PERFORMERS AND TEACHERS 2012
SOUTH AFRICAN
Don Albert is a veteran saxophonist and jazz journalist who has written about jazz for decades in a numerous newspapers, presented jazz programmes for the SABC, 702 and Radio Today and hosted a jazz programme on television for five years. He has received numerous awards and commendations in the process. He is the South African Correspondent for Downbeat (USA) and Jazz Journal International (UK).
Alistair Andrews (Bass) lectures Music Technology at UCT, and is involved in the Music Education and Apple Mac and Music Technology department at Paul Bothner Music. As a Warwick-endorsed bass player, he has been a regular on the Cape Town and South African jazz scene for almost 30 years, performing with many of South Africa’s top musicians in numerous settings. www.alistair.co.za www.myspace.com/alistairandrews
James Bassingthwaighte (Trombone) is this year’s conductor of the National Schools Big Band. He was a member of the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band, the National Youth Big Band and the National Youth Symphony Orchestra on trombone, and has a degree in Jazz Composition and Arrangement from UCT. He ran and conducted the Junction (021) Big Band and The Sticky Triggers session band and has played in a wide variety of ensembles and is frequently commissioned to write, arrange for and direct different professional ensembles and productions. As a musical director/arranger, James has worked with a host of South Africa's top artists, including Timothy Moloi, Loyiso Bala, Judith Sephuma, Lira, Mango Groove, Goldfish and Freshly Ground. He was winner of the 2010 SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition for Composers and a 2010 SAMA-nominee for Best Producer. www.thatchmusic.com
Kelly Bell (trombone) was selected for the National Youth Big Band in 2002 and 2003. She teaches Music at Sans Souci in Cape Town, where she conducts the Jazz Band.
Romy Brauteseth (Bass) was selected for the National Schools’ Jazz Band in 2005, and National Youth Jazz Band in 2010. She studied upright bass at NMMU, and currently works in Cape Town with a variety of different groups, including the Dan Shout Quartet.
Nick Carter (Guitar) is head of Contemporary Music at St. John’s College, Johannesburg, as well as being a freelance musician, composer, arranger, and producer. He has also taught guitar at UCT College of Music.
Duncan Combe (Clarinet) has a B Mus in clarinet from Stellenbosch University and runs a Music School in Somerset West offering tuition in Drums, Guitar and Sax. He also teaches music at Parel Vallei High School, developing ensembles which focus on Rock and Jazz and Drumline. He also offers corporate team-building with djembe drums and instrument building workshops, allowing businessmen and woman a taste of the wonderful world of music.
Shane Cooper (Bass) grew up in Port Elizabeth and was selected for the National Schools Big Band in 2003. He moved to Cape Town to study jazz at UCT and was selected for the National Youth Big Band in 2004 and since graduating in 2008 has rapidly found acclaim on electric and upright bass in bands with the likes of ZimNgqawana, Louis Moholo, Babu, Restless Natives, and Closet Snare. His electronic music is performed and released under the name Card On Spokes. He has performed around Africa and in Europe, India, and the USA and is increasingly occupied with composing, including for stage production and film. www.myspace.com/shaneleecooper
Marc de Kock (Sax) graduated from UCT College of Music in 2000 with an Honors degree in Jazz performance. He was selected for the National Youth Jazz Band, which toured to New York, and has worked with musicians such as Loyiso Bala, James Stewart, Gavin Minter, and Amanda Tiffin. Marc has also performed in many theatre productions, and toured around Europe and Asia. He also co-directs the Audio Visual Multimedia company, Urban Groove Productions. www.urbangroove.co.za.
Chris Engel (Sax) was selected for the National Schools Big Band in 2002, the National Youth Big Band in 2003 and 2004 and the National Youth Jazz Band in 2006 and 2008. He has a BMus in Jazz Performance from UCT and spent a year on exchange at the Norwegian Academy of Music where he also completed his Masters Degree. He has performed at major jazz festivals including the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Aarhus Jazz Festival and Cape Town International Jazz Festival and has played with many bands – particularly the Restless Natives. He now lives in Dublin, Ireland. www.myspace.com/christopherengel
Andrew Ford (Piano) is well known on the Cape Town jazz scene as a musical director and composer, and regularly performs with the band Virtual Jazz Reality as well as with his own jazz trio. He studied Jazz at the UCT College of Music, and has also conducted various orchestras in Cape Town, including the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra. He is Musical Director of The Nuthouse Recording Studio, which he started in 1996, and is in demand as a composer and arranger for movie soundtracks and Big Bands.www.nuthouse.co.za
Heinrich Goosen (Drums) graduated from the UCT College of Music and is one of the busiest drummers in the Western Cape, performing regularly with Cape Town’s top musicians. He currently plays in numerous groups including Black Market alongside Andrew Lilley and Bruce Muirhead.
Paul Hanmer (Piano) is this year’s conductor for the National Youth Jazz Band. He was born in Cape Town and began a B.Mus at the UCT College of Music before he left to start working professionally. In 1987 he moved to Johannesburg, where he formed the trio Unofficial Language with Ian Herman and Pete Sklair. The group recorded two albums before he record the landmark album Trains to Taung. Hanmer then went on to record five more albums, including Accused No 1, Nelson Mandela (2006) which won him a SAMA for Best Instrumental Jazz Album. He has recorded and played with most of South Africa’s top artists and groups, including Tananas, Miriam Makeba, Sipho Gumede, McCoy Mrubata, Moses Molelekwa, Themba Mkhize and Pops Mohamed. Hanmer is also active as a classical composer and arranger and has written works for a number of local and international projects. www.myspace.com/paulhanmer
Jitsvinger (MC/Voice) is one of South Africa's fastest rising Afrikaans vernacular hip hop artists and poets. His debut album released in 2006, Skeletsleutel, caught major media attention, and his versatility as a musician and performer has seen him working on numerous musical and theatrical projects. He currently travels extensively both nationally and internationally and is involved in projects as diverse as comedy, drama, and opera. www.myspace.com/jitsvinger
Petra Hofmeyr (violin) completed her BMus Performance degree at the UCT in 2005 under Professor Farida Bacharova, where she was a member of the UCT String Quartet. She has performed in Britain and China and has been in the string sections of performances as diverse as Kanye West, The Rudimentals, George Benson and Phantom of the Opera, with a variety of symphonic recordings and film sound-tracks. She has played for the Eastern Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, the KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra and is a member of the rock string quartet 16Reasons. She teaches at Beau Soleil Music Centre.
