The Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown (SBJF) will celebrate the spirit of creative collaboration in jazz this winter, from 29 June – 8 July. Lauded as the country’s oldest jazz festival, the SBJF takes place alongside the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown which is renamed #Jazztown for the duration of the yearly jazz jamboree.
The Standard Bank Jazz festival will feature over 100 musicians from 12 countries set to share not-to-be-missed collaborative performances over a magical 10 days. The lush gathering of world class local jazz players, international top billing stars and young upstarts is curated as a unique jazz exchange across cultures, nationalities and styles.
On the bill
Among the headline jazz musicians are the sagacious Swiss pianist and composer, Malcolm Braff billed to collaborate with the prodigious young Brazilian Bass player, Michael Pipoquinha on Friday 7 July at 5pm in the DSG Hall. Braff will also perform alongside other singular talents, South African drummer, Tumi Mogorosi (pictured above) and Gabi Motuba’s collaborative project, Sanctum Sanctorium on Tuesday 4 July at 5pm in the DSG Hall.
The Wizards, a magically collaborative band made up of two Dutch musicians, pianist Jeroen van Vliet and guitarist Anton Goudsmit ,with a trio of leading South African jazz men are on Sunday 2 July at 5pm in the DSG Hall. The South African artists are two former Standard Bank Young Artist winners, saxophonist, Mark Fransman and drummer, Kesivan Naidoo who is now based in New York, along with the imaginative bassist and composer, Carlo Mombelli.
The great trumpeter, Feya Faku (pictured right) will share a charged exchange with Swiss drummer, Dominic Egli’s PLURISM. Their project is titled More FUFU after the west African staple food. It’s a collaborative celebration of African lush cultural heritages on Wednesday, 5 July at 7pm and Friday 7 July at 7pm at the DSG Auditorium.
A highlight collaboration will undoubtedly be the opportunity for a full Big Band of alumni of the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band to play with the world’s leading multi-instrumentalist, Australian James Morrison.
There will be rare musical treats including the incomparable Neo Muyanga performing with his trio on Sunday 2 July 12:00 at the DSG Hall. Muyanga will perform in various styles and other settings across the broader National Arts Festival too.
The imaginatively refreshing doo-wop trio, The Soil (pictured left), American steelpan genius, Andy Narell and singer songwriter, Judith Sephuma will all be there too.
What: Standard Bank Jazz Festival
Where and when: Grahamstown from 29 June to 8 July
Book: www.standardbank.com/naf.
WS
