The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music at UKZN will present The Songbook Sessions on Monday, 25 May 2026 at 18h00, featuring internationally acclaimed saxophonist, composer, and educator Ernest Dawkins.

Recognised as one of the world’s leading jazz saxophonists and an Emmy Award-winning composer, Dawkins is celebrated for creating music that reflects the evolving cultural memory of the African American jazz tradition. 

Dawkins has led and founded several influential ensembles, including the New Horizons Ensemble, Chicago Trio, Live the Spirit Big Band, and the Englewood to Soweto Exchange. His long-running Sunday sessions at Norman’s Bistro in Chicago have become legendary within the jazz community.

The Songbook Sessions offers audiences and musicians an engaging platform for collaboration, learning, improvisation, and musical exploration. Dawkins describes himself as “a musical cultural historian,” whose work combines archival, historical, spiritual, and personal research to capture the essence of people, places, and events through music.

The Monday night jam session is supported through funding from Concerts SA, SAMRO, the Festival Enterprise Catalyst, and the National Treasury Jobs Fund.

Event Details
Event:The Songbook Sessions – Monday Jam Session led by Ernest Dawkins
Date: Monday, 25 May 2026
Time: 18h00
Venue: Centre for Jazz and Popular Music

Tickets: R130 standard, R100 pensioners, R70 students. Tickets available at the door or via Webtickets.