Shaun Johannes (Bass) first attended the NYJF in 2001 where he was selected at the age of 18 for the National Youth Jazz Band. He was selected for the NYJB again in 2002 and 2005 and for the National Youth Big Band in 2003, and has since returned regularly as a professional musician and jazz educator. He has a B.Mus and M.Mus (jazz performance) from UCT. He has performed with a wide range of musicians in a variety of styles, including jazz, fusion, R&B, gospel, world, Afrikaans traditional, rock and salsa, and has performed numerous times in major festivals and on television. He is currently based in Cape Town where he owns a pre-production recording studio, Mahogany Recording Studio, and is in great demand as a performer, producer and arranger. www.shaunjohannes.com
Charles Lazar (Bass) is Cape Town’s first-call bass player with decades of experience in all music genres. He has played with everybody…
Prince Lengoasa (Trumpet) is a freelance musician (trumpeter and singer) working in Jozi and the larger South Africa and the world as a teacher, arranger, composer, session muso, soloist, ensemble player, conductor and motivator to younger musicians. He has appeared on over 25 South African recordings and has worked extensively with musicians such as McCoy Mrubata, ThembaMkhize, SibongileKhumalo, Hugh Masekela and Jonas Gwangwa. He is comfortable conducting brass, choir, Big Band or orchestra and has written music scores for plays and done arrangements for different types of ensemble.
Felicia Lesch taught Music for many years at Heathfield High School, where she developed a jazz programme. She is now co-ordinator of the Jazz Certificate Programme at Stellenbosch University and has been very involved in jazz development. She conducted the National Schools Big Band in 2009.
Lloyd Martin (Drums) spent two decades in Johannesburg as a full-time session musician and performed and recorded in a variety of music genres. His professional musical career began with the top South African punk band The Cherry Faced Lurchers and folk musician Jennifer Ferguson, and he has played and recorded with musicians as diverse as Robin Auld, Nataniel, Malawian cultural icon WambaliMkandawire, Steve Hofmeyer and PJ Powers.He has worked in jazz circles with the late Johnny Fourie, SibongileKhumalo and Darius Brubeck amongst many others, and has performed for many years with Carlo Mombelli. He now lives in Port Elizabeth where he teaches drums at NMMU.
Afrika Mkhize (Piano) was named the Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz for 2012. He was born in Durban and currently resides in Johannesburg, where he studied at the National School of the Arts and the Pretoria Technikon. Mkhize has worked extensively as a music producer, producing albums for Tlali Makhene, Themba Mkhize, Sibongile Khumalo and Kabelo from TKZ, and worked for years as musical director and pianist for Miriam Makeba. He has performed with artists such as Dorothy Masuka, Khaya Mahlangu, Zim Ngqawane, Musa Manzini, Judith Sepuma, Oliver Mtukuzi, MXO, Zama Jobe, Papa Noel from France and Jimmy Dludlu. He also recently arranged music for the Johannesburg Philharmonic as well as for the Jazz Meets Symphony Orchestra.
Ronel Nagfaal studied Jazz at UCT and teaches at Alexander Sinton High School in Cape Town, where she is in charge of the jazz band.
Kesivan Naidoo (Drums) grew up in East London and is now based in Cape Town. He was selected for the National Schools Big Band in 1995 and the National Youth Big band in 1999 and 2000. He received his BMus (Jazz Performance & Arrangement) from the UCT College of Music in 2000, and won a SAMRO scholarship to further his studies at the Rhabindra Bharati University in Kolkatta, India. In 2009 he was named the Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz. He has performed around South Africa with most of the top jazz musicians in the country, and has toured extensively throughout Europe, America and Asia. Current Projects include Tribe, Babu, Closet Snare, Restless Natives and Golliwog, and he recently produced an album of his own – Kesivan & the Lights. Kesivan also started, with Lee Thomson, the Cape Town jazz venue, The Mahogany Room, and the production company Silent Revolution Productions. www.silentrevolutionproductions.com
André Petersen (Piano) studied classical piano at UCT as well as the University of South Africa (UTLM). He has performed and recorded in different genres, including Classical, Jazz and R&B and some of his performing and recording credits include appearances with Stefon Harris, Kim Thompson, Effrain Toro, Winston Mankunku, Robbie Jansen and Errol Dyers. He has been involved in many community music schools and has given masterclasses at assorted institutions in Norway. He is the facilitator of the development component of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. www.myspace.com/drepetersen
Nishlyn Ramanna (Piano) studied at UKZN and has taught in numerous universities, including Wits, UKZN and Rhodes, where is now holds a lectureship. His PhD specialised in contemporary jazz in post-apartheid Durban and Johannesburg, and he has written for a variety of academic journals on aspects of South African jazz, including several biographies of South African jazz musicians for the Grove Dictionary of Jazz. A prolific composer, he has performed in ensembles around the country and released his own albums.
Jason Reolon (Piano), son of the South African drumming legend Bobby Gien, helped to found Breakfast Included in 1999, which won the Old Mutual Jazz Encounters trophy for Best Jazz Band in the Western Cape in 2000 and 2001. Roelon graduated from UCT with a degree in jazz performance and composition and won the SAMRO National Overseas Scholarship Competition, which took him to New York in 2004 to further his studies and career. He played for the National Youth Big Band and is a full-time lecturer of Jazz Piano at the UCT College of Music. He also plays in his own piano trio which released Off the Record (2007) and Outline (2011). He is a member of ‘The Restless Natives’ and has appeared for a number of other bands and projects, including Vicky Sampson, the Iridium Project, Search Party, The Hot Shots, and Rus Nerwich & The Collective Imagination. www.jasonreolon.com
Wesley Rustin (Bass) discovered his real love after playing guitar and drums throughout high school. His early introduction to music stood him in good stead for his studies at Music Action for People’s Progress (MAPP) where he was introduced to jazz. He is a very busy bassist in Cape Town with regular gigs overseas and shows his funk style in Mark Fransman’s Strait ‘n Narrow and has played with a variety of jazz artists including Winston “Mankunku” Ngozi and Paul Hanmer.
