JAZZ JOL

The Centre for Jazz & Popular Music (UKZN) presents the 23rd edition of the Jazz Jol, featuring Standard Bank Young Artist award winners for Jazz, singer Melanie Scholtz (2010) and pianist Bokani Dyer (2011), on October 29.

25 year-old jazz pianist and composer, Bokani Dyer has seen his music take him to Sweden, Norway and the United States. He has two albums of his own: Mirrors and Emancipate the story, recorded in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

Alan Webster, Director of the Standard Bank Jazz Festival, Grahamstown, had this to say about him: "Bokani is a very impressive young musician, technically skilled beyond his years and artistically creative in a wide array of jazz genres. He is undoubtedly someone who is going to add to the breadth of South African jazz in the future,"

The Bokani Dyer quartet is made up of Bokani Dyer (piano), Buddy Wells (saxophone), Shane Cooper (bass) and Ayanda Sikade (drums).

Melanie Scholtz will appear with her husband Gorm Helford (guitar), Shane Cooper (bass) and local talents, Burton Naidoo (piano) and Bruce Baker (drums).

This accomplished composer/lyricist/writer and director has had multiple successes in her musical journey. At 16, she went to study singing with The Eoan group. In 1997, she enrolled at the SA College of Music at UCT and graduated in 2000 Cum Laude with a Performers’ Diploma in Opera. In 2002, she won Best Jazz Vocalist in the Old Mutual Jazz Encounters and in 2006 released her debut album entitled Zillion Miles.

2009 saw her recording her second album with Norwegian trumpeter and producer, Ole Jorn Myklebust. Apart from her own compositions and recordings, Melanie collaborated with artists such as Jimmy Dludlu, and also featured on albums by Mark Fransman, Ivan Masuze, Goldfish and Breakfast Included. She has performed at numerous music festivals nationally and internationally and in August 2009 recorded a live album with Inkala in Vadso at the Varanger Jazz Festival in Norway. In February/March 2010, she was invited to perform in Murmansk, Russia.

The Jazz Jol will also feature the UKZN Big Band and feature jazz ensembles from the School of Music.

The Jazz Jol takes place on October 29 at 19h00. Tickets R100 (R80 pensioners and R50 students). Early bird discount tickets available at R80 and group discount tickets for pensions at R75pp for a group of ten. The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music (CJPM) is situated on Level 2, Shepstone building, University of KwaZulu-Natal Howard College campus. More information on 031 260 3385 or email: Zamat1@ukzn.ac.za