An e-mail from Paul Harris in South-Africa dated Friday 19 January 2007 with the subject: Gino Vannelli coming to Cape Town??????????

Hi Barend and Trees,
Gino coming to Cape Town!!!?????
Hope I can go???? Plse let me know, I have a huge group that will walk, crawl, to be there!!! Thanks
Paul H

Hi Barend and Trees,
So its official!! Gino live in Cape Town.
I cannot wait. Please tell his management that if they need a chaperone I’m more than willing.
I’d love to show them around this beautiful city.
Will tell you more soon.
Regards
Paul

Hi Barend and Trees,
Only 6 days to go before I see my soul brother GINO live on stage. I cannot wait.
The last time I saw him was in London in 1992. But after ‘YONDER TREE’(or should that be ‘YONDER TREES’), ‘SLOW LOVE’, ‘CANTO’ and ‘THESE ARE THE DAYS’ I’m even more of a admirer and have the greatest respect for GINO as a musician as well as a human being.

I really hope that I may get a chance to meet him on the night………. I might have to sneak in backstage.

I would really love just to thank him for his music which resonates with my own soul, and which has brought me so much joy and pleasure over the years. Being a singer/drummer myself I’m sure you can understand why.
Many thanks and have a wonderful day. Paul Harris, Cape Town

It's "all systems go" for Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2007

Date: 2007-02-14

Correspondent: Staff Reporter

Organisers of the 8th Annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2007 announced a further 12-African and overseas artists that will perform at this year's festival scheduled for Friday 30 and Saturday 31 March. It's "all systems go" for Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2007

Organisers of the 8th Annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2007 announced a further 12-African and overseas artists that will perform at this year�s festival scheduled for Friday 30 and Saturday 31 March.

The 12-names that were revealed to the media today at the Johannesburg's Standard Bank Gallery join the initial line-up of 22-groups announced in January. A total of 40-acts will perform over the two days on five stages at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). Select bands will also perform at the Free Community Concert to be held at Cape Town's Greenmarket Square on Thursday 29 March. The pre-festival concert has become a permanent feature of the Cape Town International Jazz Festival and is the organisers' commitment to community members who cannot make it to the paid sessions of the event.

From the new list of artists announced today, it is clear that the events organisers espAfrika (Pty) Ltd are sticking to the formula that has won the festival the accolade of "Africa's Grandest Gathering". "The line-up this year is consistent with our vision of the festival being a platform to showcase Africa's best and the finest internationally. We maintain the 50/50 split between African artists and musicians from the rest of the world. We have also stuck to our formula where the Cape Town International Jazz Festival brings together jazz and other jazz-related experimental genres", says the festival director Rashid Lombard.

The 12-artists announced today are: Leela James (US), Gino Vannelli (Canada), Average White Band (US and Scotland), Themba Mkhize (RSA), Darius Brubeck & the SAPO/UKZN Rolling Reunion Band (RSA and US), Ernest Mothle Quartet (RSA), Saskia Laroo (Holland), Hip Hop Pantsula (RSA), The Stoner (Sweden), Closet Snare (RSA), Yehya Khalil & the Egyptian Jazz Fusion (Egypt) and Bheki Khoza (RSA)

Music of the 1970s to reverberate at this year's festival

Since inauguration in 2000, the popular sounds of the 1970s have swept audiences at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival. This year will be no different. To bring yesteryear's music is Canadian vocalist Gino Vannelli and US-based funk unit called the Average White Band (AWB).

A recording musician for more than three decades, Gino Vannelli's jazz-inflected pop songs hit the Billboard charts in the 1970s and 1980s. His 1978 tune "I Just Wanna Stop", won him a Grammy nomination. In the last 10-years Vanelli released serene recordings as he turned to more acoustic music. This is after he relocated to Oregon and immersed himself in a study of world religions and philosophy. But his latest release, These Are the Days echoes the pop sounds of the earlier period, albeit with the experience of the 1980s and 1990s.

But the coup for this year's Cape Town International Jazz Festival is the signing of the Average White Band (AWB). With its origins in Scotland, the group moved in the mid-1970s across the Atlantic Ocean and signed with Atlantic Records where they became stable mates of groups such as the Spinners, Donny Hathaway, Roberta Flack and Aretha Franklin. The soul and funk bug that was all over the US, had really got to them. They began to produce hits such "Pick Up the Pieces"; "Cut the Cake" and "Let's Go Around Again"; which saw them garnering support throughout the world.