Justin Sasman (Trombone) studied at UCT and played in the Standard Bank National Youth Big Band in 1999 and 2000. He has performed professionally since then, predominantly in Classical orchestras, and now teaches at St. John’s College in Johannesburg.
Terrence Scarr (Violin/Bass) was born in Port Elizabeth, and, a graduate of the UCT College of Music, he has wide-ranging experience in a wide variety of musical genres and styles, from classical to rock, folk, jazz and world music. He has worked with many top South African musicians and with a number of leading South African bands, has lead a String Orchestra for pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, and has played as a session musician on more albums than he can remember. Long resident in Cape Town, Terrence is Head of Music at Rondebosch Boys’ High School and was Conductor of the National Schools Big Band in 2010.
Melanie Scholtz (Vocals) is a versatile singer who graduated cum laude from the UCT Opera School in 2001 and was named Best Jazz Vocalist at the Old Mutual Jazz Encounters in 2002. She has performed in Europe and has toured with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra as well as performing with jazz greats like SibongileKhumalo, Jimmy Dludlu& Judith Sephuma. She released her debut album Zillion Miles, which features her phenomenal range and beautifully lyrical solos and last year she released a further two albums. Melanie was the Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz 2010. www.melaniescholtz.comwww.myspace.com/melaniescholtz
Nicky Schrire (USA/SA - Voice) was born in London, raised in South Africa, and is now based in New York working as a vocalist and composer. She graduated from the UCT College of Music and the Manhattan School of Music where she pursued a Masters of Music Degree. As a vocalist and saxophonist, she has performed with South African artists such as Arno Carstens, Judith Sephuma, Sibongile Khumalo and Abdullah Ibrahim. She recently recorded on New York drummer, Brian Adler’s ‘Helium Project’, and is releasing her debut album, ‘Freedom Flight’, this year. www.nickyschrire.com
Kyle Shepherd (Piano) was born in Cape Town where he regularly performs as a solo pianist, and with his trio and quartet. Shepherd has released two albums to date - ‘fineART’ (2009) and ‘A Portrait of Home’ (2010) - both of which were SAMA nominations. Apart from performances in South Africa, Shepherd has also toured to Asia, and throughout Europe and Africa, and has performed at many major jazz festivals. Musicians with whom Shepherd has played include Zim Ngqawana, Louis Moholo-Moholo, McCoy Mrubata, Hilton Schilder, Errol Dyers, Mark Fransman and the late Robbie Jansen. He was also chosen as pianist for the National School Big Band in 2003 and is actively involved in scoring for theatre productions and film documentaries. www.kyleshepherd.co.za
Ayanda Sikade (Drums) grew up in Mdantsane and by the age of 10 was performing professionally, particularly with Eastern Cape guitarist Lulama Gawulana. He studied jazz under Darius Brubeck at UKZN and played in a South African student band at the IAJE Conference in Long Beach, California, US. He was selected on drums for the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band in 2004 and 2005 and also won the prestigious SAMRO Overseas Scholarship. He has played with Feya Faku, Bheki Mseleku, Robbie Jansen and Barney Rachabane amongst many others, and spent much time working with Zim Ngqawana and Simphiwe Dana.
Ronan Skillen (Percussion) began Music studies in Classical French Horn and then mastered the didgeridoo, moving on to the tabla, which he has studied in traditional fashion. His teacher, Ustad Akram Khan, is India’s master of a very rich and intricately technical north-Indian style known as the Ajarara Gharana. As a disciple, continuous learning is his focus and Ronan regularly visits India to further his studies. He combines tabla, didgeridoo and assorted percussion in his performances.www.ronanskillen.com
Jonno Sweetman (Drums) grew up in Knysna without formal music education and is a member of the innovative Knysna trio Offshore. He is now based in Cape Town, where he performs, works as a session drummer, tours nationally and internationally, teaches, and performs in various jazz combos.
Lee Thomson (Trumpet) is one of Cape Town’s most active musicians and has been associated with many of South Africa’s top acts. He has taken part in many national and international festivals, and was a member of the Standard Bank National Youth Big Band of 1998 that toured to New York, and was also selected for the band on two subsequent occasions. He is currently working on various projects that include Valve State, Hog Hoggidy Hog, Closet Snare, Restless Natives, Dave Ledbetter and The Clearing, and Rus Nerwich & The Collective Imagination. Lee also started, alongside Kesivan Naidoo, the Cape Town jazz venue, The Mahogany Room, and the production company Silent Revolution Productions. www.silentrevolutionproductions.com
Brian Thusi (Trumpet) has a doctorate in Music from the University of Zululand and is past-president of the South African Association of Jazz Educators. He has been a stalwart in South African jazz on trumpet for decades and has been integral to the NYJF since 1996. He is known for his poignant performances in places as far afield as Japan and Haiti and has performed with an equally diverse range of musicians – the Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, Frank Foster and Kenny Baron to name a few. He conducted the National Schools’ Big Band in 2002 and the National Youth Jazz Band in 2006, taking the band on tour around the country and to Sweden. He released a CD in 2009 that received a SAMA nomination, and is also integrally involved in the administration of the NYJF.
