(Above: Karen Devroop)
The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music will present Karen Devroop’s – Dance of the Indentured CD Launch on Wednesday March 29, 2023, at 17h30.
South African saxophonist Karen Devroop has released his 4th studio album as a soloist. While Devroop has several live and studio recordings as a sideman, this is his 4th outing as a soloist leading his own ensemble.
Deviating from his previous 2020 release which was more contemporary jazz, this album takes him back to his traditional jazz roots in the quartet format. The album features a superb list of artists including Hans Vroomans on piano (Metropole Jazz Orkestra and Amsterdam Conservatory of Music), Europe’s legendary jazz bassist Hein van de Geyn who has toured and recorded with iconic artists such as Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Dee Dee Bridgewater, John Abercrombie and many others and rounding off the quartet is South Africa’s leading drum kit player Kevin Gibson who needs little introduction due to this sheer volume of recordings and performances with national and international artists.
Devroop has been busy in the last few years with two CD recordings, producing singles for artists such as Avi2.Oh and recording on albums such as Florida-based Latin jazz vocalist Jose Michel. In addition to his studio work he has performed extensively at festivals and as jazz soloist with orchestras in the US, Vienna, Italy, France and Netherlands.
This album entitled Dance of the Indentured features the quartet performing 11 original compositions composed by Devroop. The works are uniquely South African and firmly embedded in the South African jazz idiom with Mbaqanga and Goema rhythms over modern jazz harmonies. Each of the works has been arranged to showcase the talents of each of the artists on the recording.
The quartet will embark on a tour in the month of March with concerts in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Durban with the landmark concert being the official CD launch on March 25 at ZK Matthews Hall in Pretoria. The CD launch concert will feature the quartet with the Mzansi National Philharmonic Orchestra performing all tracks off the CD that have been rearranged for jazz quartet and string orchestra by Trino Jimenez and Dan Selsick.
Official release date of the CD was March 10 2023 on all digital platforms. Physical copies are available through Unisa.
Karen Devroop – Dance of the Indentured takes place at the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music on March 29, 2023, at 17h30. (Doors open 17h00)
The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music is situated at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College Campus, Dennis Shepstone Building, level 2.
For enquiries contact: Kgomotso Boshielo on boshimk@unisa.ac.za or phone +27 12 429 3311 or visit www.facebook.com/karendevroop or www.youtube.com/@karendevroop5341
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