For those of us who are anxious to know if JAZZATHON 2008 is on, don't fear, it is on. Come and support it, and don't forget, support the musicians.
Refer to this
It will happen from 10 to 13 January 2008.
Details to follow at http://www.jazzathon.co.za/
CD REVIEW: Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic IX – Pannonica: Tribute to the Jazz
Baroness
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*Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic IX – Pannonica: Tribute to the Jazz Baroness*
*(ACT 9889-2 – CD review by Mark McKergow)*
The latest release in ACT’s "Jazz...
6 comments:
I think Jazzathon should just change it's name to R'nBathon or smoothjazzathon. The line up in recent years (with some exceptions of course) gives the Cape jazz scene a bad name. Don't call it a jazz festival if it's not a jazz festival.
anonymous,
If I may be allowed to quote from the Jazzathon site (http://www.jazzathon.co.za/jazzathon/default.asp):
"THE CAPE TOWN JAZZATHON is a music festival..."
R 'n B, smooth jazz, acid jazz and even reggae have been present in some of the formost jazz festivals. Artist and groups like James Brown, Seal, Kenny Latimore, Earth Wind and Fire and others have appeared at some of the biggest jazz festivals.
In any case, the organisers of the Jazzathon rely on sponsorship and it is a free festival. Surely the sponsors also have a say in the form of music for the festival?
The big question is, where are the big sponsors of serious jazz???
Of course, the jazzathon is free to book whatever and whoever they want. I just think it is a pity, that smooth-jazz and r&b is so over-represented at this festival. It may also be a case of the musicians under-estimating their audience. Some of the musicians that grind out the most ridiculous nonsense around Cape Town stages, are in fact very capable musicians! Just no taste, no courage and no individuality...
Sorry for being anonymous; CT is too small to say stuff like this.
anonymous, what do you suggest?
Just recently I was paging through some old magazines and came across an article where Gary Van Dyk was writing about George Werner's group, Opus De Funk. At one venue the group was received with phenomenal support but at another venue on the other side of Table Mountain there was a lack of attendance.
I think your concern goes far beyond the Jazzathon.
Well I think the future is looking brighter. There's a whole little army of (younger) musicians that doesen't compromise as easily. Mark Fransman, Bokani Macha, Kyle Shepperd, Shane Cooper, Andre Swartz, Kesivan Naidoo, Gorm Helfjord, Melanie Scholtz, Wayne Bosch, Jason Reolon, Buddy Wells, Bruce Muirhead, Heinrich Goosen, etc etc are all musicians developing their own individual style. Good news indeed. And yes of course, my concern extends further than Jazzathon. The Cape Town club scene seems to produce very capable musicians but there's got to be some originality injected into that specific part of the scene soon!
Unfortunately it is excactly that part of the scene that seems to be the focus of the organizers od Jazzathon.
Thanks for the comments.
We need to keep this debate alive. Invite more people.
Besides the young and upcoming musicians, there are also those reclusive musicians who need to come out and expose their musical talents.
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