Something special is coming up at St
Clements this coming Saturday evening (November 2) when Ant Cawthorn-Blazeby
and Nick Pitman present an explosive mix of blues, celtic, jazz, rock and
gypsy.
Classically trained from an early age in
Bulawayo, Pietermaritzburg and Stellenbosch, fiddler extraordinaire Ant Cawthorn-Blazeby
moved in a contemporary direction early in his 20’s, starting off as a busker
around South Africa, and joining his first band, Galygantos and the Singing
Gnomes in 1991, an endearing bunch of (mostly) bearded blokes, followed by his
first appearance at Splashy Fen in 1992.
Since then Ant has been involved in a large
number of diverse musical projects and genres in a musical career spanning more
than 2 decades, ranging from blues to Celtic music via jazz, rock, folk, theatre, dance, classical
and electronica.
Highlights of his career include releasing
four acclaimed albums and touring extensively with Landscape Prayers from 1995 to 2003; working
with the Fantastic Flying Fish Dance Company in Grass Gardens and a number of other projects; co-creating and
performing with Aldo Brincat in The Boy
with a Clown’s Heart; being the featured acoustic artist at Splashy Fen
earlier this year (his 21st Splashy); co-founding Celtis, a traditional and
modern Celtic instrumental group with Ron Uken and Keri Povall; performing at
the Durban International Blues Festival; collaborating with Robin Auld, and co-creating
Quark with Fiona Tozer.
He has also appearedas a guest onstage and
in recordings with a number of artists, including Steve Newman, Greg
Georgiades, Wendy Oldfield, GitoBaloi, Syd Kitchen, Ken E Henson, Brian Finch,
Guy Buttery, Nibs van der Spuy, and others. Other collaborations include
working with Squeal, Roly Struckmeyer, Baraka, Richard Walne, Antacid, Rise,
Creeper and The South Jersey Pom-Poms.
Currently Ant is based in Richards Bay and
Durban, working regularly with Fiona Tozer and Dan Wilson in Quark, as well as
The Hinds Brothers, The South Jersey Pom-Poms, whatever other collaborations
pop out of the woodwork, and sporadically on his own solo project…
Nick Pitman (21) has been playing guitar for
nine years. Mostly self-taught, this talented young man has played with Steve
Fataar, Barry Thomson, and Alastair Coakley. His influences consist of Jimmy
Hendrix, Dan Patlansky, and Santana, to name a few. Nick has played at Splashy
Fen 2012 and featured in Ant Cawthorn-Blazeby's featured acoustic artist set at
Splashy Fen 2013. In 2012 he played at White Mountain and featured at the
Durban International Blues Festival Summit.
Together these two are dynamite! Both
passionate performers, they have the ability to step right up to the edge of
chaos, ride it, and occasionally saunter over the edge with
gleeful grins. At their debut festival performance at White Mountain earlier
this year, they were honoured with a standing ovation! An explosive mix of
blues, Celtic, jazz, rock and gypsy influences, the music and these two
musicians will keep audiences on the edge of their seats!
Ant and Nick appear at 19h30 on November 2
at St Clements in Musgrave. Tickets R80 at the door. To book contact 031 202 2511.
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