Arts writer
A GREAT line-up awaits those who attend the 4th SAJE Jazz Festival from Sunday to Tuesday. Established in 2009, the festival celebrates local and international jazz, as well as jazz education. This year it will be held at the SA College of Music at UCT and The Nassau.
Included in the three day line-up are a diverse group of world-class jazz artists, educators and jazz bands with collaborative performances at The Crypt on Thursday and Straight No Chaser Club on Thursday and April 1.
The stellar line up of artists and educators reflects SAJE’s commitment to promote jazz education, skills development and to develop new audiences. International participants will include pianist Mike del Ferro and saxophonists Rolf Delfos and Alexander Beets from the Netherlands, bassist Ronan Guilfoyle from Ireland, percussionist Paul Ngoie Le Perc from the DRC, and pianists Emilio Marinelli (Italy) and Darius Brubeck (USA).
Also expect local participants from Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town, such as Kesivan Naidoo, Carlo Mombelli, Dan Shout and Kyle Shepherd, with jazz educators from UCT, UNISA and WITS, such as Mike Rossi, Mike Campbell, Amanda Tiffin and Karendra Devroop, plus The UCT Big Band and The UCT Jazz Voices.
A two-day Jazz Workshops Project will offer an intensive immersion program for jazz students, learners, teachers, professionals and anyone else who is interested to learn and develop jazz music knowledge, with classes including improvisation, rhythm, vocal performance, drumming, instrumental master classes, and workshops on different subjects.
Sunday’s SAJE Concert at The Nassau from 7.30 to 10.30pm will include The Emilio Marinelli Trio with Marinelli (Italy), Benjamin Jephta, Marlon Witbooi and guest Mike Rossi. The In With A Shout showcase will feature Dan Shout, Marc de Kock, Justin Bellairs, Andrew Ford, Gorm Helfjord, Benjamin Jephta and Marlon Witbooi.
Monday’s events at C7 Chisholm Recital Room at SACM, UCT, are in hour long segments throughout the day. Included are Musicraft: exhibit, sales, spot repairs for woodwind and brass outside Room C7. William Haubrich will take an Improvisation workshop which is open to all musicians (bring your instrument). Canadian trumpeter/ producer (Blood, Sweat and Tears) and Evi artist Bruce Cassidy’s concept includes a unique and effective approach to developing proficiency and creativity. His scale formula system enables seemingly endless facility, flexibility and fluidity, deriving from scales and chords vast usable material. This opens up the creative pores for improvisation as well as composition. In his work for a masters thesis, brass performer William Haubrich has developed this system into a progressive method, easily relayed in a short period of time.
There’ll also be a book launch/workshop with Mike Rossi and Darius Brubeck dubbed Odd Times, where you can learn to play and improvise in odd time signatures – open to all musicians. Then Rolf Delfos from the Netherlands highlights The Versatile saxophonist – Quartet to Big Band. This session will help young saxophonists better prepare for the realities of the job market by honing in on the performance skills necessary for a variety of settings.
There’s also an informative SAMRO: Know Your Music Rights segment looking at performing rights, mechanical rights, needletime rights segment.
Alexander Beets (Netherlands) leads International Jazz Festivals – how to get in. In this workshop, Beets will present a hands-on approach to two critical concepts to jazz musicians: breaking into international jazz festivals and the skills needed for a successful festival performance. He will focus on the critical components that jazz festival organizers look for when selecting artists.
Mike del Ferro appears in a piano masterclass in Room A26 looking at sound and harmony. Paul Ngoie and Jafrozz (DRC) lead a percussion workshop in Room C7. Followed by a SAJE Concert with Jaffroz (DRC), Then there’s a Saxophone Summit: Karen Devroop, Rolf Delfos (Netherlands), Alexander Beets (Netherlands) plus a rhythm section. In Jazz Trio you can see Mike del Ferro (Netherlands), Ronan Guilfoyle (Ireland) and Kesivan Naidoo (SA) and The UCT Big Band conducted by Mike Campbell
On Tuesday in C7 Chisholm Recital Room its over to Carlo Mombelli and the Stories Ensemble workshop (SA and Europe). The Storytellers are Carlo Mombelli on manipulated bass and sonic design, Adrian Mears trombone, Daniel Pezzotti cello, Dejan Terzic drums and Kyle Shepherd piano. Ronan Guilfoyle’s (Ireland) Rhythm workshop is open to all musicians. The Art and Science of Time workshop looks at the most effective ways of learning rhythm and will demonstrate methods of strengthening your rhythmic technique and addressing common rhythmic problems encountered by jazz musicians of all levels.
Amanda Tiffin presents a vocal improvisation workshop. Here particpants can learn more about The Improvising Singer's Toolbox– a step-by-step approach for singers tackling a tune for improvisation. The workshop is designed to equip the improvising singer with a toolbox of tips which they will be able to use on any tune. Aimed at vocalists who have some experience singing in the jazz style, with a basic knowledge of jazz theory, and who want to expand their improvisation skills beyond just scatting the melody.
Mike del Ferro (Netherlands) talks about self management and networking for musicians
“It is essential for starting (and non starting) musicians to have the right organizational and networking skills in order to create a successful career in music”, he says.
Another SAJE Concert sees Emilio Marinelli (Italy) play solo piano. Then there’s a jazz duo with Brubeck (piano) and Mike Rossi (saxophones) and The UCT Jazz Voices and a rhythm section.
l Tickets for Sunday’s Jazz at the Nassau: R100, 076 401 0008. For Monday and Tuesday at SACM, UCT: tickets at the door R60students, pensioners R30 (free for SACM students and staff and SAJE members) · For workshop registration: Diane Rossi at sajejazz@gmail.com Tickets at the door. Workshops on Monday and Tuesday : R150 per day/R250 for both days/R30 per workshop. www.saje.org.za