Free jazz of the legendary Blue Notes exiles lives on
Tribute line-up brings spirit of one of SA’s most famous bands to Grahamstown
The Blue Notes were undoubtedly one of the most revolutionary bands in SA, yet their legacy remains largely undocumented. The Blue Notes Tribute Orkestra, which is performing at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown as part of the Standard Bank Jazz Festival, was formed to bring the band’s music back to South African audiences and to keep alive the free jazz approach. The original Blue Notes were formed in Cape Town in the 1960s and consisted of Mongezi Feza (trumpet), Dudu Pukwana (alto sax), Chris McGregor (piano), Nikele Moyake (tenor sax), Johnny Dyani (bass) and Louis Moholo-Moholo (drums). The group left the country in 1964 as exiles and relocated to London. Most of its members died in exile. Moholo-Moholo returned in 2005 and performs regularly in Cape Town. The band fused African music styles, such as kwela, with free jazz and had a huge influence on the European avant-garde music scene. Championed The pan-African publication Chimurenga, based in Cape Town, has champione...
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