[JPL] CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 2009 report

[Eric Alan at Jazz Rendezvous]

Hi good JPL folks

CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 2009

The Cape Town International Jazz Festival has come and gone for another
year, yet despite the problems that beset the festival again this year was a
huge success. 
 
The pulling out of one of the major sponsors Standard Bank has hurt, they
have pulled all of their Arts and Culture sponsorship and with the will
they, won¹t they pull out attitude of a couple of the other major sponsors.
Shame on them all, that bank is now pouring there millions into sport,
specifically cricket to the detriment of what is the very soul of our
wonderful nation, Arts Culture and Music. Thank goodness, I donŒt have an
account with them because if I had I would have closed and finished any
business dealings with the bank as protest of their attitude towards Arts,
Culture and Music.
 
Enough of my ranting about the evils of awful, short-sighted sponsorship
decisions made by companies in haste that will later be regretted and on
with some of the happenings at the 2009 festival.
 
The Cape Town International Jazz Festival, now in its tenth year has again
won the hearts and minds of jazz lovers not only from South Africa but from
around the world. Many more visitors enjoying the talents of all of the
musicians appearing at the festival, what with many more African media
organisations sending representatives to report on the festivals activities.
This alone offers wonderful networking opportunities with our cousins
northwards of Cape Town. I met with fellow broadcasters and journalists from
Cameroon, Kenya, Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria and Angola as well as those
regulars from Europe, the USA and South Africa. The African Jazz Festival
circuit is growing with Mozambique starting in a few days and later this
year another new chapter is opening with the very first Luanda Jazz Festival
in Angola.
 
Music was again the winner at this years festival, like all jazz festivals
around the globe other genres of music are becoming an important part of the
jazz festival circuit. There are very few true jazz festivals around the
world and we all understand the economics of the world today, therefore, we
jazz lovers should have no problem that other genre styles are incorporated
into today¹s jazz festivals as long as jazz remains the mainstay of the
festival concerned.
 
The Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2009 proved once again the music
is a vital ingredient of the daily lifestyle no matter what manner of music
one enjoys. I have been involved with this festival as an MC on the stages
and conducting the general media conferences at the CTIJF for the past 10
years of the life of the festival and once again, this highlights the
importance of this annual gathering to the economy of the city of Cape Town
and South Africa.
 
Local musicians benefit immensely with the interaction with visiting
international jazz masters and visa versa. Thanks must go to those visiting
musicians who avail give their time so freely to the workshops and visits to
small township music schools that have become synonymous with the CTIJF.
 
I was MC'ing on the main jazz stage Rosie¹s as usual and found myself
confined to that stage because the mix of music on both nights was just so
good making it difficult to rush around to some of the other stages.
 
The honour of opening the ³Rosie¹s² Stage, so named after a number of famous
jazz venues from the past. Guitarist Dr Molombo Philip Tabane whose
inventive improvisational ideas have not been diminished by ravages of time
and still remain as important today as they did way back in 1964 when he and
the band won first prize at the Castle Lager Jazz Festival at Orlando
Stadium in Soweto. Now i was too young to be there but the recording I have
of that performance remains a favourite and holds a special place in my
album collection. When he was invited to visit the USA, playing at the
Newport Jazz Festival he sites as the highlight of that visit when Miles
Davis, Charles Mingus and Stanley Turrentine joined him on stage. I hope
that some wide-awake record company A & R person will take Dr Tabane and the
band into the studio to record a new album, soon.
 
What can be said about the New York Voices that has not been said before,
the excellence of the musical choices and arrangements are legendary world
wide, their longevity in this fickle industry is testament to their
worldwide appeal. They were somewhat surprised at their popularity in South
Africa and gave a stupendous performance to a rapt audience that hung on to
every note delivered. Even some of our very own and nationally known jazz
singers and actresses, acted like teenage groupies when opportunity arose
the meet with the group after their outstanding performance. I look forward
to calling them in the near future to interview them on Jazz Rendezvous.
 
Next up was the legendary drummer Al Foster whose performance was a
highlight for me, hey, what can I say each performance on the ³Rosie¹s²
stage was a highlight. Bassist Doug Weiss, Pianist Gary Versace and Sax
player Eli Degibri were all new to me and were a most important discovery to
me, of new instrumentalists whose music I need to discover. Foster wowed the
audience from the moment they took the stage and was a performance that will
remain indelibly etched in the recesses of my memory. The CTIJF over the
years has incorporated many of the huge jazz legends into their programme
giving South African jazz lovers a taste of what we were not allowed to see
and hear live, in our country of years gone by. Bring it on ESP Afrika we
look forward to many more of these jazz greats on the ³Rosie¹s² stage.
 
