“You know what Duke [Ellington] said about jazz musicians? Damn jazz musicians, can’t play the same thing twice!”
This is Abdullah Ibrahim, the iconoclastic South African pianist, who has spent the past six decades channelling Duke’s maxim that “[jazz] don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing”. The jazz master animates the celebratory side of his songbook at a rare concert at home next Friday, showcasing some of his most well-loved compositions with the 18-piece New South African Orchestra.
It features Andile Yenana (piano), Feya Faku (trumpet), Barney Rachabane (sax), Andrae Murchison (trombone) and more. The concert showcases newly arranged versions of Ibrahim standards including Manenberg, Song for Sathima, African River, The Mountain and more.
Linder Auditorium, education campus, University of the Witwatersrand, on February 17 at 8pm. Book at Computicket.
? The ongoing tradition of improvisation in serious music (read: classical and jazz) is the focus of this year’s Johannesburg International Mozart Festival.
The festival’s theme, Quasi Improvisando, refers to a work that is played without instruction at all. Enjoy a feast of informal concerts, workshops, presentations and panel discussions about aspects of musical freedom. The events on February 11 will examine historical and cultural contexts of improvisation and on February 12 there will be critical discussion on new music and sound-painting techniques. Workshops, discussions and performances will culminate in a jam session on February 12 at 4pm in the Theatre of the University of Johannesburg.
Participants include musicologists Chats Devroop and Marc Duby, composers Paul Hanmer, Mokale Koapeng and Clare Loveday, and musicians Pops Mohamed, Tinashe Chidanyika, Hans Huyssen, Uwe Grosser, Magda de Vries and Frank Mallow.
UJ Theatre, University of Johannesburg Arts Centre, Kingsway campus, Auckland Park, on February 11, 12 and 13. Admission is free. Website: join-mozart-festival.org.
? Fans of the Balkan sound will welcome the latest instalment of the Balkanology series of parties.
The latest Braamfontein-based gig goes by the name Fiddle East: Musique Fantastique and promises “a world of exploration of new styles — genres from across the entire globe mixing influences of Latin moombah and Indian bhangara. In short, good music saturated with humour.” DJs include Toby2Shoes, Maoriginal, Kimon and Acid on Muppets.
The Alex Theatre, Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, on February 11. Tickets are R80 at the door. Book at Webtickets.