Amanda Tiffin (Voice) was born in Zimbabwe and studied jazz at UCT, graduating with an M Mus (with Distinction) in Jazz Composition and Performance. She has made her name in Cape Town as a versatile vocalist and pianist, performing any number of styles from jazz to rock. Amanda is also a songwriter, and released her debut album ‘Who Am I?’, ‘A Woman Like Me’, and ‘Wide Open Spaces’ in 2009 with her Japan-based trio. She is currently Head of Jazz Singing at UCT. www.amandatiffin.com
Marcus Wyatt (Trumpet) grew up in Port Elizabeth, and completed his Jazz degree at UCT, majoring in composition and arrangement. He has won various competitions, amongst them the Adcock Ingram Jazz Soloist (1995), and runner-up in the SAMRO Overseas Bursary Competition (1996). He has travelled extensively, and recorded and played with the likes of Winston Mankunku, Jimmy Dludlu, Courtney Pine, BhekiMseleku, James Morrison and Abdullah Ibrahim. He has recorded three CD’s under his own name – the latest being “Language 12” - and is one of South Africa’s leading trumpeters. www.marcuswyatt.com
VISITING ARTISTS
Karl-Martin Almqvist (Sweden - Sax) comes from the town of Karlstad, which he left at the age of 18 to take up his studies in music at Skurups Folkhögskola, continuing at the Conservatory of Music in Malmö, then moving on to the Mannes College of Music in New York City in 1994. There he studied with musicians such as George Garzone, Bob Mintzer, Richie Beirach and Reggie Workman. In 1998 he made Stockholm his home. Karl-Martin is found both on record and in performance with a range some of the finest groups in Sweden, such as Stockholm Jazz Orchestra, Maggi Olin Band, Moksha, Rigmor Gustafsson, Nils Landgren Funk Unit and Jacob Karlzon Big 5. He has played extensively throughout Europe and also toured Mexico, Latin America, Asia and the U.S. He leads his own quartet. www.myspace.com/karlmartinalmqvist
Farida Bacharova (Russia / SA–Violin) is associate professor and head of the String Department at the UCT College of Music. Having studied at the Gnesin Music College and Moscow Conservatory she has had a prolific career performing as symphonic soloist in many of the world’s major halls, including Carnegie Hall in New York, Champs d’Elysees in Paris, Consertgebou in Amsterdam, and Berlin’s SchauspielHaus to name just a few. She currently performs regularly in and around Cape Town with her String Quartet, The Four Seasons Quartet.
Braka (France – Drums) is a drummer/ sound-effects maker / vocalist with an interest in the jazz that can be found in objects, toys and electronics. Avid for concrete music, he built some of his instruments in search of incongruous sounds. This approach led him early on to multiply his collaborations with partners from dance, theatre, instrument makers, video, pedagogy and to mix people, styles, cultures and disciplines. Since 2001 he has been composing, arranging and orchestrating stage music for the BVZK Company (Contemporary Theater, direction Nora Granovsky). www.myspace.com/brakabrk
CarineBonnefoy (France – Piano) began her musical studies at the Solliés Toucas School of Music (in the Var region of France) and then studied Musicology and Modern Literature at the Sorbonne in Paris, continuing to the CNSM in Paris (Jazz and Improvised Music Dept). She boasts an impressive list of awards and tributes, and significant radio and television appearances. She is an accomplished pianist who has played with Ted Hawke, Sarah Lazarus, Didier Lockwood, Henri Texier, Kenny Wheeler, Michel Portal, the Francois Laudet Big Band, the Nine Spirit and the Pepper Pills Big Band, but it is for her composition and arrangement that she is best known and her stunning recordings with the Dutch Metropole Orchestra under Vince Mendoza and the German WDR Big Band have received significant critical attention. www.carinebonnefoy.com
Jean-Michel Charbonnel (France - Bass) was awarded a diploma by The Sorbonne (Paris) and by the Center of the Musics Didier Lockwood. Along with being an acclaimed composer and arranger, he has been the acoustic and electric bass player for Eddy Louiss, Billy Cobham, Jean-Marie Ecay, Charlier/Sourisse and CarineBonnefoy. He also leads his own band featuring American saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi.www.jmcharbonnel.com
Andre Charlier (France – Drums) studied at the Musical Institute of Los Angeles, after which he began a series of tours with the Belgian singer Maurane. He has received numerous prizes including winner of the best soloist in the international competition of French-speaking jazz. He has played with artists such as Didier Lockwood, Philip Catherine, Toots Thielemans, Stéphane Guillaume and plays his own music in the duet Charlier-Sourisse, which has recorded four CDs which also featured guests Jerry Bergonzi, Kenny Garrett, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Alex Sipiagin. He currently heads the drums department at the CMDL music school. www.myspace.com/andrecharlier
Stéphane Chausse (France – Clarinet/Flute/Sax) graduated with a degree in Music Education from the Nice Conservatoire, and received first prize at the Rueil Malmaison Conservatoire and also succeeded in the Classe de Jazz at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Paris. His stylistic duality enabled him to perform with the Orchestre National de Paris, Orchestre National d' Ile de France, the Orchestre Symphonique Européen and at the same time with numerous jazz orchestras including the Paris Jazz Big Band, Jean-Pierre Como Quartet, Hervé Sellin Tentet, Stéphane Huchard Quartet and Michel Legrand Big Band. He has also appeared with artists such as Quincy Jones, Clark Terry, Benny Golson, Benny Maupin, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole and Ray Charles. He works as a studio recording artist, sideman, and soloist. www.myspace.com/stephanechausse
Manu Domergue (France – French horn / Voice) graduated from the Conservatory in 2005 with a double degree in classical and jazz French horn playing. Since then, he has participated in many workshops and Master-classes. A Fulbright scholarship enabled him to spend a year in California studying with vocal teacher Roger Letson and singing with the group Vocal Flight (winner of the Reno Jazz Festival in 2008; Downbeat Awards). In 2009 he was accepted into the Jazz department of the CNSMD of Paris in both French Horn and voice. www.myspace.com/manudomergue
Frederic Favarel (France - Guitar) toured and recorded with musicians in the south of France before moving to New York City in 1992 on a Fulbright Scholarship. After playing with American musicians such as Tim Ries, Ron McClure, Fred Hersh, and Drew Gress, he moved back to France in 1995, and has been playing, touring in Europe and recording with musicians like Hein van de Geyn, Phil Abraham, Richard Bona, Charlie Watts, Franck Amsallem, Darren Sigesmund, and Niels Klein. He has recorded several albums as a sideman and four as a leader featuring personal compositions and works with a variety of French musicians, leads his own trio, and lectures jazz guitar and jazz harmony at the jazz department in Noisiel’s Conservatory near Paris. www.fredericfavarel.com
Jean-Philippe Feiss (France - Cello) studied classical cello at the conservatory of Boulogne with Xavier Gagnepain, and played in classical ensembles for many years before decided to play jazz and improvised music in 2001. Currently he plays with numerous groups, and most notably in the string trios, Sibiel, with whom he has recorded 2 albums and played in a variety of events and festivals such as the International cello festival of Beauvais, Vague de Jazz, Rhino Jazz Festival, and Chinon en Jazz.He also has played or recorded with Vincent Courtois, Yves Robert, Olivier Lété, AdrienAmey, Dominique Pifarély, François Merville, ChristopheHavard. www.jeanphilippefeiss.com
Anton Fig (USA - Drums) was born in Cape Town and performed in numerous successful local rock bands before moving to Boston. After studying jazz and classical music at the New England Conservatory, he moved to New York and established a career as a freelance musician. Anton has been drummer on the 'Late Show with David Letterman' since 1986 and he has played with scores of well-known artists including Miles Davis, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Tony Bennett, Faith Hill, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton and BB King. Anton has featured on recordings with Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, Kiss, Madonna and Joan Armatrading among many others and has released a drum instructional video and book. He recently completed his first solo record. www.antonfig.com
Mro Fox (Germany - Sax) Born in East Berlin, Oliver Fox completed his jazz studies in Saxophone, Clarinet and Flute in Mainz (Germany) and Graz (Austria) under a Z.I.R.P scholarship. He then broadened his musical horizons, researching Carnatic music in India and then working as a performer and composer in Shanghai, China. Travelling extensively, he has performed and conducted workshops in diverse locations including France, USA, Australia, South Africa and India. He has been involved both as a performer and composer in numerous Film and Theatre productions, and is a member of the German/Indian Fusion project Karnatriix Global Ensemble. www.foxmusix.com
Daniel Franck (Sweden - Bass) lives in Copenhagen and is one of the most sought-after bass players in Denmark. He currently plays with Carsten Dahl, Jens Winther, Ben Besiakov, Tomas Franck, and Doug Raney, and tours throughout Europe.
