(Peter Auret)
Johannesburg-based Peter Auret is a drummer, bandleader,
recording engineer, founder of a record label, and entrepreneur. He has
spearheaded an initiative to organize some of the city's most striking jazz
talents into a musical collective centred on his label, Afrisonic Records.
The Peter Auret Trio can be seen at The Jazzy Rainbow on February
26.
Starting his career as a drummer in rock bands, and later
earning international acclaim through his work with the Afro-Jazz ensemble
Tsunami, Auret ultimately found his life's passion in jazz. Fronting the Peter
Auret Trio, he celebrated the release of his debut album as a leader, Turn the Tide (Afrisonic, 2010). A
moody, atmospheric album largely of original compositions, Turn the Tide helped to confirm Auret's reputation as a remarkable
new talent in South Africa's jazz scene.
In addition to his own work, Auret has created a collective
of local artists to promote through Afrisonic Records, and is planning to
create a series of showcase concerts to further advance the scene. As South
Africa's jazz industry continues to feel the loss of nearly all of its jazz
clubs, Auret's vision may prove a viable way forward in developing platforms
for creative artists to perform and showcase their works. (copy by Seton
Hawkins)
This tour is made possible by the Concerts SA Music Mobility
Fund. Concerts SA is a joint South African/Norwegian project housed under the
auspices of the Stakeholder Hub within The SAMRO Foundation; it receives
financial, administrative and technical support from the Norwegian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, SAMRO and Concerts Norway. By engaging with musicians,
promoters, venue owners and audiences, the project aims to stimulate live music
in South Africa by finding and implementing ways to create regular, sustainable
performance platforms. Concerts SA also aims to develop an interest in and
appreciation of live music by showcasing music performances and conducting
workshops at schools.
The Peter Auret Trio can be seen at The Jazzy Rainbow on
February 26. For more information visit http://concertssa.co.za,
follow on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ConcertsSA
or like on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ConcertsSA