(Darius Brubeck)
The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music at UKZN will present a
special edition of the ever-popular Piano
Passions concerts, which are characterised by a programme of short sets by
formidably talented pianists. This concert is a belated birthday concert for
Professor Darius Brubeck who turned 70 last year. He headlines a roster of
former students and highly individual piano stylists including Melvin Peters,
Andile Yenana, Neil Gonsalves, Nishlyn Ramanna, Debbie Mari and Burton Naidoo.
Born in San Francisco, jazz pianist and composer Darius
Brubeck grew up in the artistic milieu of his famous father, Dave, and has
enjoyed a lifetime of varied international experience as bandleader, composer
and academic.
In 1983 he founded the first degree in Jazz Studies in South
Africa at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and later created the Centre for Jazz
and Popular Music. Together with Ben Pretorius of the Rainbow Jazz Club and
Restaurant, they established the Ronnie Madonsela Scholarship for Jazz. This
Scholarship has helped many past and present students.
Moving to England in 2006, he now leads the Darius Brubeck
Quartet with London-based musicians as well as Brubecks Play Brubeck with his
US-based brothers. Both groups tour extensively in Europe, the USA and South
Africa and perform annually at Ronnie Scott’s famous jazz club in London. This
year the Quartet has already played in Poland and Sicily and will appear at
numerous venues in the United Kingdom. Two of Darius’ compositions are included
in the ABRSM (Royal School) piano syllabus.
Darius and his wife/manager Catherine are jointly writing a
memoir about their jazz life in South Africa with generous support from the Stellenbosch
Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS). See www.dariusbrubeck.com
April is Jazz Appreciation month and the Centre for Jazz and
Popular Music is happy to have the opportunity to launch its programme of
events for the month in such fine style. The concert will be held at the Howard
College theatre so as to enjoy use of our recently-refurbished Steinway pianos.
Piano Passions
takes place at Howard College Theatre, UKZN, on April 6 at 19h00. Admission
R100 (R80 pensioners, R50 students). All proceeds accrue to the Ronnie
Madonsela scholarship which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
For bookings and more information contact Thuli Zama on 031
260 3385 or zamat1@ukzn.ac.za
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