Ricketts set for his massive CTIJF ‘moment’

Been busting back for 15 years

AFTER more than a decade of trying to break into the music industry, Athlone jazz artist Jarrad Ricketts has finally realised his dream of performing on the biggest musical stage in the country – the Cape Town Jazz Festival.

Ricketts, 30, a winner of last year’s Jazz Festival’s ESP Young Legends 2018 competition, will use his debut performance to celebrate after signing with a record label last month. The festival takes place on March 23 and 24.

“This is the biggest music festival you can have on your résumé as an artist. It’s a massive moment. I’ve been busting my back for 15 years in music,” an elated Ricketts said.

“I’m a bag of nerves filled with a lot of emotions at once; I’m very excited.”

He said the ESP Young Legends competition was his epiphany.

“It gave me a moment to think: ‘maybe I have something to give; maybe I have some kind of talent people see in me’.

“Most times being a struggling musician, you kind of have moments where you question yourself because opportunities are far and few and doors close in your face, especially if you did not study music at university.”

Ricketts said the thought of performing on a stage where his idols Hugh Masekela and Abdullah Ibrahim held court, gave him jitters.

“Those are legends. For myself to realise that I’ll be standing on the very stage, I’ll be honoured because if it wasn’t for them, being a person of colour, this opportunity would not happen for a person like me.”

He will be singing his own songs, including the two singles, Take Me To Your Heart and New Life, currently on rotation on national charts.

Ricketts’s first gig was at the V&A Waterfront Jazzathon at 15. He has since performed at local jazz clubs such as Swingers, G- Spot, West End and Green Dolphins, among others, where he honed his skills. “I didn’t study music, but here I was performing in clubs alongside learned musicians who went to UCT and Stellenbosch University. I learned by watching musicians at these venues.”

Reflecting on the jazz market in the city, Ricketts said there was definitely less attention being paid towards the genre because “of the narrative that jazz is elitist, is for a specific market and crowd”.

“Too many people are not exposed to the different genres of jazz. There isn’t enough funding in the jazz culture.”

He added that if people were familiar with jazz, they would be able to relate to the music, and businesses would start pumping more money into it.

“With new blood coming in and new artists breaking the mould of what people know jazz to be, I think that perspective will start to change.”

Ricketts touched on the waning number of jazz clubs in the city and in Johannesburg, attributing the low numbers to a lack of funding for the genre.

“It’s hard to say it’s the standard of jazz because we’re dealing with different generations of jazz. I think what has happened with a lot of venues in Cape Town, and in Jozi is that funding is an issue, and venues can’t afford jazz bands.”

With 15 years experience in music, he produces and performs a mixture of jazz undertones.

“I perform very pop R&B, soul and swing jazz. I perform music across the board. I also do a little bit of soft rock as well,” he said.

He will be releasing an album next month, but the details are still under wraps.

Jerrad Ricketts