In association with Concerts SA and Luthuli Museum, iSupport Music Business brings you bassist Lex Futshane, from Wednesday 28 February until Saturday 4 March. He will be performing at UKZN’s Centre for Jazz & Popular Music, The Jazzy Rainbow and The Chairman in Durban and Luthuli Museum in Groutville.
Lex Futshane is an internationally proclaimed electric and acoustic bassist, prolific composer, arranger, performer and educator. This music graduate from the University of Kwazulu-Natal currently teaches bass and manages a teacher training programme at the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company. Futshane is a founder member, composer and arranger of “Bassment”- a 12 double bass ensemble comprising of 6 Jazz and 6 Classical bassists, a first in Africa. His LEXtet is an exciting ensemble playing his own compositions and arrangements of local and international jazz standards. The band has just released an album of Lex’s compositions titled “Innocent Victims and Perpetrators.” Apart from touring with the LEXtet, he plays in the Ingqungquthela (Summit) which is a collaboration with renowned saxophonist McCoy Mrubata.
He has toured and performed extensively in countries such as Swaziland, Zambia, Maputo, USA, Cuba, Korea, UK and Germany, to name a few. Since establishing himself as a renowned bassist he has worked with, amongst others, Winston “Mankunku” Ngozi, Rashied Lanie, Bheki Khoza, Bheki Mseleku, Ezra Ngcukana, Ulrich Sussie and Brice Wassy.
Lex has performed in many local and international festivals including the Grahamstown Art Festival, Arts Alive, Joy of Jazz, Bath International Music Festival in the United Kingdom, IAJE in the United States of America and in Seoul, South Korea. He played bass and co-arranged on many recordings such as “Art Gecko” by Counterculture, “Durban Noise” by Jurgen Braunninger, “African Tributes by the NU Jazz Connection, “Old Blue Balls Is Back” by Felema and “Before it’s too late” by Darius Brubeck.
The LEXtet, which varies from a duo to a small big band, also provides music for corporate events inside and outside the country. Amongst others, the LEXtet played at the launch of iBurst, Telkom tower in Tshwane, Cell C, BMW, Linde, Climate Leadership Awards, Telkom launch in Zambia and Sizwe Medical Fund as well as for patrons at private venues.
For his tour in KwaZulu Natal joining Futshane will be Zoetheseed on vocals, Neil Gonsalves on keys and Sbu Zondi on drums.
This concert is part of the Concerts SA Venue Circuit that aims to foster a love and support for live music in our communities, as well as anchor small and medium sized venues in urban and rural Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape. 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 http://twitter.com/ConcertsSA or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ConcertsSA.
Wednesday 28 February
Lex Futshane at Centre for Jazz & Popular Music
University of Kwazulu Natal, Howard College
Doors 5.30pm // Performance: 6pm
R80 general entry // R50 pensioners // R25 students
Thursday 1 March
Lex Futshane at The Chairman
Mahatma Ghandi Road
10pm
R150 general entry
Friday 2 March
Lex Futshane at Luthuli Museum
Groutville
11am closed performance for schools
Doors 6pm // Performance 7pm
R30 general entry
Saturday 3 March
Lex Futshane Trio at The Jazzy Rainbow
Doors: 7pm
Tickets: R100 incl. free drink
