Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Trumpeter, Educator Jim Rotondi Dies at 61
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Tshepo Tshola sings at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in Cape Town, South Africa, during a tribute to the late Hugh Masekela.
(Photo: Onele Liwani)On the eve of this year’s Cape Town International Jazz Festival, which ran March 23–24, some attendees experienced slight trepidation.
Given South Africa’s recent plights—a significant drought in the Western Cape, corruption charges against former president Jacob Zuma and the loss of one of its musical giants, trumpeter Hugh Masekela, on Jan. 23—the event dubbed “Africa’s grandest gathering” aimed at showcasing the country’s resilience and fighting spirit.
Amanda Black’s vocals drew thousands to the Kippies stage on Friday night. And as she belted out intense rallying cries in her native Xhosa tongue, the singer set the tone for the evening—and the weekend.
Performing selections from 2017’s Afro-Caribbean Mixtape (Paytone/Ropeadope), Nicholas Payton opened his set with the album’s title track. As each player settled into the groove, Payton’s melodic trumpet cut through it all. Despite the disparate sounds emanating from Vicente Archer’s bass, Marcus Gilmore’s drums and DJ Lady Fingaz’s turntables, the ensemble’s synergy was palpable, grounded by Daniel Sadownick’s mesmeric percussion patter.
A fuller lineup was in store on the Cape Town festival’s second day, and emotions were high, as much of the lineup paid homage to “Bra Hugh” and other greats of South African music. Simphiwe Dana, who has been hailed as the next Miriam Makeba (1932–2008), was backed by a driving all-female band and accompanied by three equally talented vocalists.
Like Masekala, pianist Robert Glasper—who brought his supergroup R&R=NOW to the Basil Manenberg Coetzee outdoor stage—has faced criticism for playing music outside the traditional boundaries of jazz. And alongside trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, multi-instrumentalist Terrace Martin and drummer Justin Tyson, the ensemble served as a reminder that the scope of the music actually should be expansive and ever-evolving.
Back at the Kippies stage, a heartfelt tribute to Masekela featured a coterie of the trumpeter’s contemporaries, including vocalist Tshepo Tshola and drummer Leeroy Sauls, as a sizable crowd looked on. Current South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was in attendance to honor a man whose music helped draw global attention to the brutality of the country’s apartheid system.
As photos of Masekela were projected on a large screen at the back of the stage, performances of the trumpeter’s classics, like “Stimela,” flowed out of the band; emotions ran high, and for fans, it was difficult not to mourn Masekela’s death.
With the passing of Winnie Mandela, an anti-apartheid activist and ex-wife of Nelson Mandela, on April 2, it seems as though an era that produced heroes and heroines willing to fight for basic human rights might be at an end. However, as this year marks the centennial birthday of Nelson Mandela, the tone of the festival was one of hope, as a new generation is poised to take up the fight. DB
Jim Rotondi was acclaimed for his wide, round trumpet tone, remarkable virtuosity and assured swing.
Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Charles Lloyd, seen here at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, makes DownBeat Poll history!
Jul 11, 2024 12:23 PM
The incomparable Charles Lloyd swept the 72nd Annual DownBeat Critics Poll, becoming the first artist ever to earn…
“Being president of Blue Note has been one of the coolest things that ever happened to me,” Was said. “It’s a gas to serve as one of the caretakers of that legacy.”
Jun 4, 2024 12:21 PM
Sitting with Don Was is a comfortable and unhurried exercise. He may seem slightly reserved at first, but ideas and…
The Century Room in downtown Tucson, Arizona, was born in 2021.
May 21, 2024 12:58 PM
Players got to play. It’s long been a part of jazz history: When there’s a venue vacuum, when there are fewer…
“She reminds me of my childhood and makes we want to cry,” Cécile McLorin Salvant, pictured here with writer Ashley Kahn, said of Dianne Reeves.
Jun 11, 2024 12:31 PM
Italy’s Umbria Jazz Winter is one of those rare annual festivals that not only coincides with a major holiday —…
