Quark Perform at Jazz Centre

BY: .

The Centre for Jazz and Popular Music featured the duo Quark on Tuesday this week (6 October).

Quark is a collaboration which combines two performers from very different backgrounds: Fiona Tozer on guitar and Dan Wilson on bass.

Fusing Wilson’s jazz/rock style with Tozer’s folk and classical influences, they seek to create a new sound, striving for the unexpected. They are currently writing music for an album with ‘space-time and the universe’ as its theme.

During Tuesday’s concert, they shared the evolution of their music from its beginning to the current place in the journey.

Coming from a background based in the folk revival music of the 70s, Tozer is a songwriter and guitarist who has performed solo and with bands throughout South Africa. She has released three acclaimed albums of original songs, and recently completed a music degree in contemporary classical composition at UKZN.

Said Tozer: ‘I was at UKZN from 2001-2004 studying a BA (Music) degree with an additional Honours year. During that time I expanded my knowledge of music, and how music works, and enjoyed many opportunities which came from making music in an academic environment. I completed my Master’s degree in Music Composition in 2008. It was great to be back performing in a progressive music environment, and I look forward to sharing my current project with old friends and new audiences.’

Wilson has played with a variety of diverse people including steel guitar legend Mike Cooper, Annette Peacock, Syd Kitchen and RISE.

He has released four albums with Creeper, an acid jazz outfit featuring saxophonist Luke Townsend. Wilson’s album Max Roach Park with UK drummer Mark Huggett was nominated for a SAMA for best jazz album in 2006.

Melissa Mungroo and Thuli Zama