The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music Popular Music proudly presents the Minkeys on Wednesday 01 August 2018 at 18:00.
The Minkeys is an eclectic, postmodern South African jazz band with a focus on performance. Last year the band went all out with an original show titled "An Evening Down in New Orleans At Egyptian Ella's Club", a story conjured off the lyrics of a traditional New Orleans tune by Walter Doyle called Egyptian Ella. Writing a script, making props and costumes, arranging music, and running the gauntlet of the sticky Durban audience with some sell out successes and some considerably less than sold out success.
The show featured a strong element of traditional New Orleans repertoire and arranging devices with stop times and two feels, cymbal splash grabs, standard Louis phrases and some fantastic solo showcasing. In the spirit of the band it also featured some unexpected musical turns and ever contrasting forays, a reimagining of some material not traditionally associated with the Jazz vernacular and some ill-considered attempts at humour.
The main purpose of the band is to be entertaining, much attention is paid (before the band members are paid of course) on how we present each show, from how silly we can make ourselves feel getting onstage and transitioning between numbers to the contrast in the repertoire and how we share the stage with each other and the room with the audience.
The group comprises some well-seasoned -and not altogether of sound mind- talent from the local Jazz fraternity. Neil Gonsalves aka Doctor Jazz on keys is one of the most exciting musical savants around, with a totally open vista and creative understanding of music that leaves others grinning simply like idiots. Don't get too close if he isn't wearing his muzzle. Tom Hare on sax is probably the most well-seasoned player in the band having played around the world with many of the icons of the Jazz history books and running not only a number of successful jazz groups including and most notably the Galapagos Duck, an Australian Jazz band still going strong today, but also founding and running one of Australia’s most renowned Jazz clubs, The Basement. Tom drives the concept and brings a wealth of traditional values and vocabulary to the band, he also drives a Honda Accord and has two adorable Rottweilers named Sheila and Bruce. Zoe Masuku, a former navy seal of a vocalist, is undoubtably one of the best Jazz voices coming out of this little town and definitely someone to pay good money to watch, so come pay some good money. Caleb Frow is also a surprisingly exceptional singer, we put that to good work and let him hold down the grooves on kit and throw in some solid innovative effects on his electronic drum thing. If his lips are moving don't interrupt him, he's counting. Michael Maduray covers the bottom end and he plays a mean electric bass while doing so. Daniel Sheldon, fearless leader does all the admin and Photo shopping to make the band look good, he spends hours typing out these documents and enjoys shouting at people when they miss rehearsal or can't make a gig, he also plays the trumpet and acts up on stage.
Expect a smorgasbord of musical offerings from traditional Jazz, Afro, funk, electro-swing, pseudo classical to modern.
Join us at The Centre for Jazz and Popular music (CJPM), Level 2, Shepstone Building at UKZN Howard College Campus on Tuesday 01 August 2018 at 18h00 The doors open at 17h30pm show starts at 18h00. R80 for general admission // R50 pensioners // R25for students. Please contact Thuli on 031 2603385 or email Zamat1@ukzn.ac.za for more details.
