Those not enjoying jazz at the National Arts Festival this week can catch up with some new talent.
? Dave Ledbetter says: ‘The purists will tell you it can only be ‘like this’, and then there’s cats like myself who think there’s space for everything and that includes leaving space. The more space you leave, the more the music can breathe.” It’s his egoless approach to creating music that has allowed the guitarist and composer to sidestep generic jazz pigeonholes. Ledbetter marshals a cooking cast of Cape Town jazz cats including Buddy Wells (sax), Lee Thomson (trumpet), Andrew Lilley (piano), Shane Cooper (bass) and Kesivan Naidoo (drums) in his band the Clearing.
Standard Bank Jazz Festival, DSG Hall and Auditorium, Worcester Street, Grahamstown, June 30, 7pm. Entrance is R100, R98 (Friends) or R95 (students). Book at Computicket. Website: www.nationalartsfestival.co.za.
? New talent will be on show this weekend at the 15th annual Emerging Sounds Challenge. The next generation of rebels and rockers is offered the opportunity to win prizes (not specified in the press material) as well as the rare honour of getting paid for the gig. On June 26 at the Bohemian in Richmond from 3pm, hear Aiming at Shadows, Street, Dig Fish, Fistfight and Fibonacci Sequence. On June 28 at Café Barcelona in Pretoria from 8pm Roadside Jazz Trio, So Long Serenity and Cover Up. On June 30 at Firkin in Boksburg from 8pm Sum of 5, Regret and Get Up June will play.
For more information or to book a band, contact Squire, on 082 770 7524 or email: [email protected].