While the band's name will definitely raise eyebrows among South Africans oblivious to the group's fame, AWB's appearance at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival 2007 provides an opportunity for the group to connect with their huge fan base in the country. Audiences will also be treated to the music in the band's latest CD, Soul & the City. But more importantly, those who heard AWB's riffs from samples by hip-hop and rap artists like Public Enemy and Ice-T; now have the opportunity to hear the fast and brassy sounds from the real originators of the music.

But it is not only the veterans of the 1970s that will tap into the soul and funk reservoir of 30-years ago. As shown in previous years of the festival, there exist a new crop of young artists who seek inspiration from the soul era of the 1970s. Among the musicians added to the initial line-up is the reigning queen of nu-soul, Leela James. She brings with her, the 6-piece band that features in her 2005 debut album, A Change is Gonna Come. "I want my music to bring back good lyrics and real singing that touch people in their hearts and melodies that stick to their ribs and nourish the soul", says the 23-year old vocalist describing the music that fuses soul, gospel and Motown.

Yehya Khalil leads the African contingent at the CTIJF 2007

KAAPSTAD. – Jazz-liefhebbers se tone het die naweek van lekkerkry gekrul toe die jaarlikse Internasionale Fees hier aangebied is.

Sepiesterre, plaaslike ministers, pres. Thabo Mbeki en selfs glo mnr. Jacob Zuma het dié agtste jaarlikse jazzfees, “Afrika se vernaamste byeenkoms”, bygewoon.

Meer as 12 000 aanhangers het die 40 kunstenaars – waarvan daar internasionaal en plaaslik te kus en te keur was – by Kaapstad se Internasionale Konferensiesentrum (Kiks) ondersteun.

Kaartjies vir die fees, voorheen bekend as die North Sea Jazz Festival, was teen Vrydag reeds uitverkoop.

Die kunstenaars, onder wie groot name soos Randy Crawford, Joe Sample, Gino Vannelli en Tucan Tucan, het op een van die vyf verhoë opgetree. Een was in die buitelug.

Blaasinstrumente en saxofone het tot lank ná 02:00 deur die Kiks weergalm en feesgangers moes kopkrap om te besluit by watter van die vertonings hulle moet inloer.

Een van die hoogtepunte was sekerlik die vertoning van die Amerikaanse duetpaar, die soulsister Crawford en die pianis Sample.

Crawford trek steeds haar oë op skrefies soos toe sy in 1979 “Streetlife” gesing het.

Sy spog egter nou met ’n nuwe voorkoms: kunsvlegseltjies met gekleurde haarknippies.

Sy het die skare op hul voete gehad met treffers soos “Someday I’ll fly away” en “Streetlife”.

Nog ’n gunsteling was Average White Band, wat ’n meer kontemporêre jazzklank (funky pop) na die voorgrond gebring het, amper soos dié van Earth Wind and Fire.

Dié groep se energieke aanslag het gesorg vir goeie interaksie met die gehoor.

Vannelli, ’n Kanadese kunstenaar, het op sy beurt sélf ’n meer eietydse klank met funky musiek gehad.

Plaaslike kunstenaars het ook vir goeie jazz gesorg. Dit was byvoorbeeld die geval op die Bassline Stage, waar daar nie plek vir ’n muis was nie en mense stry gekry het vir ’n gaatjie in die saal.

Cape Town - More than 15 000 music lovers packed the Mother City's convention centre for the 8th annual Cape Town International Jazz Festival at the weekend. The extensive line-up featured greats such as the Joe Sample Trio, featuring Randy Crawford; Ladysmith Black Mambazo; Gino Vannelli and host of others - five stages, 40 artists, two nights - you do the math!

The event attracted a varied audience, including President Thabo Mbeki, who along with his entourage, brought events on the second floor to a standstill with his arrival. (Not too impressed to be stopped by security agents in dark suits - and pink ties - talking secretively into ear-pieces).

Being a Cape Town gal, Friday night kicked off with The Rudimentals for me. And The Rude Boys, with their skanking tunes, set the tone for what was to be a great night. Joe Sample and Randy Crawford followed next. Crawford had promised earlier in the day to "perform with passion". "I think we'll draw a lot of love and passion from our audience," she told News24. And she certainly did - Almaz and Street Life brought the house down. As for Joe Sample - he showed why he's been around for decades and is an integral part of jazz history.