Classical and jazz music are in my humble opinion are the highest form of
musical expression so when the two meet it holds promise of excitement never
heard before. Opera Meets Jazz, with two incredible South Africa musicians
one opera singer and one jazz saxophonist, adding into the mix a classically
trained Dutch jazz pianist showed that I was not wrong in my simple belief.
Sibongile Khumalo, Shannon Mowday and Mike del Ferro ably backed by
journeymen Cape Town muso¹s bassist Shaun Johannes and drummer Kevin Gibson.
I had strongly recommended, to Darmon Meader and Kim Nazarian that they
should catch some of the performance, which they duly did and sat in the
audience mesmerized. My expectations were exceeded I too was transfixed by
what for me was the performance of the day by all concerned. It was a
virtuoso performance by all three lead musicians and it was regrettable to
discover that the performance was not recorded at all. This being the last
performance of the day, which started well after midnight, saw a very large
audience for the time of night enraptured by the amazing interpretations of
many opera arias. The finale, Habanera from Carmen, adapted by Bizet from
³El Arreglito² originally composed by Sebastian Yradier, bringing down the
house making it a fitting closing of the first day of the 2009 CYIJF.
 
Day two of the festival saw the young Cape Town electric bassist, Jonathan
Rubain starting the musical day off on the Basil ³Manenberg² Coetzee stage
at 15:30. Giving me some time to catch his performance, the only time I saw
a performance on another stage after which I reported for duty on the
Rosie's stage once again arriving much to my embarrassment a little late.
 
The Cape Town Jazz Orchestra, led so ably by Alvin Dyers showed the depth of
young musical talent that Cape Town has to offer. The orchestra was an
initiative and brainchild of Abdullah Ibrahim and Minister of Arts and
Culture Dr Pallo Jordan. What a fine showing of this young talent with a
number of the pieces played by the orchestra written by the members as well
as a couple of well-known standards thrown in for good measure. The band is
of such a high standard that they should be taken on tour around the world
as part of an international out reach program, which they so richly deserve.
 
Then is was the turn of someone who has been on my wish list for the past
six years, you see, every year I send CTIJF CEO Rashid Lombard my wish list,
which is quite long. Diane Reeves, stepped onto the stage and took the
audience on a musical journey never to be forgotten. From the very first
note she sang she held the audience in the palm of her hand. She sang a
number of her well-known songs and some from her latest album ³When You
Know². Her impeccable phrasing and lyricism are something that many an
aspiring young jazz vocalist tries to emulate. The audience was spellbound
by this truly great multiple Grammy Award winning vocalist. She last visited
S.A. in 2005 and left her mark on the audience, but on her first visit to
Cape Town she blew the audience away with her wonderful performance and left
a lingering memory on the psyche of the Cape Town audience which I¹m sure
gained her new fans.
 
He returns to his hometown after a long successful career in the mine dump
strewn Jo¹burg to perform in the shadow of Table Mountain and bringing a few
friends along for the ride. Saxophonist McCoy Mrubata made Cape Town proud
as once again this masterful instrumentalist showed how pleasing he is to an
audience as a performer. He gave and they gave back the appreciation, his
special friends all very well-known to the Cape and South African jazz
lovers, gained new fans from the rest of Africa and the world with his
musical prowess and infectuos tunes which left one wanting much, much more.
The friends, Paul Hanmer, Louis Mhlanga, Kesivan Naidoo, Herbie Tsoaeli and
Marcus Wyatt left little doubt as to why the are so sought after as sidemen
by numerous band leaders. All in all a very satisfying performance by this
group of South African musicians, who one hopes will take their sound and
music to the stages of American, African, European and Eastern jazz
festivals around the world.
 
The Dave Liebman Quartet closed the Rosie¹s stage for another year and what
a masterstroke it was to close this years festival with this self
acknowledged Coltrane disciple. A lesson in jazz improvisation with an
awesome band of guitarist Vic Jurusz, bassist Tony Marino and drummer Marco
Marcinko. I noticed in the audience were many well-known South African reed
men and music academics soaking up each note played with great glee and rapt
attention. Again a late night performance that surprised by it virtuosity
and an audience larger that I expected given the time and style of
improvised music we were listening to.
 
To all the backroom boys and girls, you know, soundpersons, instrument
tuners, stagehands, security persons, drivers, caterers, PR persons who
worked so hard to make a success of the Cape Town International Jazz
Festival 2009. I must offer a word of personal and special thanks to a young
lady, who co-ordinated and assisted all the MC¹s for this years festival
often under trying circumstances, thank you Moratiwa for all your
assistance. 
 
