City of Cape Town - Environmental and Conservation publications

Note that the City of Cape Town has made available some excellent booklets and posters relating to Cape Town environmental and conservation issues and areas.

I am sure that in some of these publications you will discover flora, fauna and other things that you do not know about, but exist right on your door step.

Go explore your own city. Click Here

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Melanie Scholtz - web site

For those of us who wonder what happened to Melanie Scholtz's website - it is now at http://www.melaniescholtz.net/.

Click here to go there.

Read about her bio, her cd and much more...

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Kyle Shepherd - Jazz Musician

Award winning jazz pianist Kyle Shepherd has performed on a number of stages in South Africa and abroad. With artists such as Cape legends Robbie Jansen, Errol Dyers and Alvyn Dyers,and other artists such as Zim Nqawana, Louis Moholo. In 2005,Kyle was awarded the first of the now annual Fmr/Pick n Pay travel awards for an original composition.

As a leader Shepherd fronts his own trio and quintet (The Silent Messengers), which performed on the Cape Town Jazzathon 2006.

In 2005 Kyle toured to Norway as part of a South African youth quintet. Also in 2004 and 2005 he was part of the national schools big band.

His most recent activity abroad was with a goema project along with Alex Van Heerden,Jonathan Rubain and Jack Momple. The group toured to France on two occasion as well as a performance in Malaysia in mid 2007.

Kyle also performs with a trio called "Kindred Spirits" which features him on piano and saxophone, Dylan Tabisher bass, and claude Cozens drums.

Shepherds newest project "fineART quartet" features the same trio with the addition of Buddy Wells on saxophones. the band plays original compositions by Kyle, particularly aimed at growing the sound and depth of modern creative cape jazz.

In addition to performing as pianist, saxophonist and leading a group as composer, Kyle also writes and recites poetry, plays violin and composes solo electronic exhibition pieces. One of which, "portrait of me inside of you" is soon to be performed. The piece is a collaboration of pre recorded electronic composition with visual artist and lighting artist.

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Catch the Cable Car up Table Mountain after six

Please take note of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company's summer sunset special. From 1 December 2007 until 23 December 2007 and 3 January 2008 until 31 January 2008 after 18:00 ticket cost will be halved.

Prices:-
Adult return: R65
Child return(under 18): R36

Last car up: 20:30
Last car down: 21:30

For weather info call 021 4248181
or visit Table Mountain Aerial Company

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Hanepoot and the Biggish Band - live at Cape Farmhouse, Sat 24 Nov

Hanepoot & the Biggish Band, an 18-piece big band playing South African Jazz, will be playing at the Cape Farmhouse Restaurant at Redhill (near Scarborough) on Saturday, November 24th.

Come and enjoy a relaxing afternoon of great food and local jazz out on the beautiful Cape Peninsula.

The Cape Farmhouse Restaurant has for some time now been presenting Saturday concerts showcasing our local musicians. These are outdoor events with food from the fire and a cash bar. The venue is able to accommodate the band come rain or shine with indoor and outdoor facilities.. so come, rain or shine..! The Cape Farmhouse is a family-run concern situated in a sheltered valley and surrounded by old oak trees. The 250-year-old farmhouse offers a relaxing al fresco lunchtime menu specialising in the tastes, spices and herbs of Morocco through to the Cape itself, as well as light snacks. As much of the produce as possible is gathered from their own organic vegetable gardens.

Hanepoot & the Biggish Band plays solely South African big band jazz material , including new arrangements of 'standards' by the likes of Errol Dyers, Zakes Nkosi, Hugh Masekela and Dollar Brand, as well as originals by Merton Barrow, Douglas Armstrong, David Ledbetter and Hanepoot himself. You'll hear some Cape goema and Jo'burg marabi tunes, swing and even a tango.

Directions: the Cape Farmhouse Restaurant is at the junction of the M66 and M65 at the bottom of Redhill road. You can drive to it either from the Ocean View side by going 3km past Scarborough, or by taking the Redhill road just before you enter Simonstown.
The music starts at 3pm. To book, please phone 021 780 1246. Entrance is R50, students: R40. More info at http://www.capefarmhouse.co.za/

The Biggish Band:
Saxes: Storm de Klerk, John Ntshibilikwana, Chris Tokalon, Fred Block, Nick Green
Trumpets: Charlie Heyes, Douglas Armstrong, Daniel Kaplan, Stuart Bowen, Dean Manuel
Trombones: Jasper Cook, Andrew O'Donoghue, Mike Nixon, Jeremy Thurgood
Rhythm (gt, pno, bs, dms, perc): Colin Miller, George Werner, Sidney McKinnon, Ted Frazer

Some other Biggish Band gigs coming up this year:
2 December: Obs Festival, Observatory
9 December: Helderberg Nature Reserve, Somerset West

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Monique Hellenberg - Jazz Vocalist

Monique Hellenberg completed her BMus in jazz studies at the University of Cape Town in 2004. She has performed with many jazz groups including the Jonny Cooper Big Band and jazz vocal group Track 5. Aside from jazz, Monique has performed as lead female vocalist with Afro-Cuban Salsa Band, Maquina Loca and she has also participated in various 60's/70's stage shows. At the beginning of 2007, Monique has also performed in the Cape Town International Jazz Festival as backing vocalist for SA's foremost ska band, The Rudimentals and smooth jazz vocalist, Bev Scott-Brown.

