Refined classical music and jazz as Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra and ZAR Jazz Orchestra sample South African Jazz Song Book

The JPHO Symphonic Jazz Concert on September 21, 2023 at Linder Auditorium, promises to open new possibilities and break new ground on cross pollination of music genres in future.

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

I have a confession to make. I used to love the beautiful art of jazz very much. This is after enjoying so much music of the kind that being a teenager is associated with, ranging from pop, kwaito, reggae, raga, hip hop and even R&B at some stage. That was in my youth. But then jazz happened, particularly in the mid-1990s going all the way to the mid-2000s, when live jazz festivals and recorded jazz CDs became increasingly part of South Africa’s contemporary music scene.

This somehow pushed my love of the music of my youth at the back of my music taste and consciousness. It was a time when contemporary jazz in South Africa connected so well to music audiences so much that missing a jazz festival or concert, was not cool, and not having a collection of jazz CDs from particularly a new generation of contemporary jazz musicians, that is to say musicians of time, that dominated this genre, was considered worse a crime among my circle of friends.

It was when our heroes on stage and when it came to collecting music were names such as Marcus Wyatt, Paul Hanmer, Jimmy Dludlu, Judith Sephuma, Simphiwe Dana, Selaelo Selota, Siya Makuzeni, Zonke, ….and the list goes on and on. We understood their jazz language, and the melodies and rhythms of their sounds connected with our subconscious minds and our emotions were touched by the lyrical content of their creations. Their music was like poetry to our ears.

And do not make a mistake, I still love jazz, and these days even miss the vibe of that time as jazz concerts are far and few in between.
But the point is, classical music happened in my life, and this had something to do with the classical music concerts, that though fewer than jazz festivals, were also happening more frequently in the same period. Classical music makes me calm, collected and even momentarily forget the daily challenges that as humans we face.

There is something so refined and so totally absorptive when one attends a classical music concert that no other music genre is capable of doing. The stillness of listening and watching a big orchestra led by an attentive conductor on stage, is simply a magical experience. It is an intellectually stimulating experience. Jazz does that as well. To a certain extent though. What it has is its rawness, melody to die for, and the rhythm. Its improvisation possibilities are boundless. Its flexibility is a pull factor to this genre for many. You cannot find this in classical music.

It therefore becomes clear there should be a third way to enjoy both of these genres in order to complete one’s constant desire for both these high art music genres that have uplifted many when they were down, inspired even more to create great things in life over the years. That is the power inherent in these two high art forms. Both have the ability to move souls, whether simply listenting tom a CD, but even better watching a performance.

Can you imagine this week, something extraordinary, something special that will make both classical music lovers and jazzophiles, young and old, white and black excited, happened.
Some of this country’s top jazz musicians and one of the country’s leading orchestras are collaborating on stage, to give a new, fresh interpretation to South Africa’s Jazz Song Book.

This sweet news was shared with a select group of arts media at a breakfast function held at the Nelson Mandela Sanctuary Hotel in Houghton, Johannesburg, on Thursday, September 14, 2023, by internationally renowned South African classical musician and ardent promoter of every classical in the country, Bongani Tembe and respected jazz musician, trumpeter Marcus Wyatt.

To celebrate jazz heritage, the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, led by Tembe, and ZAR Jazz Orchestra, a loose collection of some of the most talented artists in the jazz genre, led by the celebrated South African trumpeter, conductor and SAMA Award winner Marcus, will be presenting the Symphonic Jazz Concert at the Linder Auditorium, University of the Witwatersrand, on September 21, 2023.

This brave experiment of having a full orchestra performing with jazz musicians, promises to enthrall both jazz fans and classical music followers, bringing them under one roof to enjoy the beautiful art of jazz and classical music. This is indeed a historic event on the South African live music scene, opening new possibilities for both the audience and the collaborating artists. Often musicians in these well-defined and developed music genres that have taken years to refine, prefer to keep on their lane, never cross the boundaries. But come September 21, the invisible wall will collapse as both music genres dissolve into each other, in the process creating something new, fresh and potentially opening future possibilities.

For now we can only speculate about what will come out of this brave collaboration by South African artists in these two music genres. Whatever it is that will unfold on the stage that day, it will be something that has not been done to this scale in the recent history of live music in this country.
“When I stood in the hall and announced this collaboration, there was excitement among the musicians. It is an idea that everyone is looking forward to. This collaboration opens possibilities for future collaborations between classical musicians and jazz artists. Jazz musicians are known for their capacity to improvise and classical musicians are known for their strict adherence to structure. Perhaps here classical musicians must learn to be flexible and jazz musicians must learn to adhere to structure,” Tembe amid a chuckle said.

Wyatt explained that a group of musicians that included him and Siya Mthembu the anchorman of alternative music group The Brother Moves on , in fact took the concept to the UK, performing to much appreciation by audiences at the Royal Albert Hall in 2022, as part of the 2022 BBC Proms, with Wyatt conducting the Grammy Award winning Metropole Orkest. Again on the September 21, Wyatt will be wielding the conducting button at the Linder Auditorium IN Parktown, Johannesburg.
“When we performed the South African song book in the UK, we obviously wanted to give the audience a general sample of what the generality of South African music compositions looks like. Obviously this time, performing to a South African music audience, it will not be the same,” Marcus said.

It is definitely not an easy job for the trumpeter, that is choosing a limited number of songs, from a full basket of a rich jazz music heritage that the South African jazz genre is internationally known for.
The music on the programme is drawn from the South African jazz Song Book, a loose collection of songs of South Africa’s legendary musicians and includes some of South Africa’s best loved jazz songs. The performance features hugely talented and internationally travelled vocalist Siyabonga Mthembu and rare and immensely gifted female trombonist Siya Makuzeni, who is also gifted vocally.

With a full orchestra of the JPO, this concert truly promises to break new ground on the country’s live performance scene, and possibly open new possibilities for future concerts between the two music outfits.

“This could actually open new possibilities if successful, and could actually become a series. The idea is that we need to have something that brings people together, white and black, and this concert could be it as both classical music fans and those who follow jazz will be able to enjoy music together,” reflected Tembe.
Those who will be able to attend will hear a new interpretation of a wide range of iconic jazz compositions by the veterans of South African jazz, including Marabi and Mbaqanga influence in Dudu Pokwana’s Mra and Angle nemali, the more avant-garde approach to Louis Moholo’s take on one of our best loved ballads, Lakutshona ilanga and pop/soul influence of Stimela –Hugh Masekela’s deeply tragic ode to continuing problems of forced migrant labour in South Africa, and Jonas Gwangwa’s Diphororo.

The musicians will also sample music from Bheki Mseleku’s breath taking The age of Inner Knowing and Winston Mankunku Ngozi’s iconic Yakhali inkomo, while the Cape Town’s minstrels carnival music shines through Wyatt’s Anneke tassou and Zim Ngqawana’s Bantu. Miriam Makeba’s world famous click song Qongothwane is definitely also in. And time allowing, according to Marcus, serious consideration is being given to also Abdullahh Ibrahim’s frenetic Bombella.
And for me personally this is a concert I have to diarise –after all I will be able to enjoy my two favourite art forms-jazz and classical music through a new, fresh and experimental mode of delivery that promises new possibilities and certainly breaking new ground on the local live music scene never experience for a long time.

.Tickets for the show are from R150 to R350 a ticket and are available through Quicket.