Cape Jazz Series Vol 4: Musical Democracy

It would be crass to call the Cape Jazz Band ‘South Africa’s Buena Vista Social Club.’ But somebody’s got to keep alive the traditions of 1950s township jazz and the CJB do the job splendidly. A loose collective of Cape Town musicians young and old, the veteran rhythm section of drummer Jack Momple and bassist Steven Erasmus are at the band’s core, but on the fourth release in this ongoing series they’re joined impressively by brilliant young pianist Ramon Alexander and guitarist Errol Dyers. All but one of the eight compositions are originals, but so steeped are they in tradition that it would be easy to imagine you’re hearing the Jazz Epistles playing in a shebeen in Sophiatown 60 years ago. Alexander’s rolling piano playing evokes the easy swing of early Dollar Brand and the horn section (Kyle Shepherd, Mark Fransman, Tony Cedras and Lou-Anne Stone) clearly learned its chops from listening to Hugh Masekela and Kippie Moeketsi, just as they in turn learned from listening to Dizzy Gillespie and other jazz greats. The most wondrous thing, historically, about township jazz was how music so imbued with joy and freedom blossomed out of such harsh oppression. In the post-Mandela era perhaps it is the sound of shameless nostalgia; but it’s a rich musical tradition that continues to be worth celebrating.