Monique features regularly with Breakfast Included and vocal quartet Mamavox.. Her most current achievements include being selected as the lead vocalist for the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band 2007, as well as being the winner of the SAMRO Overseas Scholarship Competition for Singers 2007.

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Jason Reolon Quartet feat Buddy Wells

Take saxophone legend, Buddy Wells, add the Jason Reolon Trio, throw in a real Fender Rhodes, all in the jazzy confines of the Armchair Theatre and you got yourself an evening of music that'll groove the very depths of your soul

their set will consist of original material mixed in with some other hip tunes

thursday 22 november 2007, starts 9pm, advisable to get there early for a seat

R30 cover charge

Lights , camera, action...

ARMCHAIR HEADSET Independent Armchair Theatre, Lower Main Road, Observatory

Buddy Wells has been a well-known figure in South African Jazz for quite some time now. He has played all over the world and isdefinitely one of the best Saxophonists this country has to offer,with a unique sound and a beautifully subtle a nd heartfelt approach to improvisation. He is well known for his work with `tribe` and has played with Feya Faku, Judith Sephuma, Moses Mololekwa, Manu Dibango, Miriam Makeba, Bheki Mseleku, Simpiwe Dana, Joe McBride, Musa Manzini, Carlo Mombelli, Marcus Wyatt, Victor Ntoni, Voice, Adamu, Interzone, FlatStanley, Vusi Khumalo, Ernie Smith, Abdullah Ibrahim, Gloria Bosman, Tucan Tucan, Thandi Klaasen, Tina Schouw, Alou April amongst many others.

Jason Reolon was winner of the SAMRO National Overseas Scholarship for best Jazz Pianist in 2001, 2 times winner of the Old Mutual Jazz Encounters competitions with his Funk`n Jazz quartet, `Breakfast Included` Recorded 2 albums with this group, Breakfast Included (2001), Nightwork Ahead (2004), performed on the North Sea Jazz Festival (2004) Jason took up his Jazz Scholarship in New York in 2004 and travelled exten sively throughout USA. He performs regularly in the Restless Natives and his own Jason Reolon Trio has just released their first album "Off the Record".

Wesley Rustin is one the most respected double bassists that South Africa has to offer, having toured internationally with artists such as Winston Mankunku and Feya Faku. He also performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Holland and at the 2004 Olympics. He is a gifted musician with a definitive style and his unmistakable energy and passion for jazz adds to the cutting edge vibe of this band. Wez also performs with Strait & Narro and James Stuart.

Heinrich Goosen is the next big thing to hit the South African Jazz scene and is already one of the busiest drummers in the Western Cape, he performs regularly with most top musicians around town. His mature under standing of groove and space adds a deep and dark freshness to the group. Heinrich also performs with Black Market Trio and Akoustic Not.

jasonreolon@gmail.com

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Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2008 news

One of the first recordings that I experienced in the SACD format, was the recording Another Mind by the Japanese piano player Hiromi. This is a highly recommended recording and is one of those recordings that you can listen to over and over.

This is how she describes her music:
“I don’t want to put a name on my music. Other people can put a name on what I do. It’s just the union of what I’ve been listening to and what I’ve been learning. It has some elements of classical music, it has some rock, it has some jazz, but I don’t want to give it a name.” —Hiromi Uehara

It is with great excitement to hear that Hiromi is included in the line-up for the 2008 Cape Town International Jazz Festival.

When you go visit a music store again, give Hiromi a listen. You will not be disappointed.

For more news on "Africa's grandest gathering", point to the following links:
Cape Town International Jazz Festival
News at Jazz Rendezvous

Register to receive the CTJF newsletter

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Live Recording with Airborne and Guests

Attend a live recording with Airborne and Guests.

DATE: 5 December 2007 19h30 for 20h00 till 23h30
TICKET SALES: Florence O'Connell 082 374 2664 mattoni@telkomsa.net
TICKET PRICE: R250
VENUE: Nassau Centre, Groote Schuur High School, Palmyra Road, Newlands

Click here for the bigger picture

AIRBORNE RECORDS

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in concert North Sea Big Band

As Arne Hiorth is saying "So , finally , we are getting Shannon to Norway , and at the same time starting up a wonderful new big band...."

"...this will be a new international band , and we are looking for gigs / workshops all overthe world..."

Check out the details for the concert, click here.

Some of these musicians have visited South Africa many times. We are also looking forward to see the North Sea Big Band in South Africa.

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Aardvark Jazz Orchestra

Who is the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra?

