If the organisation is as strong as the bill, the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival — which kicks off at Arts Alive at the Market Theatre Precinct on August 31 — will be the best national jazz festival we’ve seen in years.
Every ingredient of our national jazz character features: from the Cape (Robbie Jansen, Ezra Ngcukana) to Durban (Sipho Gumede); from roots (Moss Mogale) to modernism (Zim Ngqawana); youth (Kgaogelo Mailula, Musa Manzini) to the veterans (Hugh Masekela, Dolly Rathebe, “Big Voice” Jack Lerole); smooth (Ernie Smith) to edgy hard bop (Voice); and prizewinners (Themba Mkhize) to those destined to win (Moses Khumalo). The list represents a little more than half the South African names who have been signed.
With such a big bill organisation, of course, will be key. It will be hard to avoid clashes between artists who appeal to similar tastes.
The Market Precinct isn’t an easy venue, particularly if an outside stage is used: sound leaks from theatre to promenade and back; some of the venues are small and can become dangerously overcrowded; sound quality and backstage facilities vary enormously.
And some South African artists are already speculating about what they believe are huge differentials between the take-it-or-leave-it fees they were offered and those visiting overseas players will command. We may never learn the truth of it — no one likes opening his pay packet to the public gaze. Let’s at least hope that in terms of stage, sound engineering and backstagelllllll facilities, Southlllll African players do get equal and satisfactory treatment. If they don’t, it will be hard to pull a bill like this together again.
But however many risks the project entails, we have to salute the vision of organiser T Musicman. It’s a vision that has identified and brought together many of our key players.
Joy of Jazz also deserves congratulations for pulling off a link-up with the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage festival, personified this year by the presence on its programme of the New Orleans All-Stars.
They’re part of a smaller, but equally varied, international roster. FraFra Sounds are old friends of Arts Alive, having played at the festival six years ago. Their rich Antillean jazz mix will make them welcome returnees.
For fusion and smooth fans, there’s an elder statesman of the style, Gerald Allbright, and pianist Keiko Matsui, whose delicate, pretty sounds send me to sleep but others into ecstasies. Both are skilled players who’ve chosen to work within a limiting genre — and for fans of that genre, they’ll prove popular choices.
Far more interesting is vibist Roy Ayers, who accompanied Herbie Mann on his classic Memphis Underground album, and has since explored a range of world as well as jazz musical contexts. But the two prizes of the international bill are women.
Singer Diane Schuur is an almost classical stylist. Like Abbey Lincoln or the late Betty Carter, she takes songs you thought you knew and becomes their owner. The voice is good — but the timing and phrasing are perfect. Schuur is not like anyone else: she’s unique, and she’s the act at this festival you have to catch.
British trombonist Annie Whitehead is the perfect choice for two reasons.
The first is her musicianship. She was schooled in brass bands in her native Lancashire and later in Ivy Benson’s famous all-woman dance band. During the 1980s and 1990s, she was a session and support player for everyone from ska bands through pop groups like the Fun Boy Three to jazz experimenters like Carla Bley, with whom she recorded the riotous Big Band Theory in July 1993. Quite simply, she’s a great player.
But Whitehead also has an honourable history as the playing partner of South African musicians overseas. She’s worked with Chris McGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath and Brian Abrahams’s District Six. Playing Jo’burg will almost be like coming home and she’ll bring music that merits every holler of the welcome she gets.
Joy of Jazz is on from August 31 to September 2 at the Market Theatre Precinct. Visit www.joyofjazz.co.za.