Jan Galega Brönnimann (Switzerland - Bass Clarinet) was born in Cameroon, West Africa, and now works as a freelance performer on saxophones, bass- and contrabass clarinet and electronics throughout Europe and abroad. He is the winner of numerous international awards, and his own group, Brink Man Ship, has produced cutting edge electronic music for the past 14 years, reinterpreting traditional jazz approaches into the 21st century. Their latest album, ‘Instant Replay’, is the result of an internet based collective composition. www.brinkmanship.ch
Jonas Ganzemuller (Germany/US - Sax) has received numerous awards and scholarships from institutions such as the North American Saxophone Alliance, the DAAD, the NFPK, and the Huygens and Prins Bernhard scholarship foundations. In 2011 he was nominated for a Latin Grammy for his featured work on Bobby Sanabria’s CD Titu Puente’s Masterworks. He has also played on many well-known jazz stages and played with musicians such as Joey Calderazzo, Bob Mintzer, Miguel Zenon, and Joe Lovano. www.jonasganzemuller.com
Chulo Gatewood (USA – Bass) attended Berklee College of Music and has performed with Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Ojoyo, Dianne Reeves, Pat Martino, Oliver Lake and many others. His album credits include Welela (Miriam Makeba) and Uptownship (Hugh Masakela) amongst others.
Morris Goldberg (USA - Sax) was born in Cape Town, and studied clarinet at the UCT. He played with South African musicians such as Chris McGregor, Hugh Masekela, Jonas Gwangwa and Kippie Moeketsi, before leaving for London, and soon thereafter the US. In 1961 he earned a MA in Music Education at the Manhattan School of Music, where some of his fellow students were Herbie Hancock, Donald Byrd and Ron Carter. In 1974 he recorded the famous Mannenberg album with Abdullah Ibrahim, and later featured on Paul Simon’s Graceland album. After New York he spent time touring America, Canada, Europe Africa and the Caribbean with various artists such as Harry Belafonte, Dianne Reeves, and Hugh Masekela. Since then he has remained in New York with his own band, Ojoyo, playing a unique collaboration of South African-fused jazz. Goldberg has been booked for private gigs for a wide range of audience members including Anthony Hopkins, Mohammed Ali, and Bill Clinton. Goldberg has played with numerous other musicians and recorded scores of albums. www.ojoyo.com
Anton Goudsmit (Holland – Guitar) graduated from the Amsterdam Conservatorium in 1994 and has been a prolific composer, focussing always on original material. He has played extensively on the Dutch scene and was among the first members of New Cool Collective, in the same period also playing in Eric Vloeimans’ Quartet. He also played with Tony Allen, Han Bennink, John Zorn, Ernst Reijseger, John Engels and many others. In 2006 and 2007 he was nominated for the Paul Acket Award at the North Sea Jazz Festival and in 2010 he was awarded the most prestigious jazz prize in Holland, the VPRO Boy Edgar Prijs, as well as the prize for best pop guitarist. He was guest programmer for Festival Jazz International Rotterdam in 2009 and that year’s edition, titled Anton!, was distinguished by its daring and varied programming.
Morten Halle (Norway - Sax) is based in Oslo, Norway, and first appeared on the Scandinavian jazz scene in the late '70s as the leader of the group Oslo 13. The band was an ever-shifting collective that existed primarily to interpret Halle's own compositions, which were based in jazz but borrowed elements from minimalism and other forms of 20th century compositions. In partnership with Knut Vaernes and Helge Westbye, two other participants in the Scandinavian avant-jazz scene, Halle formed Curling Legs Records in 1987 as a new outlet for this music. Halle released his first album under his own name, Etterlatte Sanger, on Curling Legs in 1988, followed by two albums recorded with guitarist Jon Eberson, bassist Bjorn Kjellemyr, and percussionist Finn Sletten, in 1990 and 1992. Halle kept busy throughout the '90s, appearing on a series of albums.
