Results for "Marcus Wyatt"

Marcus Wyatt

Sisonke Xonti: A Leap of Faith

by Seton Hawkins
January 4, 2020

Known for years as an outstanding saxophonist and first-call collaborator in a variety of top South African Jazz ensembles, in recent years Sisonke Xonti has rightly earned acclaimed for his own talents as a bandleader and a composer. Notably, Xonti's 2017 debut release Iyonde not only provided a stellar showcase for his superlative horn ...

Carlo Mombelli: Angels and Demons

by Seton Hawkins
April 22, 2019

One of music's criminally underrated geniuses, South African electric bassist and composer Carlo Mombelli has carved out a most extraordinary performing and writing career in music. Throughout his four decades as a performer, Mombelli has forged one of the most distinctive electric bass approaches in Jazz, established himself as South Africa's most exceptional composer, and has ...

Ronan Skillen: Telepathic Euphoria

by Seton Hawkins
January 5, 2019

When one thinks of South African jazz, the didgeridoo and the tabla don't immediately jump to mind. Nevertheless, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and engineer Ronan Skillen has made them vital additions to a range of South African ensembles. While acclaimed for his work in the genre-smashing South African ensemble Babu, Skillen has engaged in ...

Jazz of the New South Africa, Part Two

by Seton Hawkins
November 18, 2018

South Africa celebrated its first democratic elections in April 1994, entering a new phase of its history. During that decade, an incredible new array of Jazz artists emerged in the country, exploring Jazz's role in the New South Africa. Playlist Hilton Schilder “Email to the Ancestors" from No Turning Back (Mountain Records) 1:11 ...

Dan Shout: In With a Shout

by Seton Hawkins
August 31, 2018

While it might be a cliché to say it, one can expect the unexpected when listening to the music of Dan Shout. An exceptional saxophonist and composer, the Cape Town-based artist has also built a sterling track record of creating highly distinctive and exciting albums. While he initially made a splash in 2012 with ...

Mandla Mlangeni: Born to Be

by Seton Hawkins
June 11, 2018

Mandla Mlangeni has been engaged. The South African trumpeter, composer, and bandleader oversees three groups, notably the Amandla Freedom Ensemble and the Tune Recreation Committee. Additionally, his works are marked by an intense effort to explore and connect with social discourse in the country today. Indeed, from the Tune Recreation Committee's naming nod to South Africa's ...

Vuma Levin: Musical Painting

by Seton Hawkins
May 8, 2018

South African guitarist and composer Vuma Levin has been receiving significant accolades in local and international circles, and it's easy to see why. A thoughtful, intelligent improviser and bandleader, Levin is also a highly thought-provoking composer, one intent on exploring the music's role in commenting on and shaping societal discourse. Indeed, with last year's ...

Shane Cooper: Oscillations

by Dan Bilawsky
August 4, 2013

"South African Jazz" means different things to different people; to some, it's music that's smooth and pacifying, produced by artists like guitarist Jonathan Butler; to others, it's the music of icons like pianist Abdullah Ibrahim and trumpeter Hugh Masekela, both of whom became symbols of freedom during the apartheid era; and to a third group, that ...

Take Five With Shane Cooper

by Shane Cooper
July 24, 2013

Meet Shane Cooper:Shane Cooper is a bassist, composer, and producer from Cape Town, South Africa. Oscillations, with his quintet, is due to be launched on August 22, 2013 at Cape Town's Mahogany Room. In 2012, he was selected as the Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz. Has he been a member of Babu (SAMA ...