Jazz dream team performance

THE music legacy of South Africa’s most prolific jazz composers through the decades will come under the spotlight when contemporary skilled jazz pianist Camillo Lombard pays tribute to them with his Kaapse Khoi Jazz II production at the Artscape Theatre Centre.

Kaapse Khoi Jazz II, which forms part of the Suidoosterfees Festival 2018 hosted from March 26 to May 1 at Artscape, is billed as a production that will take its audience on a romantic and reminiscent journey through time, space and sheer musical genius.

Inviting Artscape patrons to come and experience jazz favourites performed by consummate jazz masters, Lombard’s production will see him and his dream team of young Khoi jazz musicians highlighting the sheer brilliance of legendary South African artists.

His dream team of young Khoi jazz musicians includes legendary guitarists Allou April and Alvin Dyers, as well as vocalists Leslie Kleinsmith, China van Rensburg and Amanda Lois Stone.

Their performances will include original works of several local composers, including Ebrahim Khalil Shihab, who is one of the world’s best jazz piano players, according to Lombard, as well as pianist Tony Schilder.

“We are proudly Khoi, and will perform only compositions from our own Cape Khoi jazz composers,” he said.

“My motivation for creating this production is to create an awareness among our audiences that we have some of the greatest jazz composers here in the Western Cape, as well as to inspire our young artists to compose their own works,” he added.

Lombard, who started learning to play the piano at the age of four, and at age 12 was the Reformed Old Apostolic Church organist in Elsies River, became the church’s choir director and brass band arranger at the age of 16.

He started playing as a professional musician at the age of 19 with bands such as Topaz and Out of Town, and with music legends such as Robbie Jansen, Nico Carstens and Don Tshomela.

Tickets for the one-hourand-15-minute-long production cost between R80 and R120 and can be booked through Computicket.