Benjamin Herman (Holland – Sax) has appeared on over a hundred records with all kinds of artists, from Candy Dulfer to Misha Mengelberg. Having built a career as a composer, performer and band leader, his group New Cool Collective and smaller bands are highly sought after. Today Benjamin Herman is one of the most original and productive jazz musicians in the Netherlands. He won his third Edison Award for the album ‘Campert’ (featuring Dutch poet Remco Campert), He recorded and toured with Paul Weller, programmed several festivals, toured in Brazil, Argentina, Kenya, Russia, Britain, Canada, England, Ireland and Japan and worked on numerous projects in the Netherlands. In 2006 he received the prestigious VPRO/Boy Edgar Award and was voted 'Best dressed Dutchman of 2008' by Esquire magazine. His 10th solo album Blue Sky Blond was the most downloaded jazz album in the Netherlands in 2009. www.benjaminherman.nl www.myspace.com/benjaminhermanmusic
Joel Illerhag (Holland/Sweden – Bass) runs his own group as band leader, and currently participates in the joint postgraduate programme for young elite jazz performers and composers at three European conservatories in Amsterdam, Berlin and Copenhagen. He has played and collaborated with artists such as Jerry Bergonzi, David Dorůžka, Thomas Hass, Jesper Løvdal and Tomas Frank, and is currently working on his debut album. www.joelillerhag.dk
Jakop Janssønn (Norway – Drums) studied jazz performance, composition and arranging at the Trondheim Folkehøgskole and the Norwegian Academy of Music. As one of the young up-and-coming jazz musicians from the Norwegian jazz scene he currently resides in Oslo, where he works as a freelance performer in various projects, and has played with many acclaimed European musicians. www.jakopjanssonn.com
Erik Johannesen (Norway – Trombone) studied music and literature at the University of Oslo before studying jazz at the Conservatory of Trondheim. Since then he has toured extensively and recorded numerous albums, most noticeably with the groups Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Jaga Jazzist, Lord Kelvin and Ensemble Denada, with whom he won a German Grammy. Currently he leads a trio in his own name, and has recently released the album Inkblots.
Gorm Helfjord (Norway / SA – Guitar) was born in Norway but now lives in Cape Town as a session and freelance guitarist who has performed at festivals such as Molde International Jazz Festival, Music Alive Amsterdam, Jeunesses Musicales Paris, Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Oppikoppi, Splashy Fen and DølaJazz Norway. He studied at Sund FHS in Norway, University of KwaZulu Natal and University of Cape Town and has performed with Melanie Scholtz, SibongileKhumalo, PJ Powers, Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, Vicky Sampson, Judith Sephuma, Neo Muyanga, Big Boss Band and many others. www.myspace.com/gorm.helfjord
Jill King (US/SA - Viola) received Bachelors and Masters degrees in music, and served as a member of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra from 2004-2011. She recently moved to Cape Town, where she plays frequently with the Cape Philharmonic and Camerata Tinta Barocca, and she has performed and participated in numerous chamber music festivals and seminars throughout the US. Jill is also a certified Jivamukti Yoga teacher, teaching classes in the Cape Town area.
Bjørn Kjellemyr (Norway - Bass) studied at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. He has participated in a number of different jazz groups including Knut Riisnæs, Jon Eberson and Bugge Wesseltoft, and is particularly known for his long collaboration with guitarist Terje Rypdal. He has also played with Joe Henderson, Bob Berg, Chet Baker, Art Farmer, Pat Metheny and Mike Stern. He has contributed to a large number of recordings, particularly under the ECM label, and received the Jazz Musician of the Year award from the Association of Norwegian jazz musicians in 1990, and Buddy Award in 1994 from the Norwegian Jazz Federation. Since 2005 he has been Associate Professor of Jazz and Improvised Music at the Norwegian Academy of Music.
Rashid Lanie (USA/SA - Piano) was born in South Africa but moved to the USA in 1994 with scholarships to the University of Southern California and the Musicians’ Institute in Hollywood. He has worked as a pianist, composer and producer and has worked with artists such as Angelique Kidjo, Shakira, Alicia Keyes, Black-eyed Peas, Paul Simon, Hugh Masekela, Ernie Watts, Slash, The UN Jazz Orchestra, Jonathan Butler, and the Agape International Choir. He received the award for Best Arrangement from the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers for “Infant Eyes” by Wayne Shorter. Lanie has spoken at the United Nations on behalf of South African musicians during apartheid, and has served as Vice-President of the South African Musicians’ Alliance. www.rashidlanie.com
Daniel Malavergne (France – Tuba) joined the “Musica Brass” company in 1989 and began an insatiable creative exploration of music, based on many collaborations with theatre companies, street art, dance and circus, both in France and abroad. Enriched by repertoires and various musical influences, he creates his own orchestration from shell to pipe; he excels in playing baritone, bass tuba and helicon. www.myspace.com/malavergnedaniel
Fredrik Norén (Sweden – Trumpet) the conductor and organiser of the Stockholm Jazz Orchestra and the Blue Note Sextet, received his Masters in Music at the Royal Conservatory of Stockholm. He was the Scandinavian representative on the International Association of Jazz Education, is a busy freelance jazz artist throughout Europe and also the director of the youth programme for the Swedish Jazz Federation. Through his efforts and commitment, the NYJF and SJO enjoyed a four-year exchange programme funded by the South African and Swedish governments, and he continues to do a great deal for the development of youth jazz in South Africa. www.stockholmjazzorchestra.com
Eddie Parker (UK - Flute) was a founder member and composer for Loose Tubes, the successful 1980’s Big Band, was a key member of the Bheki Mseleku band, and a featured soloist and composer in Django Bates’ Delightful Precipice. He leads his own bands ‘Eddie Parker’s Mister Vertigo’, ‘The Eddie Parker Group’ and ‘Turning World’ all of which have made a number of recordings. He has toured extensively on most continents and performed on television, radio, and at many esteemed jazz venues, such as Ronnie Scott's Club and the Royal Albert Hall. In 1994 Eddie was nominated for the British Jazz Awards. From 1998 - 2006 he was a Senior Lecturer in Jazz at Middlesex University, and is now resident in Gloucestershire, where he is director of the highly successful jazz and improvisation Education Company, Impro Integrated Music Projects. www.eddieparker.co.uk
Tony Paco (Percussion) comes from Mozambique and started drumming in his teens. With a Jazz degree from UCT and many years of performing with bands like Freshly Ground & Flat Stanley, Tony is regarded as one of the best drummers and percussionists in South Africa, with extensive performance and recording credentials.
