Hazendal Jazz Club- Michael Bester

Wed Jan 27, 17:00 - Wed Jan 27, 22:00

Hazendal Wine Estate

ABOUT

The 2021 programme for the Hazendal Jazz Club kicks off with an unmissable live performance from Michael Bester, one of the most exciting performers on the South African jazz landscape. Bester will be delighting the audience with original compositions from his debut album, ‘Now, not yet’.


Bester studied jazz guitar at the University of Cape Town, before a 2008 scholarship saw him jetting off to New York to continue his studies and broaden his experience on the stage. In the years since then, Bester has recorded and performed with a remarkable diversity of artists, from Mango Groove to Lira and Loyiso Bala. In 2017 he delved even deeper into his craft, completing a Master of Music in Contemporary Performance at the renowned Berklee College of Music campus in Valencia, Spain.


“This year in Spain had a profound impact on my artistic identity and my composition process and much of the inspiration for the writing of the music on the album is thanks to that experience,” says Bester. Blurring the lines between genres – jazz, rock, folk and world music combine seamlessly – the music on ‘Now, not yet’ explores the tensions in modern-day life; between the realities we face and the ideals we strive for, particularly in the artist’s experience of striving for more in the creative process. Musically, those tensions are explored in complex rhythmic and harmonic foundations, paired with strong and simple melodies. Together, they create a unique canvas for dialogue between the musicians.


On stage at Hazendal Bester will be joined by a formidable collection of musicians, a world-class band including some of South Africa’s most exciting jazz talents: the likes of Buddy Wells on saxophone, Kingsley Buitendag on piano, Stephen De Souza on bass and Unity Mzi on drums.


Join us at the Hazendal Jazz Club for what will certainly be an evening to remember. Enjoy the captivating musical creations of Michael Bester, while sipping on Hazendal’s award-winning terroir-driven wines, and enjoying a bespoke menu of contemporary cuisine.

DIRECTIONS

Hazendal Jazz Club- Michael Bester
Hazendal Wine Estate
Bottelary Rd, Stellenbosch, 7599
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