasions – and tonight she brings that recording to life in Africa. Accompanying her on piano is Durban maestro Melvin Peters, who has performed in Australia, Norway, Scotland, France, Belgium and around the US, and who returns to Grahamstown for the first time since 1993. Aside from his jazz renown he has performed with the Free State Symphony Orchestra, the Kwazulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra and the Cape Town Jazz Orchestra. On drums is South Africa’s premier jazz drummer Kevin Gibson and saxophonist Shannon Mowday joins the group for a guest spot.

DSG Hall R60

19.30 Salim Washington & Ronald Snijders

Born in Surinam, Ronald Snijders (flute) is considered “the most swinging flautist in The Netherlands”, and is the inventor of African Surinam kawinajazz. He has a Master’s Degree in Ethnomusicology and specialises in a conflation of Caribbean, Western and African jazz styles. Tonight he meets master tenor saxophonist, composer, and jazz educator, Salim Washington, who is one of the fastest rising stars on the New York Jazz scene today. He has a doctorate in the music of John Coltrane, a professorship in New York and has travelled extensively, playing in festivals throughout the US and Canada, Latin America, and Europe. He has performed with Pharoah Sanders, Kenny Garret, Frank Lacy and Donald Smith among many others. On piano is Andile Yenana, one of South Africa’s most innovative young musicians who has been setting up a Jazz programme at the University of Venda. Dr Marc Duby, Professor of Music at Rhodes, is on bass and Kesivan Naidoo is on drums.

DSG Hall R70

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Ronald Snijders	Melanie Scholtz	Johan Hörlén

Hotep Galeta	Kevin Gibson	Melvin Peters

Tuesday 7 July

17.00 Amathole Ensemble

The Eastern Cape has a long jazz tradition and as part of the provincial government’s arts development programme, the Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture presents an ensemble of musicians from the Amathole district of the Eastern Cape, with most of the musicians drawn from East London.

DSG Hall R40

19.30 Vivid Africa

The origins of this music project are firmly rooted in the soil of our African continent, with its richly diverse peoples and ancient history, and the music produced by this varied group of musicians reflects the polyglot of cultures our society encompasses – Africa, European, Middle Eastern and Indian - all held together by the elastic structures we call jazz. The concept was given life by the personal and musical friendship of two of South Africa’s most sensitive composers and musicians - McCoy Mrubata (sax, flute) and Greg Georgiades (vocals, oud, flamenco guitar). Mrubata is one of our country’s best-known exponents of a jazz style we can truly call our own and Georgiades has incorporated a range of Mediterranean and North African instruments in an intoxicating hybrid of north and South African ethno-grooves that “cook” under vibrant melodies. To this mix is added Siya Makuzeni (trombone, vocals), a dynamic young musician from the Eastern Cape with a special penchant for free, expressive improvisation and a powerful stage presence; Mlungisi Gegana, also from the Eastern Cape and a bass player with a refreshingly funky approach; Wynand van der Walt (drums) from Pretoria who has performed with Karen Zoid amonst others; and Ashish Joshi (tabla, darbuka, djembe, dhol), who brings to the musical table his years of diligent study of classical Indian music.

DSG Hall R70

22.00 Nelson Mandela District Ensemble

The Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, as part of its arts development programme, presents an ensemble of musicians from the Nelson Mandela (Port Elizabeth) district of the Eastern Cape.

DSG Hall R40

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McCoy Mrubata	Vivid Afrika	Siya Makuzeni

Wednesday 8 July

17.00 Vivid Africa

Repeat performance – see Tuesday 7 July 19.30.

DSG Hall R60

19.30 Standard Bank Young Artist Quartet

Standard Bank has been a central supporter of the arts in South Africa for decades and since 1984 the Standard Bank Young Artist Awards have annually recognised artists pushing the boundaries of their chosen art forms and catching the attention of audiences and their peers. These awards have in recent years paid particular attention to the phenomenal jazz talent in our country and we are in the fortunate position of being able to draw together six of the winners from the list of musical luminaries who have won this prestigious prize to perform together this year in celebration of 25 years of Standard Bank’s sponsorship of the award. Shannon Mowday, South Africa’s package of saxophone dynamite, Mark Fransman, visionary on both piano and saxophone, Concord Nkabinde, who has blurred the restrictions of musical boundaries, and drummer Kesivan Naidoo, who will light a fire under any musician, come together as a quartet forging a new direction in music. Joining the quartet as guests are the 2005 winner for Jazz, Andile Yenana (piano), and 2008 Music winner, opera star Zanne Stapelberg.

DSG Hall R70

22.00 Jonathan Crossley Electric

Guitarist Jonathan Crossley undertook a very successful national tour earlier this year with his original compositions, performing around the country with musicians from the Czech Republic, where his music has gained great popularity. Crossley has become known for his use of textured guitar-scapes and effects and his influences lie clearly with musicians like John Scofield and The Bad Plus, with simple, infectious grooves offset by Crossley’s eclectic guitar sojourns. This is funk, blues and soul with a very modern edge. The band this time is fully South African, with Janus van der Merwe (sax, keyboard), Martin Wolfaardt (piano), Paul Gibbings (bass) and Jonathan Sweetman (drums). One of South Africa’s best-known trumpeters - Marcus Wyatt – joins the band for a special guest spot.

