Carlo Mombelli Angels and Demons Tour in association with Concerts SA
In association with Concerts SA, South African bassist and composer Carlo Mombelli presents his Angels and Demons tour.
Music extraordinaire Mombelli is joined by an impressive trio of jazz luminaries: Kyle Shepherd on piano, Keenan Chas Ahrends on guitar, and Jonno Sweetman on drums.
The accomplished quartet will play two shows at Johannesburg’s premiere jazz club, The Orbit, before heading to the Western Cape for several shows in Cape Town, Kalk Bay and Stellenbosch.
I Pressed My Spine To The Ground, Mombelli’s latest recording was chosen by the BBC 3 late junction as one of their top 12 picks for 2016 played on the BBC late junction evening radio, London.
Asked about this tour, Mombelli says:
“My new project is about my on-going search to create works of beauty between my Angels and Demons, works that explode out of these two opposites. It is an exploration of the positives and negatives of everything. Striving for beauty in my art is my life-long quest and I put my projects together for this end.”
“This is the next period of my art in my compositional and performance career. I want to record the band at the end very soon, so to have the opportunity to perform as many times as possible in a short space of time will solidify the music and prepare us for the recording”,
Mombelli says.
Mombelli’s purpose with the project is to tell a story.
"It is a story. At the end of a performance, the audience raptures into applause or is in dead silence because the energy of the concept of the band is spiritual. I am always trying to find the spiritual element in music."
Carlo Mombelli ‘Angels and Demons’ Tour is supported by Concerts SA through the Music Mobility Fund, a funding mechanism which offers opportunities for South African musicians to undertake live music tours.
About Carlo Mombelli
Carlo Mombelli started his professional playing career in the band of one of South Africa’s most important jazz guitarists, the late Johnny Fourie. In 1985 Carlo started the group ‘Abstractions’ developing and performing his original compositions at weekly gigs in downtown Johannesburg clubs like Jameson’s and Kippies, as well as a weekly midnight solo bass set at the Black Sun in Berea. His band Abstractions recorded for Shifty records. Carlo has since recorded and performed at many festivals around the world, including the Rome International Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival, the Stockholm Jazz Festival, the Moers and the ‘Leipziger Jazztage’ festivals in Germany, as well as the Paris Banlieues Bleues festival, with amongst others, Egberto Gismonti, Lee Konitz, Mick Goodrick, Charlie Mariano, and the ‘Ethel String Quartet’. Back home he can be heard as a bassist on many South African recordings with amongst others, Tony Cox, Johnny Fourie, Tlale Makhene, Zim Ngqawana, Marcus Wyatt, Simphiwe Dana, Sibongile Khumalo and Miriam Makeba. Besides the many ballets that have been choreographed to his music, he has also recorded several CD’s and DVD’s of his own works and has been nominated three times for a SAMA (South African Music Awards). He has given composition and performance workshops around the world from the Munich Richard Strauss Conservatory to the ‘Berklee College of Music’ in Boston, USA. Carlo’s book ‘Mombelli’s Intergalactic Bass Program – Volume 1’ 2012, is published by Real African Publishers, Johannesburg and "Intergalactic Bass" is published and distributed internationally by Hal Leonard Publishing. Carlo currently teaches jazz studies and composition at The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) Johannesburg, where he received his doctorate in composition (DMus) in 2009.
About Concerts SA
Concerts SA is a joint South African/Norwegian live music development project housed within the SAMRO Foundation. Concerts SA receives financial, administrative and technical support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SAMRO, the SAMRO Foundation and Concerts Norway. Working with musicians, promoters, venue owners and audiences, and providing support to the sector through research and skills development for music professionals, the project aims to build a vibrant and viable live music circuit in southern Africa. It also aims to develop an interest in and appreciation of live music by showcasing music performances and conducting workshops at schools. For more information please visit our website http://concertssa.co.za, follow @ConcertsSA on Twitter at twitter.com/ConcertsSA or like us on Facebook at facebook.com/ConcertsSA.