Joost Patocka (Holland – Drums) teaches at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague and the Rotterdam Jazz Academy. He has worked with numerous artists, including Jasper Blom, Francien van Tuinen, Benjamin Herman and Jeroen Vierdag. www.joostpatocka.nl www.myspace.com/joostpatocka
Nick Paul (USA - Piano) was born in Los Angeles and grew up under a wide range of musical influences and interests. In 2007 he was the winner of the Phillips Piano Competition in Florida and received an Outstanding Soloist award at the Monterey Jazz Festival. He has toured extensively in Europe and the USA with pop, rock, jazz, and R&B acts, and has worked with Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, Beyonce, Tony Bennett, Dave Brubeck, Dave Liebman, and Terrance Blanchard, amongst others. Currently living in New York, he works in a wide range of music genres, performing, recording and composing music for film, TV and other new and old media. www.nickpaulmusic.com
Borislav Petrov (Bulgaria - Drums) was born in Bulgaria and played in numerous projects and bands until he moved to Holland to attend the Prins Claus Conservatorium, and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where he earned his master’s degree. Since 2002 he has worked with numerous projects based in Holland, including the Bobby Petrov Band, the Modern Balkan Jazz Orchestra, and the Amsterdam Jazz Orchestra. Borislav has also toured the Middle East, North Africa, India, South America, Canada and Europe, and performed at meetings such as The North Sea Jazz Festival and De Hague Jazz Festival. He regularly performs alongside musicians such as Benjamin Herman, Jasper Blom, Eric Vloeimans, Izaline Calister, and many more.
Lucia Recio (France – Voice) is a self-taught singer who performs in France and abroad in various groups, projects and improvised meetings as well as directing voice workshops. Her work links the oral tradition and vocal experimentation. www.myspace.com/luciarecio
Thomas Savy (France – Clarinet) studied clarinet, bass clarinet and chamber music at the Conservatoire National de Région de Paris and at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. He currently tours extensively and plays in numerous major jazz festivals such as the North Sea and Montreux Jazz Festivals. He has played alongside artists such as David Liebman, Steve Potts, Carine Bonnefoy, Christophe Dal Sasso, and David Sanborn. As a leader he has recorded extensively on the bass clarinet, on which he has been noted as one of the world’s leading players. www.myspace.com/thomassavy
Martin Sjöstedt (Sweden – Piano/Bass) is the regular bassist with the Stockholm Jazz Orchestra and has played with Joe Lovano, Joey Calderazzo, Peter Erskine, Viktoria Tolstoy, Bob Mintzer and Maria Schneider among other well-known international artists. He was in such demand as a student at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm that he decided to put his studies on hold and focus on developing his talent, and creating a firm technique rooted in the traditions of Jimmy Blanton and Ray Brown. He has participated in over thirty recordings and has performed in Grahamstown in a variety of ensembles. He is now recording as a pianist. www.martinsjostedt.com
Nicolas Stephan (France – Sax) received the Composition Prize at the National Jazz Contest of La Defense in 2006. A founder of Bruit du Sign, he studied with Pierre Vaiana in Belgium and Henry Threadgill in New York. He has conducted sound-painting and music master classes for the Supernatural Orchestra in the national theater TAP in Poitiers, at "Jazz à la Villette" in Paris, at the Conservatory of Addis Ababa and in schools in Montreal. He works with the contemporary jazz group IKS and plays with a variety of French jazz musicians. He composes and plays for the theatre for the company “Falaises et Plateau” and the company “Capitaine”. www.myspace.com/nicolasstephan
Nadja Stoller (Switzerland - Voice) obtained a degree in Ceramics at the Kunstgewerbe–schule in Bern and a degree in Jazz Vocal Performance under the tutelage of Sandy Patton. Today she is one of the leading young Jazz vocalists in Switzerland, having recorded numerous albums, as both a guest and band leader. The winner of various Swiss music awards, she currently works as a freelance and studio-session musician, songwriter and performer.
www.nadjastoller.chwww.myspace.com/nadjastollergroup
Deborah Tanguy (France – Voice) grew up in Paris where she taught at the Paris Jazz School and won various awards including Young French Jazz Talent in 2002. She lived in South Africa for a few years and studied for a Masters degree and taught vocal classes at the UCT College of Music. Her rich sound is the inspiration for many young singers and the pleasure of many audiences. She has returned to Paris where she is again very busy on the music scene.www.myspace.com/dtanguy
Hein van de Geyn (Netherlands – Bass) was classically trained on violin for 15 years and began the double bass in his late teens to pursue his dream of becoming a jazz musician. He finished his classical music education studies at the Tilburg Conservatory and after graduating in jazz from the Rotterdam Conservatory he moved to the US where he recorded and played with many great musicians. In 1983 Hein returned to Holland and established himself as one of the most sought-after bass players in Europe. Hein has been awarded many prizes in his career and in 1996 received the prestigious Prins Bernhard Fonds Music Prize for his importance in the development of European Jazz, as well as for his stimulating role as mentor and producer of many young musicians in Holland and abroad. During a sabbatical period spent in South Africa in 2001/2002 Hein started writing his "Comprehensive Bass Method"; which has rapidly become the standard work for the double bass worldwide. In 2008 Hein became the artistic manager of the Rotterdam Jazz Academy. He has toured and recorded extensively with Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Toots Tielemans, amongst hundreds of others, and has performed on most of the world’s great jazz stages and festivals. He now lives in Cape Town. www.baselinemusic.nl
Jack Van Poll (Belgium - Piano) was born in Holland, and from a young age began working with American musicians performing in Holland and Belgium, such as Don Byas, Ben Webster, Johnny Griffin, Clark Terry, Tony Scott and many others. In the late seventies he opened the September Jazz Club in Antwerp, Belgium, and soon thereafter founded the September Jazz Records label. He has toured with the Lionel Hampton band and with Dee Dee Bridgewater, recorded numerous albums, and has performed at most well-known International Jazz Festivals. In 1995 he moved to Cape Town and played with many of South Africa’s top musicians, and in 2003 moved back to Belgium. Apart from playing piano and tenor sax, he composes, writes lyrics, presents a weekly radio program, teaches music, writes Film Music, and is Editor for The Belgian Magazine ‘Jazz Mozaiek’. www.jackvanpoll.com
Damien Verherve (France - Trombone) studied classical trombone and piano, and has worked with a wide variety of musicians such as Stevie Wonder, the Claude Bolling Big Band, Salif Keita, Cheb Mami, Shirley Bassey, Didier Lockwood, the Gipsy Kings, and Jean Jacques Milteau. He composes for his own group, Captain Mercier ("Victoires du jazz" 2005), and teaches jazz trombone at the National Conservatory of Music of Cachan.
