MIDNIGHT

(Burton Naidoo)

The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music will present Burton Naidoo and Shunna Pillay in Midnight on May 10, 2017.

Midnight is a vast work that traces the life of a piano player who plays in smoky rooms with clanging glasses. Raucous laughter and drunken nattering. Rooms where no-one listens.

The idea to trace the life of a piano player was conceptualized during rehearsals for a concert by Burton Naidoo and Shunna Pillay. It tells of the piano player’s life from beginning through various stages of his life much like the seven ages of man by William Shakespeare. Where one starts and ends in the same state.

Shunna Pillay was one of the stars of the great African Jazz & Variety Show. He was in exile in the United States and England. During this time, he performed in some of the best venues in the world including Village Vanguard, The Left Bank, Blue Angel, Mr Callies, Jack Isors and La Condor. He was spotted by a talent scout for the Music Corporation of America (MCA), the largest entertainment company in the world in those days.

Burton Naidoo started piano lessons at the age of six years old with Simon Kerdachi at the Simon Kerdachi Academy of Music. The stylings of the Twentieth Century Composers, namely twelve tone rows, poly harmony and extended composition were also a huge influence on his compositional and playing styles. Dimitri Shostakovitch, Alben Berg and Stockhausen, to name a few.

Burton Naidoo is one of the country’s most promising and creative young pianists. A talent of rare taste and distinction, Burton’s approach to the jazz idiom always borders on the adventurous and daring. Comfortable in a variety of musical ensemble settings and always probing the parameters of performance Burton always displays an interesting flair and dynamism.

Join us on Wednesday 10 May at Centre for Jazz and Popular Music. Doors open 17h30 and the music starts at 18h00. Tickets R70 (R45 pensioners, R20 students).

The Centre for Jazz & Popular Music is housed on level 2 of the Dennis Shepstone building on the Howard College campus. For more information 031 260 3385.