On Tuesday, 1 December 2020 Nigel Vermaas celebrates his 500th edition of Connected to Jazz on Bush Radio 89.5FM.
In 1990 musicians & video makers came together to produce an album & videos in support of AIDS relief. In RED HOT + BLUE they chose to focus on the songs of Cole Porter.
Thirty years on, Connected to Jazz celebrates its 500th edition on 1st December, World Aids Day, with the words & music of Cole Porter, one of the leading contributors to the Great American Songbook.
Please join us on Tuesday 1st December at 8 p.m. for the 500th CONNECTED 2 JAZZ show only on Bush Radio on 89.5FM or online or our official app.
*Nigel started a programme called My Kinda Jazz on Bush Radio in 2006 which ran on a Saturday and on the 3rd May 2011, Connected to Jazz was launched in its current time-slot of 8pm on a Tuesday.
A special thanks to the Red Hot organisation for permission to use their video footage on the Red Hot + Blue album.
Bush Radio is giving you and your partner the chance to attend both days of the 2018 Cape Town International Jazz Festival happening at the CTICC on the 23rd and 24th of March.
We are giving away a set of double passes to 2 lucky listeners.
To enter this lucky draw SMS the keyword: JAZZ + your name and surname to 32158. (You will receive a sms confirming your entry)
Each double weekend pass is valued at over R2500.
The SMS line will close at 10am on Friday 23 March and the winners will be announced after 11am during the Morning Cruise. * You will need to collect your tickets by 2pm Friday if you are a winner with positive identification.*
Enter as often as you like to improve your chances.
Tonight at 8pm on Connected 2 Jazz on Bush Radio 89.5FM we celebrate another centenary: that of innovative trumpeter and bandleader Dizzy Gillespie, who, with Monk, Charlie Parker and a few others, was responsible for introducing bebop into jazz.
Thelonious Sphere Monk was born 100 years ago today. This bebop pioneer, who wrote some of the most memorable compositions in jazz, was a true original – as a person, as a pianist, as a composer.
In CONNECTED 2 JAZZ on Bush Radio 89.5fm tonight (Tuesday, 10 October 2017) at 8pm, Nigel Vermaas will profile this great musician.
Tuesday 25th April is the centenary of the birth of one of the world’s greatest jazz singers, Ella Fitzgerald.
So on 25th April from 8-10 p.m. Bush Radio will be celebrating Ella’s 100th Birthday on CONNECTED 2 JAZZ, presented by Nigel Vermaas.
Aside from the music, there’ll be insights from Ella fans of the calibre of Gretchen Parlato, Siya Makuzeni, Melanie Scholtz and Kronendal Music Academy head, Dwyn Griesel.
Celebrate the First Lady of Song this Tuesday with Bush!
On CONNECTED 2 JAZZ, Nigel Vermaas’s Bush Radio 89.5FM show on Tuesday nights in December, he will be marking the centenaries of two music giants: Billy Strayhorn (born 29 November 1915) and Frank Sinatra (born 12 December 1915) Earlier this year CONNECTED 2 JAZZ marked the centenary of another great artist’s birth, Billie Holiday (born 7 April 1915)
Whereas the swaggering Sinatra, whose Hoboken roots never really left him, has been a household name for nearly 80 years, as famous for his love life, punch-ups and gangster connections as he was for his singing and acting talents, the refined Strayhorn is virtually unknown outside the jazz community.
Billy Strayhorn by William P. Gottlieb
Billy Strayhorn, who lived most of his working life in the shadow of Duke Ellington, was the writer and co-writer of many of the Ellington Orchestra’s most famous compositions, notably TAKE THE ‘A’ TRAIN. A discreetly but openly gay black man in a time when many opted for the closet, Strayhorn (‘Swee’pea’, as Duke called him) was also a brilliant orchestrater. The combination of the more flamboyant Ellington with the retiring Strayhorn produced some of the greatest works in jazz.
CONNECTED 2 JAZZ will honour Strayhorn on Tuesday 1 December from 8-10 p.m. on Bush Radio 89.5fm / http://www.bushradio.co.za
Frank Sinatra – arguably the greatest male singer in the history of popular music – may not have been a jazz vocalist as such but he certainly identified with jazz artists (particularly Billie Holiday and Tony Bennett) and used many jazz instrumentalists on his recordings and live gigs; and most jazz singers admire Sinatra.