Closet Snare kind of blew me away. The Cape Town-based group is active in bands such as Tribe, Golliwog and Real Estate Agents and has developed a following for their improvised electronic music style. They were joined on stage by video jockey VJ Grrrl, who finished off their slick set with a sensational multi-media visual experience. Audiences enthralled

South African treasure, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, was magic. The traditional music sung by the group - Isicathamiya (Is-Cot-A-Me-Ya) - enthralled the audience. There were quite a few damp eyes when they sang Homeless.

Average White Band, by all accounts, had the crowd baying for more. AWB's brand of soul and funk seemed to be met with approval.

Saturday night was a sell-out. Harmonica-playing guitarist and singer Ismaël Lô, known for his fusion of folk, soul and Senegalese m'balax music, got the evening going on the main stage. Iso's meldodic, soothing voice was a hit.

But local act Hip Hop Pantsula (HHP) really got the crowd going - and wanting more - literally. After the Bassline venue proved too small for Jabulani Tsambo's outfit, the police were called in to keep the crowd trying to force its way into the venue at bay. The group eventually had to move its performance to the outside stage to accommodate their audience. They were hot!

Gino Vannelli rounded off the festival on the main stage. His jazz-inflected pop songs hit the Billboard charts in the 1970s and 1980s. Although I missed this one, I believe he was great!

So many acts, so little time - so many I didn't and wish I had seen. For me, this year's festival was one of the best I've been to. And props to the techies - the sound this year was so smooth - no gripes on that front from me.

Cape Town International Jazz Festival does us proud

Last week saw another successful Cape Town International Jazz Festival in the city. Locals were treated to a world class show with some big international names such Randy Crawford, Gino Vanelli, and Average White Band.

The great advantage for local artists at an event like the Cape Town International Jazz Festival is the fact that some of the international artists are gracious enough to workshop material with our local boys and girls which develops our industry as a whole. In particular, artists like Nils Landgren, who plays and teaches trombone in Hamburg, Germany, loves to play with other artists so that the quality of the music, which he believes is the most ancient form of communication, can be accelerated and improved. Even though he has been married for 30 years, and has no children, he spends an enormous amount of time on tour – and he does tour – having spent 27 hours in Cape Town on his last visit here, playing at the Waterfront. Then there is the band that got their name obliquely from a friend who went to Bangkok who, on his return, claimed it was too hot for the average white man; they, because they are from Scotland and play jazz and funk, called themselves Average White Band.

Bevs Brown
Nils Landgren
That's an interesting story, but it doesn't tell you what a Cape Town favourite they are. Their 1975 hit Pick Up The Pieces still gets people dancing in clubs around Cape Town and the fact that they've released nearly 20 albums over the years shows that they're a class act. Average White Band (now no longer all white) got their big break when they opened for Eric Clapton back in 1973 and to this day, the band still believes that established artists have a responsibility to develop the next generation of local up-and-coming performers. Despite a slack in sales in the early 1980s, the band has proved their resilience in that they've dealt with tragedy (the death of band member Robbie McIntosh) and they continue to attract young audiences. Newer members of the band that has seen some flux are Klyde Jones (guitar), Fred Vigdor (sax), and Rocky Bryant (drums) join with the only two original members Alan Gorrie (vocals, bass) and Onnie McIntyre (Guitar) to form an expressive outfit that entertains with some irresistible tunes. The local artist who had to perform opposite Randy Crawford is something of an enigma: on stage she is energetic and performs with passion, but in her private life, you wouldn't even recognise her: Bev Scott Brown is an amazing person. Though she auditioned for Idols and was rejected at the second round (thank goodness), she can turn on her performance instantly as she demonstrated when she had to wait until 11pm to perform at the Jewish Achiever Awards because of a misunderstanding. This is a local girl who has paid her dues by performing cover music for the last 14 years and has still retained her passion and magic on stage. She feels that the Cape Town International Jazz Festival is a validation of her work and the organisers can feel proud that they are giving local artists a platform on the international stage. So we look forward to another year for the Cape Town International Jazz Festival and hope that it will be as successful as this one.

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Die legendariese jazz-sanger, Gino Vannelli het die gehoor Saterdag in die palm van sy hande gehad met sy treffers. Foto: MLANDELI PUZI

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