Fifteen exuberant musicians and two wonderful vocalists in a well-oiled, freewheeling ensemble that is both adventurous and polished.
program devoted to creative interpretations of the tremendously inspired and varied music of Duke Ellington, along with original works by bandleader Mark Harvey and others.

When: This Friday, November 16, 7:30 PM
Where: Cape Elizabeth High School
345 Ocean House Road, Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA
Admission: $10 ($5 students)
Information and reservations: 207-799-3309, ext 111

Also on the same day:
Open rehearsal (free admission): 2:30 to 3:30 pm
Pre-concert panel discussion: 7:00 pm
Post-concert Meet-the-Artist reception: 9:30 pm

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra, celebrating its 35th season, will make its Portland-area debut at Cape Elizabeth High School on November 16, in a concert called Ellington Extensions. The program features full orchestra with vocalists Jerry Edwards and Grace Hughes, in an exhilarating mix of Duke Ellington classics and rarities. Selections will include "The Mooche" from the Cotton Club period, favorites such as "Solitude" and "Come Sunday," as well as "Freedom" from the Second Sacred Concert, and music from Ellington’s film score for Otto Preminger’s Anatomy of a Murder. In addition, the band will perform music director Mark Harvey's piece Beyond, a tribute to Ellington’s concept of moving “beyond category” in life and music.

Founded in 1973, the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra is known for its wide-ranging repertoire, from the music of Ellington and other jazz greats, to original works by founder/music director Mark Harvey, to performances with film, dance, and poetry. Winner of the 2000 Independent Music Awards, the band has premiered more than 100 works for jazz orchestra and has released 8 CDs (Leo Records, 9Winds, other labels) to international acclaim, with 2 new CDs due out in 07-08.

Aardvark has concertized widely, appearing at the Boston Globe Jazz & Blues Festival, Lake George (NY) Jazz Weekend, Colby College, Williams College, Princeton University, Equinox Music Festival, Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, Berklee Performance Center, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, St Peter’s Church (NYC), and many other venues. The band appeared in a CBS Evening News special on Boston’s First Night and has been featured on numerous NPR-affiliate radio broadcasts. Members of Aardvark recorded improvisational scores for the critically acclaimed DVD series Treasures from American Film Archives.

Mark Harvey has recorded with George Russell (Blue Note) and Baird Hersey (Arista/Novus) and performed with Gil Evans, Claudio Roditi, Howard McGhee, Sam Rivers, and others. He is a Music Lecturer at MIT and a winner of awards/commissions from ASCAP, the National Endowment, Meet the Composer/Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Commissioning Program, Organization of American Kodaly Educators, the 15th Annual John Coltrane Memorial Concert, and the MIT Wind Ensemble, among others. Dr. Harvey lectures widely on American music, jazz history, and the music of Duke Ellington.

The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra is managed exclusively by Americas Musicworks
Rebecca DeLamotte, Managing Director
29 Newbury Street, West Somerville, MA USA 02144
Tel: 888-887-7169 ~ Email: delamotte-amw@comcast.net

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SEKUNJALO EduJazz Concert 2007

The Sekunjalo EduJazz concert is one of those annual events on the jazz calendar not to be missed.

This year the concert will happen on Sunday, 2 December 2007 at the Baxter Theatre, in Rosebank, starting at 19:00. Price R60. Tickets available from Computicket.

Bands participating include The Darryl Andrews Band, The Little Giants and The Muizenberg High Jazz Band.

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Visual Studio 2008 Jumpstart DevChat

Introducing you to a lot of the fabulous features in Visual Studio 2008 - releasing in the next few months.

Smaller cities
Bloemfontein - 12 Nov 07
East London - 14 Nov 07
Port Elizabeth - 16 Nov 07

Larger cities
Johannesburg - 19 Nov 07
Durban - 20 Nov 07
Cape Town - 22 Nov 07

Space is limited! Book your seat today!

Agenda

Time	Description
08:30	Registration
09:00	Quick lap around Visual Studio 2008 and .NET Framework 3.5
09:45	What’s new in C# 3.0 and Visual Basic.NET 9
11:00	Tea Break
11:15	LINQ (LINQ-to-XML; LINQ-to-Objects; LINQ-to-SQL)
12:30	.NET Framework 3.5 enhancements
13:00	Lunch
13:30	Building ASP.NET Ajax Web Applications
14:00	Building Web applications with Windows Communication Foundation
14:45	Workflow Services: Combining Windows Communication Foundation and Windows Workflow Foundation
15:30	Tea Break
15:45	What’s New with Visual Studio Team System 2008
16:30	Building and Debugging SharePoint Workflows with Visual Studio 2008
17:00	Building Mobile Applications using the .NET Compact Framework 3.5
17:30	The End

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HOTSPOTS

The word "hotspot" can be used in so many different contexts and for diffrent meanings. If you really have our environment at heart, go have a look at the online book, "Hotspots Revisited: Earth's Biologically Richest and Most Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions". Click Here

It covers hotspots all over the globe and include two of our own regions: Cape Floristic Region and Succulent Karoo.

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