Leap of Faith CD launched.Leap Of Faith CD Launched
Musicians at UKZN’s Centre for Jazz and Popular Music in partnership with colleagues at the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in the United States have released a CD titled: Leap of Faith.
The CD is a product of the very successful and on-going exchange between the jazz sections at VCU and the Music Discipline within UKZN’s School of Arts.
The CD was heard for the first time in Africa when UKZN’s Centre for Jazz and Popular Music hosted the South African Association for Jazz Educators’ Festival from 13-15 September. The audience included international and national musicians, music educators, students and prospective students, parents, music industry representatives and senior University management. UKZN’s Jazz Legacy Ensemble performed at the launch.
CD sales were launched at CDBaby - http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/vcujazz3 - in South Africa while the CD was released in the United States in October during the VCU Fall Jazz Festival.
American musicians performing on the CD are from the VCU Africa Combo. They are: Chris Ryan (guitar), Victor Haskins (trumpet), Trey Sorrells (alto sax), Brendan Schnabel (tenor sax), Justin Esposito (bass), and C J Wolfe (drums), directed by Professor Antonio Garcia (trombone).
The UKZN Legacy band comprises of Sebastian Goldswain (guitar), Lungelo Ngcobo, Sakhile Simani (trumpet), Sphelelo Mazibuko (drums), Ildo Nandja (bass), and Linda Sikhakhane (tenor sax), directed by Neil Gonsalves.
The October issue of Down Beat magazine ran a one-page article on the VCU/UKZN jazz partnership titled: “VCU Jazz Students, Faculty Members Connect with South African Counterparts from UKZN”. The article was co-authored by Antonio Garcia and Neil Gonsalves.
The link to the blog containing travelogues, photos, and student reflections from all four trips, as well as information about the Leap of Faith CD is: http://wp.vcu.edu/vcujazz
The CD is on sale at R100 at The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music. For more information call Thulile Zama on 031 260 3385 or email: zamat1@ukzn.ac.za
- Thulile Zama