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Alan Webster (Festival Director) has a Masters degree from Rhodes University, where he studied History, English and Music, learning jazz in the Rhodes Jazz Band. He is a saxophonist who has performed around the Eastern Cape for over two decades and an administrator who co-ordinates jazz festivals and events, travelling regularly to national and international jazz festivals. He has been Director of the NYJF for 12 years and is based in East London, where he is Vice Principal at Stirling High School, where he runs the school jazz programme. He is Director of Eastern Cape Jazz Promotions.
Donné Dowlman (Festival Administrator) studied jazz at Pretoria Technikon under Marc Duby and played bass in the National Youth Big Band (2001, 2002) and the National Youth Jazz Band (2003) that performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival, Holland. She has performed throughout the Eastern Cape with leading jazz musicians and teaches bass and guitar at Stirling High. She co-ordinates the logistics of the NYJF as well as all tours of the NYJB.
Janet Webster (Staff Management) has a degree in English and Music from Rhodes and has taught Music in East London for 20 years. She is a pianist comfortable in a range of musical styles and has performed around the Eastern Cape.
Donovan Abrey (DSG Venue Manager) has a B Sc in Computer Science and Information Systems from Rhodes and is Head of Department of Information Technology at Bishops in Cape Town. Donovan played guitar in the National Schools Jazz Band in 1998 and 1999 and has performed in various Jazz formats around South Africa, and has been involved with the NYJF for 12 years. He owns a website design and hosting company – IT Solutions.
Dean Flanagan (Auditorium Manager / Admin Staff) was a member of the National Schools Jazz Band in 2000 on tenor sax, and has worked in an administrative position at the festival for a number of years. He completed his Bachelor of Music degree at Rhodes University, and teaches Music at Stirling High in East London. He is completing his MBA.
Leonard Brandt (Logistics) is a trumpeter who has performed on occasion with the Namibia National Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra in Johannesburg and the Transvaal Philharmonic Orchestra in Pretoria. He has taught Music in various institutions and has been Brass Teacher and Computer Network Administrator at Stirling High for 14 years.
SiyaMxunyelwa (Artist Hospitality) lectures in Tourism and Event Management at Walter Sisulu University and has been involved in artist hospitality since 2004. He plays rugby when not helping in jazz festivals.
Tammy Percival (Student Administrator) teaches Drama at Stirling High and has extensive experience in the Performing Arts.
Warren Bradfield (Administration) is an electrical engineer based in East London.
Papama Mnqandi (Admin Staff/Artists) is a pianist and is studying Architecture at NMMU in Port Elizabeth where he is very active in organising jazz events.
Germaine Gamiet (Admin Staff/Artists) studied classical piano at the UCT College of Music before receiving a Fulbright scholarship to study a Master’s degree in Arts Administration at the University of Oregon. He worked for Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) for two years in Johannesburg before recently moving back to East London where he is involved in a number of arts projects.
Glynis Malcolm-Smith Hartogh (Artists/ Admin Staff) has over 30 years of experience in jazz administration at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and SAJE.
Paul Sedres (Media Liaison/Administration) has been involved in music education and music development initiatives since the early 1990s in Cape Town. He is active in the promotion of music culture, is frequently used as a consultant and serves on the boards of several grassroots musical arts and cultural development groups. His work extends into artist management, concert production, project management, radio broadcasting and production, music journalism, -research and -technology. He is based in Paris at present.
James Ekron (Admin Staff/Artists) played trumpet for the National Schools’ Big Band in 2006 and is completing his Law degree at Rhodes.
Rostil Christian (Auditorium manager) has worked at the NYJF since 2001 and is a businessman in Port Elizabeth. He plays and teaches drums and is learning the bass.
Irene Riffel (Assistant Staff) teaches History at DSG after teaching for years in Cape Town and is an avid jazz fan.
Gareth Burger (Assistant Staff) is studying Megatronics at UCT. He was selected for the National Schools Big Band on Trumpet in 2007, 2008 & 2009.
Keegan Langley (Assistant Staff) is currently studying computer technology in East London and performs in shows in East London on guitar.
Greg Wild (Assistant Staff) is a well-known drummer in East London who plays in a variety of styles, and currently plays and teaches drums.
Chris Unthank (Assistant Staff) plays trumpet, DJs, and is studying computer technology in East London.
TECHNICAL CREW
Les van der Veen (Chief Sound Engineer) was a recording engineer at the national SABC Studios, Johannesburg, for many years. He has extensive experience in jazz and has been chief engineer in Grahamstown for twelve years. He played bass guitar in rock bands for years around the country with Robin Walsh, was an Advisor for Maths and Science for the Eastern Cape Education Department and is currently employed as the Deputy Headmaster at Baysville High School in East London.
Sammy Kruger (Sound Engineer) is Technical Assistant in the UCT Music School and has decades of experience in sound production in Cape Town. He has been involved in the NYJF for over a decade.
Bobby Thorpe (Sound Engineer) studied Audio Engineering and Recording Arts at the SAE Institute in London, and worked as a production engineer for Alpha International in London. He is now based in Cape Town where he teaches guitar at COPA (Campus of the Performing Arts) and also runs a successful rock outfit called Irvine, in which he sings and plays guitar.
Evert De Munnik (Sound Engineer) is a highly sought after freelance producer and engineer who owns Ultima Mastering Studio in Johannesburg. He has recorded artists such as Mango Groove, Johnny Clegg, Def Leppard, and been involved in numerous live projects such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, SA Pop Idols and the SAMAs. www.ultimamastering.co.za
Neville Hartzenberg (Sound Engineer) is the Senior Department Assistant at the UCT Music School and in charge of technical production, with years of sound production experience in Cape Town. He has been involved in the NYJF for over a decade.
James Nurtz (sound engineer) works for Eastern Acoustic as a sound engineer and provides technical assistance at UCT.
Kurt Hartzenberg (Assistant sound engineer) works for a sound production company in Cape Town.
Adrian Kruger (Assistant sound engineer) works for a sound production company in Cape Town.