Asher Gamedze "A Semblance", Abraham Mennen & DJ Simbad
Sat Jan 11, 19:00 - Sun Jan 12, 00:00
The Commons
ABOUT
Asher Gamedze "A Semblance"
In the wake of two albums with his quartet – Dialectic Soul (2020) and Turbulence and Pulse (2023) – and touring that project in South Africa and extensively across major festivals and venues in Europe on the back of some critical acclaim (such as rave reviews in the New York Times – no.4 on their top ten jazz albums of 2020 list – and Pitchfork’s generous rating of 8/10), Asher Gamedze is happy to be back on the ground floor with a new project!
A Semblance is a new band. An experiment, a group in search of new and old dreams and new and old pathways into and through sound. New tunes, concepts and new and old spaces for improvisation. A semblance of groove. A semblance of freedom.
The assembled are idiosyncratic musician-friends that Asher has gotten to know and has played with in various projects – those of his own and others’ – over the years as a working musician in Cape Town both above and underground. Ru Slayen, Zwide Ndwandwe, Nobuhle Ashanti and Keegan Steenkamp; A Semblance is a band of many leaders and the approach to the music resembles this. Each player having the freedom to activate, agitate, expand, extend and initiate based on Gamedze’s concepts and tunes.
Come and join the search!
Ru Slayan on Percussion
Zwide Ndwandwe on Bass
Nobuhle Ashanti on Keys
Keegan Steenkamp on Trumpet
Asher Gamedze on Drum Kit
Abraham Mennen
Multi-award winning saxophonist Abraham Mennen leads a stellar lineup of musicians performing his original compositions. The quartet features long time collaborator of Mennen and one of South Africa's most recognisable voices on the guitar, Reza Khota, as well rising jazz stars Sean Sanby on double bass and Tefo Mahola on drums.
Abraham Mennen has performed on many prestigious international stages such as Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola and the Poisson Rouge in New York City, The Roundhouse and Vortex Jazz Club in London and the Bimhuis in Amsterdam.
His music is described as experimental jazz with a strong South African flavour. Expect to hear the saxophone played in many unique and mind-bending ways unlike anything you have heard before.
DJ Simbad
Vinyl DJ of note