Now living in Cape Town, antifolk hero Gary Thomas is back in Durban for a single show.
■ Durban-born singer-songwriter and guitarist Gary Thomas has been steadily expanding both his fan base and his repertoire since he embarked on his quixotic musical odyssey. Treating his guitar as both a stringed instrument and a blunt object, his voice whip-lashing from soft tremor to scorching howl in an unexpected instant, and with an array of effects pedals and stomp boxes at his disposal, the one thing you can expect from a Thomas show is the impossible. Now living in Cape Town, Thomas is back in Durban for a single show.
KZNSA Gallery, 166 Bulwer Road, Glenwood, Saturday May 28, 7.30pm. Tickets are R40. Tel: 031 277 1705. Email: [email protected].
■ Recently nominated for a South African Music Award in the best jazz album category is smouldering Durban all-female soul-jazz-R&B quartet Heels over Head, which performs one of its suave and sophisticated live shows at a sumptuous new venue this week. The band released its classy debut, Could It Be?, to a warm critical reception. Renowned for their sparkling stage presence, energy and passion, the women have found their groove and created a smooth, watertight brand of slinky, soul-kissed contemporary jazz.
The Comfort Zone, Clermont, Saturday May 28, 6pm. Tickets are R50 or R80 for couples. Booking is recommended. Tel: 079 707 7773.
■ The KwaZulu-Natal Philharmonic Orchestra is in full swing with the winter season of its 2011 World Symphony series. This week’s concert is titled Music Sacred and Profane, a fascinating study of contrasts in which the visceral intensity of the overture from Wagner’s Tannhäuser opera is juxtaposed with the intimate imagery of Schumann’s Cello Concerto in A Minor and the mature majesty of Prokofiev’s Symphony No 7 in C-sharp Minor. World-renowned cellist Nicolas Altstaedt winds back the clock for a stirring performance of Schumann’s elegiac work. The orchestra is conducted by Thomas Sanderling.
Durban City Hall, Thursday June 2, 7.30pm. Discounted season subscriptions are available or get individual tickets at Compuicket. Tel: 031 369 9438. Email: [email protected].
■ Durban’s inspired classical music initiative, Friends of Music, continues to present intimate recitals during which aficionados can appreciate the individual talents of top musicians from around the world in a salon-like setting. This week top South African cellist Anzel Gerber and renowned Japanese pianist Rinko Hama perform a selection of work by Miaskovsky, Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky.
Durban Jewish Centre, 44 Old Fort Road, Tuesday May 31, 7.45pm. Tickets R70 at Computicket. Tel: 031 201 0711.