A very satisfying CTIJF for me this year, though again did not see and hear
all that a wanted to be that as it may it just gets better each year. One
thing that I think escapes many of the festival attendees, are the musicians
who perform in all the bands. Some of whom have very successful recording
careers in their own right, pianists Peter Martin and Mark Soskin as well as
guitarists Romero Lubambo and Vic Jurusz to name but a few something many
festival goers missed out on, oh well, next year take special note and be
prepared for a surprise or two.

Please be so kind as to confirm receipt of this email by way of return
email. Thanks

Warmest regards, 
Have a fabulous day.
Peace, safety and happiness,
See it Š with your own ears
Yours in Music

Eric 

Presenter / Producer:
The Very, Very Early Retro Radio Breakfast Show ­ Every Sunday from 02h00 to
06h00 
Jazz Rendezvous, where jazz lovers of Africa and the World meet ­ Every
Sunday from  18h00 to 21h00
Jazz Columnist and music reviewer:
Roots Africa Magazine where jazz lovers meet to read
Editor / Owner:
Jazz Rendezvous Website where jazz lovers of South Africa and the world meet
Broadcaster, Jazz, Music & Cultural Consultant & activist, Contributor and
CD Reviewer to various publications around Cape Town
Member of: 
International Jazz Programmers List, SAJE (South African Jazz Educators
Association), JEN (Jazz Education Network), CapeMic (Cape Music Industry
Commission), Foundation Committee of the Western Cape Musicians Association,
South African Jazz Network (southafricanjazznetwork.ning.com), Global Jazz
Network (theglobaljazznetwork.ning.com), The Jazz Network
(thejazznetwork.ning.com) & The New Zealand Jazz Network
(nzjazznetwork.ning.com)
Founding Member: 
FMR (Fine Music Radio - community radio station), CTFM, Peace Radio both
regional and national
Master of Ceremonies:
Cape Town International Jazz Festival and the Cape Town Jazzathon and
Athlone Academy of Music Festival
Postal Address: 
Postnet Suite 261, Private Bag X16, Constantia, 7848. Cape Town, South
Africa
Home/Office: 27 (0)683 9845
Mobile: 27 (0)82 456 2195
Skype: ericalan2
Email Addresses: 
eric at radio2000.co.za
ericjazz at iafrica.com
editor at jazzrendezvous.co.za
Radio 2000 Website:
http://www.radio2000.co.za
Jazz Rendezvous Website:
http://www.jazzrendezvous.co.za

Radio 2000 broadcasting purposefully ahead to 2010 and beyond, featuring the
best of South African and African music on the wireless this in the universe
today.
 
##################################################
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this message and or attachments is intended
only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain
confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission,
dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon,
this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is
prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and
delete the material from any system and destroy any copies.
##################################################

Listen to the show live on the web at www.radio2000.co.za

Radio 2000 frequencies and transmitters around South Africa, so no matter
where you may be in the country there is a transmitter near you. If you
reside or are visiting outside the boarders of South Africa Radio 2000
streams live on the internet, just visit http://www.radio2000.co.za and
follow the links and listen to Radio 2000 live.

Alexander Bay 98.7FM; Bethlehem 98.4FM; Bloemfontein 99.5FM; Butterworth
97.6FM; Cape Town 98.6FM; Davel 100.0FM; Donnybrook 99.2FM; Durban 97.3FM;
Durban North 99.0FM; East London 98.1FM; Eshowe 99.9FM; Franschoek 97.2FM;
George 98.2FM; Glencoe 99.6FM; Grahamstown 100.0FM; Greytown 98.2FM;
Heidelberg 97.3FM; Hermanus 97.3FM; Hoedspruit 98.5FM; Hout Bay 97.4FM;
Johannesburg 99.7FM; Kimberley 97.5FM; Klerksdorp 97.7FM; Knysna 98.7FM;
Kroonstad 99.9FM; Ladysmith 97.5FM; Louis Trichardt 97.2FM; Menlo Park
98.6FM; Middelburg 98.3FM; Mooi River 98.7FM; Mount Ayliff 99.7FM; Nelspruit
99.0FM; Nongoma 99.4FM; Oudtshoorn 99.1FM; Paarl 98.1FM; Parson's Hill (PE)
97.5FM; Petrus Steyn 98.8FM; Pietermaritzburg 97.9FM; Piketberg 97.6FM; Port
Elizabeth 98.8FM; Port St.Johns 100.2FM; Potgietersrus 97.9FM; Pretoria
97.5FM; Queenstown 98.7FM; Rustenburg 97.2FM; Schweizer Reneke 99.6FM;
Seapoint 100.0FM; Senekal 97.6FM & Simonstown 97.2FM