Johannesburg experiences the Joy of Jazz

With ticket sales now open for the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz festival, fans have been scrambling to secure their place at one of Johannesburg’s greatest musical events, to see jazz legend Wynton Marsalis work his magic on the trumpet, and other great artists set the stage alight from August 25 to 27.

Marsalis, winner of nine Grammy Awards and the first jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for music, is headlining the festival. He will perform at Emperors Palace on 25 August, and on 27 August at the Dinaledi stage in Newtown.

The legendary trumpeter, whose creativity has been celebrated throughout the world, is arguably the biggest jazz artist to perform in South Africa. Marsalis is an internationally acclaimed musician, composer, bandleader and educator. He is the world’s first jazz artist to perform and compose across the full jazz spectrum, from its New Orleans roots to bebop and modern jazz.

Festival promoter, Peter Tladi of T-Musicman, said, “Wynton’s visit is going to shake up the local jazz scene. Three of the Marsalis brothers – Branford, Delfeayo and Jason – have already performed at Standard Bank Joy of Jazz, but this is the big one. It is a real coup for the festival.”

Local legends like Hugh Masekela, Victor Ntoni and Tu Nokwe (among many others) will also perform at the festival, bringing their unique blend of musical mastery to the stage. 

This year’s festival marks the 12th year that South Africa has made its mark on the international jazz scene, attracting an audience in excess of 20 000 fans to the cultural hub of Newtown.

Tickets are available from Computicket.

For more information go to www.standardbankarts.co.za, www.joyofjazz.co.za or www.wyntonmarsalis.org

Did you know?

• The word “jazz” (in early years also spelled "jass") began as a West Coast slang term, and was first used in Chicago in about 1915 to refer to music.

• Jazz carries a huge number of sub-genres, picked up as the music developed over the decades. These include swing, Dixieland jazz, bebop, cool jazz, Latin jazz, soul, smooth jazz and acid jazz, to name a few.

• Author: Stuart Dickinson
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