Trudy and Friends sing the blues
TRUDY Rushin (pictured) is no stranger to the music scene, having performed in and around Cape Town for the past 30 years.
Her unique blend of music combines jazz, blues and a quirky sense of humour, which she shares with receptive audiences at Sabrias restaurant in Wynberg on Saturday nights, performing solo gigs on guitar.
But tomorrow she’ll be presenting and performing in a special concert at the Nassau Theatre in Palmyra Road, Newlands, where, aside from her own group, she’ll be promoting four young musicians, who she says are on the “watch-this-space” list.
A multi-faceted woman who wears many hats, Trudy’s actually not a full-time musician; her real-job is working as a project coordinator on philanthropic projects, prior to which she worked for many years as an English lecturer.
Earlier this year, she travelled to Sweden, where she attended the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child (WCP) ceremony, which recognises the work done in acknowledging the rights of violated children.
It was there she met young musicians from the South African youth band Abatsha and, appreciating their talent, she enlisted young Clayton Seas, 16, to join her at her concert playing blues guitar. “Basically, when I do these concerts I have two halves – the opening act gives young talented musicians a platform and, in addition to Clayton, there’s Tristan Adams. At the age of 20, she’s showing a lot of promise as a talented vocalist; there’s also Ruby Truter, 18, who last year was the first runnerup at Grand West’s Open Mic Jazz Competition. “The repertoire is more youthoriented for this half, showcasing more contemporary and funky jazz,” says Trudy. She adds the second half offers more of her own compositions, with long-time collaborator Keith Tabisher on guitar. “He and I have worked as duo for 14 years, since we were at Harold Cressy High School together. Also joining us is his son Dylan Tabisher on bass guitar.” As a project manager for the Delft Big Band, she’s also invited 20-year-old Abubaker Petersen to perform on saxophone. She adds that juggling her time between a full-time job and her music passion is a busy existence. She says: “It’s important if you have a passion not to leave it under the surface. If you have a job, perservere with your creative side and feed it; it’s who you are.”
Trudy Rushin and Friends play at the Nassau Theatre, Palmyra Road on Saturday, July 15, at 7.30pm. Tickets are R100. To book, call Trudy on 083 491 3048.