Endangered Horns Ensemble

Abstract

This creative output submission contains two separate performances with me performing in two ensembles that performed during the 2021 Unisa Virtual Jazz Festival. The festival included some of South Africa’s most high-profile artists such as McCoy Mrubata, Bokani Dyer, Linda Sikhakhane, Concord Nkabinde Ensemble, Vuma Levin, The Unisa Big Band, Thamie Mahlangu Quintet, Endangered Horns Ensemble and several others. The 2021 Unisa Virtual Jazz Festival was a very large-scale event that involved a full production crew including 4 cameramen, vision mixer, video editor, audio engineer, 5 support audio technicians, lighting technician and 5 stage assistants. The entire festival was recorded live in ZK Matthews Hall over a one-week period with various groups recording their live performances daily. The final production included performances of all artists, originally created video graphics and animation, narration and audio; all presented in high-definition audio and video. The virtual festival was made available to the public with tickets sold via Quicket. The festival was widely publicised on radio, social media and print media through a dedicated marketing campaign with a nationally recognised media marketing company.

The goal of the Endangered Horns Ensemble was to recreate the historical saxophone sectional sound of the 1930s bands such as the African Jazz Pioneers, Jazz Maniacs and Merry Blackbirds (horn section). In current performance practice in South Africa, the saxophone and saxophone ensemble/sectional sound has been largely “Americanised” with most contemporary jazz saxophonists trying to emulate current and recent American saxophonists such as Michael Brecker, Bob Berg, Kenny Garret, Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Stitt and Charlie Parker. Few if any South African saxophonists try to emulate the distinctively South African saxophone style of artists such as Kippie Moeketsie, Ezra Ngcukana and Winston Mankuku Ngozi who all played with a distinctive style and African inflections. Furthermore, the saxophone sectional sound of ensembles such as the African Jazz Pioneers is almost non-existent in modern saxophone ensembles. Accordingly, to goal of this ensemble was to try to recreate that historical sound with the Endangered Horns Ensemble.

The Endangered Horns Ensemble is an ensemble that I put together which was comprised of 4 of South Africa’s leading saxophonists including McCoy Mrubata, Linda Sikhakhane, Thamie Mahlangu and myself accompanied by a rhythm section. The works performed aimed to produce new insights into historical works while maintaining historical relevance in terms of sound and style. The saxophone section attempted to play with “township” inflections with a unique sound and style. The Endangered Horns Ensemble presented new and innovative arrangements of well-known South African jazz works, thereby presenting new insights into the music. However, the accompaniment was kept very traditional with the rhythm section playing in a style that was consistent with the music of the 1950s. Each of the tunes presented by the Endangered Horns Ensemble presents music arranged for 4 saxophones in 4-part harmony, thereby expanding on the original compositions. Each tune also includes room for improvisation by one of more of the saxophonists with some tunes calling for collective improvisation by all saxophones.