Rhodes jazz postgrad recital

Students Kingsley Buitendag and Steve Ellis will be performing a joint Masters recital in jazz piano and drums respectively at 19h30 this Friday (5 November).

The two will be accompanied on double bass by Prof Marc Duby, South African bass legend and supervisor for both students. The concert also features Duby’s wife and renowned vocalist, Lydia Vom Hagen.

Kingsley Buitendag completed his undergraduate degree at the University of the Free State. He was accepted for Masters in Jazz Performance and Composition at Rhodes University in 2009 and is supervised by bassist, Prof Duby.

Kingsley, who is in part-time employment with DSG, is a multi-instrumentalist and composer. He was selected as pianist in the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band in both 2008 and 2009. This gave him the opportunity to perform among jazz greats at the Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg.

In August this year, Kingsley won second prize in the Jazz/Popular Music section of the SAMRO (South African Music Rights Organisation) Overseas Scholarships for Composers, where his compositions were performed by Prince Bulo, Roland Moses, Rob Watson and Mthunzi Mvubu.

Kingsley has played with South African jazz greats such as Lloyd Martin, Clement Benny, Melanie Scholtz, Prof Duby and Lulama Gaulana.

Steve Ellis completed his undergraduate and Honours degrees as well as his PGCE at Rhodes University. He commenced his Masters in Jazz (including a performance and thesis component) in 2010.

Reflecting his qualifications in music and education, Ellis’s thesis is focussed on jazz education. He is employed as a music teacher at St Andrews College and is also a part-time drum kit lecturer at Rhodes.

Ellis has had the privilege of playing with jazz musicians such as Melanie Scholtz, Hotep Galeta, Helen Vosloo, Andy Narell, Prof Duby, Dr Nishlyn Ramanna and Rick van Heerden.

Composers of works within the programme include Kingsley Buitendag, John Coltrane, Dr Nishlyn Ramanna and John Taylor. The recital seeks to highlight the importance of the jazz piano trio, which has featured so profoundly within the history of jazz.

Photo: from l-r: Kingsley Buitendag and Steve Ellis.