As the day winds down and the late shows let out, the town fills up as festival-goers leave the theatres to make their own show in the bars and restaurants of Grahamstown.
As the day winds down and the late shows let out, the town fills up as festival-goers leave the theatres to make their own show in the bars and restaurants of Grahamstown.
One show still goes on, however, into the early hours of the morning. Jazz Jams gives the audience a taste of both the professionals and the undiscovered talent on the jazz scene.
The Lowlander hums with the buzz of night owls and jazz hounds as they wind down after a day at the Festival, allowing the flow of trumpet and sax wash over them and cleanse the confusion of the day’s sights and sounds with the heady riffs and trills of the brass on display.
The occasional vocalist practising his or her scat is not uncommon and the audience is supportive and appreciative.
In a truly special session last Sunday, New York jazz legend Steve Turre performed alongside students from the University of Cape Town. Jazz Jams is not just a jam session, it is also an opportunity for young artists to meet and learn from the professionals in the industry.
The event functions as a showcase, too. Kamo Matsoso, a student of jazz at the University of the Witwatersrand, put her voice on display, the event functioning much like an exhibition where the artworks are revealed individually rather than all at once.