DSG Hall R60

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Kesivan Naidoo	Jonathan Crossley	Concord Nkabinde

Mark Fransman	Vivid Afrika

Thursday 9 July

17.00 Standard Bank Young Artist Quartet

Repeat performance – see Wednesday 8 July 19.30

DSG Hall R60

19.30 Offshore + Buddy Wells, Marcus Wyatt & Jonathan Crossley

The Offshore Jazz Ensemble - Martin Wolfaardt (piano), Paul Gibbings (bass), Jonathan Sweetman (drums) – is one of the most dynamic young bands in the country and has emerged from the seclusion of Knysna onto the national jazz stage, drawing deserved accolades. The band’s sound is eclectic and sophisticated - deeply based in the jazz tradition with fusions of world music, funk and reggae - and these young players show that jazz musicians do not always have to be based in the grittiness of urban centres to generate the soul needed for jazz. The trio has performed with an impressive series of guests - including New York saxophonist Sam Thomas, Boston guitarist Gary Wittner and soul singer Wendy Oldfield – and this evening is joined by three of South Africa’s most interesting jazz musicians, Buddy Wells (sax), Marcus Wyatt (trumpet) and Jonathan Crossley (guitar).

DSG Hall R70

22.00 Cacadu Ensemble

The Eastern Cape has a long jazz tradition and as part of the provincial government’s arts development programme, the Eastern Cape Department of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture presents an ensemble of musicians from Cacadu District of the Eastern Cape, encompassing Grahamstown, Uitenhage and surrounds.

DSG Hall R40

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Andile Yenana	Shannon Mowday	Marcus Wyatt

Buddy Wells	Offshore

Friday 10 July

19.30 Freshlyground

Everyone knows Freshlyground! Their vibrant, danceable rhythms and unmistakably African joie de vivre have permeated our homes and our dance floors, our shopping malls, putting smiles on faces and getting toes tapping. Emerging in 2002 in Cape Town, this mix of young South African, Mozambican and Zimbabwean musicians has taken the musical world by storm, touring constantly internationally and picking up a slew of awards, including an MTV Europe award and four SAMAs in 2008 including “Album of the Year”. Freshlyground incorporates elements of traditional South African music (such as kwela and African folk), blues and jazz, as well as features of indie rock, and the band has created a musical category all its own. Few South African bands can boast invitations to serious jazz festivals as well as extended weeks at Number 1 on the 5FM Top 40! Freshlyground has produced three albums and has developed a significant market, here and abroad. The band features the distinctive voice of Zolani Mahola (vocals) who grew up in New Brighton, around the corner from Grahamstown, as well as Simon Attwell (flute, mbira, sax), Kyla-Rose Smith (violin), Julio Sigauque (guitar), Seredeal Scheepers (keyboard), Josh Hawks (bass) and Peter Cohen (drums).

DSG Hall R100

22.00 Simphiwe Dana

Soul songstress Simphiwe Dana taps directly into the South African subconscious, appealing with her earthy voice to her Xhosa ancestral roots, yet maintaining a very modern hold on the issues facing Africans. Her lyrics echo the struggle for self-confidence and freedom that we – especially African women – face constantly as we mould a society that cherishes its traditions and wrestles with its future. Simphiwe defines her style as Modern African Soul and her influences are clear – jazz greats (and civil rights activists) like Lena Horne and Sarah Vaughn, South Africa’s Miriam Makeba and Dorothy Masuka, and the energy of reggae, jive and traditional Xhosa music. Simphiwe has scooped an impressive collection of music awards and accolades in South Africa and abroad, winning 7 SAMA awards, including an unprecedented four SAMAs in 2007 for her latest release - “One Love Movement on Bantu Biko Street” (Best Female Artist, Album of the Year, Best Contemporary Jazz Album, Best Vocal Jazz Album). Amongst her acclaim internationally is the prestigious AVO Session Arising Star Award in Switzerland; nomination in the 2008 BBC Radio 3 Awards for Best Artist in the category World Music – Africa; and attaining Number 1 on the Billboard Music Charts. Her band features Tokoloho S Moeketsi (guitar), tbc (piano), tbc (bass), Ayanda Sikade (drums), Mabeleng Moholo (percussion) and Thantaswa Matshobongwana (vocals)

DSG Hall R100

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Simphiwe Dana	Freshlyground

Saturday 11 July
seperatorwhite

For more information on the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival and the performers visit www.youthjazz.co.za.
This festival is produced by Eastern Cape Jazz Promotions.

Festival Director Alan Webster
Production Donné Dowlman
Sound Engineer Les van der Veen
NYJF Teaching co-ordinators Merlin Julie, Brian Thusi