The GENERATIONS OF JAZZ Exhibition!

"The International Library of African Music (ILAM) - Red Location Music History Project" is an oral history and community outreach project conducted cooperatively between ILAM and the Red Location Museum. The Project was funded by the National Heritage Council (2009-10) and subsequently by the Rhodes University Mellon Foundation Jazz Heritage Project (2012) and South African Post Office (2013).

An air of urgency exists with the work involved because of the lack of prior research on the unique history of jazz in New Brighton and surrounding areas and the need to document it before it is lost due to the passing on of people possessing the knowledge. Oral history interviews were conducted throughout 2009-10 and 2012-13 with veteran jazz artists Dudley Tito and Patrick Pasha serving as research assistants.

The Project’s outreach and education goal in 2009 -10 was to educate young community musicians in jazz performance by sponsoring bi-monthly Saturday morning workshops at the Red Location Museum with veteran jazz artists teaching community youth to play jazz. This endeavor culminated in the ‘Jazz Heritage Concert’ 27 March 2010 and the documentary concert DVD produced by ILAM. The concert DVD showcases three generations of local jazz musicians and is testimony to the uniquely high quality of jazz performance in this community.

The Project’s second outreach and education goal has been production of this richly illustrated, contextualized “Generations of Jazz” exhibition for the Red Location Museum. Project coordinator, Prof. Diane Thram, has curated the exhibition with assistance from Red Location Museum curator Christopher du Preez, ILAM sound engineer and video editor, Elijah Madiba and graphic designer, Catherine Lambley. Decade by decade historical information, portraits of major local artists, listening stations and video presentations – all drawn from Project research - are intended to breathe life into the rich history and musicianship of the local jazz scene.

The exhibit catalogue, Generations of Jazz compiled and edited by Diane Thram, contains images and articles about jazz in New Brighton, its artists and their unique contribution to South African jazz.

For media enquiries, please feel free to contact the Red Location Museum's Curator:

Christopher du Preez

L 0414088400 | E cdupreez@mandelametro.gov.za