CONNECTED 2 JAZZ pays tribute to the “Chairman of the Board’ on Tuesday 15 December from 8-10 p.m. on Bush Radio 89.5fm / http://www.bushradio.co.za
Sathima Bea Benjamin (17 October 1936 – 20 August 2013)
All of us at Bush Radio would like to share our condolences with all the family, friends and fans of Sathima Bea Benjamin who passed away yesterday. South African jazz singer and wife of pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, Sathima Bea Benjamin has died at the age of 76. Sathima was born in Johannesburg and raised in Cape Town.In the 1960’s Sathima and husband Abdullah Ibrahim moved between Europe and New York.
Trailer to the 2010 documentary on Sathima: “Sathima’s Windsong”
In 1979, she launched her own record label, Ekapa, primarily to produce and distribute her music. Between 1979 and 2002, she released eight albums: ‘Sathima Sings Ellington’, ‘Dedications’, ‘Memories and Dreams’, ‘Windsong’, ‘Lovelight’, ‘Southern Touch’, ‘Cape Town Love’, and ‘Musical Echoes’.
Jazz Specialist and Bush Radio presenter Nigel Vermaas said Sathima was one of the icons of South African Jazz, however she wasn’t that recognised in this country because she spent most of her career in the United States where she was highly valued.
Sathima and Bush Radio volunteer, Ronnie Green enjoying a laugh and a cup of tea at the station
In October 2004, South African president Thabo Mbeki bestowed upon her the Order of Ikhamanga Silver Award in recognition for her excellent contribution as a jazz artist in South Africa and internationally, as well as for her contribution to the struggle against apartheid. This year she received the Lifetime achievement award at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz.
Jazz educator and musician, Paul Sedres said Sathima was able, through her music, to represent a big sector of our population and the ideals that we wanted in terms of our social change during the apartheid era.
Sathima Bea Benjamin and Abdullah Ibrahim had two children Tsakwe and Tsidi (hip-hop artist Jean Grae).
Editor of the South African Association for Jazz Education, Diane Rossi said one of the highlights was when Sathima graced the Crypt Jazz restaurant stage on International Jazz Day this year, and in the audience were her family and fans.
On Friday the 9th of August (National Women’s Day) 2013, Bush Radio, Africa’s oldest volunteer driven community radio station celebrates 18 (legal) years on-air.
Nigel Vermaas (host of Connected 2 Jazz) produced three promos (audio) for the programme. We thought we would share them here too. The promos feature Bassie Montewa the current host of Backchat as well as Dr Jeanne du Toit, Brenda Leonard and Sue Valentine and Victor J.
On CONNECTED 2 JAZZ on Tuesday night at 8pm, 30th October, Nigel Vermaas will be devoting his whole show to singer Erika Lundi, whose excellent cd ERIKA LUNDI, FROM CAPE TOWN has been released on the Jazz Potjie label.
Erika sings jazz, rock, funk, soul, you name it, and has a great voice and a wonderful ear. “She should be far better known than she is”, says Nigel.
Erika will talk about her early days here and outside the country, and the crazy nature of “the jazz life”. Although she is intensely focussed on her music, Erika also loves to laugh – often at her own expense. “And she seems entirely without ego”, adds Nigel.
Her friend Michele Maxwell (well-known singer, pianist & actress) shares her insights about Erika, as does keyboard player and Jazz Potjie Producer Andreas Wellmann.
This two-hour-long feature will, of course, include lots of music, mainly Erika singing with musicians of the calibre of Mac McKenzie, George Werner, Hilton Schilder, James Kibby, Wesley Rustin, Andreas himself and many more, but there’ll also be a few tracks from U.S. artists who’ve influenced or mentored her, such as Nancy Wilson, Dizzy Gillespie and Kenny Barron.
“Whether she’s talking to you or singing, Erika really knows how to tell a story”, says Nigel, “and I know she’ll make this edition of CONNECTED 2 JAZZ a very special one.”
Billy Strayhorn by William P. Gottlieb
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