Lee Thomson is a Cape Town based trumpet player who is well known for his cross-genre ventures and performances in bands like Hog Hoggidy Hog, Mix n Blend, We Set Sail, and Kesivan and The Lights, amongst others. He also sessions for Goodluck, Toya Delazy, Grassy Spark and many more.

Lee holds a degree in Jazz Performance from the University of Cape Town, and was a member of the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band. He regularly tours the world with his various projects, having played to audiences across Europe, India, Mexico, Reunion Island and South Africa.

We caught up with Lee to ask him a few questions in the lead up to his performance at the October edition of the First Thursdays Sessions.

Image by Laura Mccullagh

Let’s start at the beginning. Where did your love for music begin and what lead you to pursue the trumpet? I was always drawn to music as far back as I can remember, obsessed with choirs and the drums. My love for the trumpet started when I was lucky enough to see Hugh Masakela for the first time at Kippies in Joburg with my dad and my stepmom. That coupled with an opening trumpet slot when I was 14. My first teacher was Trumpet legend Ian Smith. He really inspired me to practice and take the instrument seriously.

You have a degree in Jazz Performance from UCT, but you’re also well known for performing in bands that fall outside of the jazz genre? How did the one lead to the other? For me music is music. If it moves me I aim to explore it. Jazz is definitely home base and has given me the tools to dive into all sorts of genres. I really do enjoy the variety both musically and culturally. From Jazz to Punk to Electronic music. I find being able to contribute across genres extremely satisfying.

Image by Gregory Franz

What is your experience of being a musician in South Africa right now? I love being a musician in South Africa. I get to play with world-class musicians on a weekly basis. I also get to play a lot of varied gigs which keeps things interesting. The jazz scene is thriving in Cape Town and there’s a real sense of community happening. You can see great jazz at least five times a week. I’m a full-time musician and don’t do anything else to make a living.

You recently came back from Europe where you performed at a bunch of shows and festivals? How would you compare playing abroad to playing locally? Going to Europe is as much about gigging as it is checking out new music and meeting new people. I look at it as an inspiration top-up. It’s different in the sense that there’s just more of everything. More festivals, more venues, more artists and more audience. Being there affords me the opportunity to check out my musical heroes and to collab with my peers. It also reaffirms that we have a world-class scene here in South Africa.

Image by Laura Mccullagh

What advice would you give to young jazz-influenced musicians looking to break into the local and international jazz scene? Travel a lot, stay humble, practice and always be open to new things!

Who’s doing interesting stuff on the local scene that you’d recommend checking out? I’m really enjoying the Unity Band and really love what Mandisi Dynatyis is doing. If you haven’t checked them out please do! Really exciting stuff!

Image by Laura Mccullagh

Top 5 desert island albums (of any genre)?
Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
Felix Laband – Deaf Safari
Pat Metheny – One Quiet Night
Dave Douglas – Poses
Bonobo – The North Borders

Where can people follow your musical movements and find more of your music?
https://www.instagram.com/leelips
https://www.facebook.com/leethomsonband

Lee Thomson will be taking the stage together with Jason Reolon on keys and Jonno Sweetman on drums at the fifth edition of the First Thursdays Sessions on Thursday 3 October 2019. The performance starts at 9pm, followed by a vinyl set by DJ Mighty from 10pm. Upstairs at the Gin Bar, 64a Wale Street. The Spring season of the First Thursdays Sessions is presented by Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whisky and produced by Thursdays Projects.
 Event staging provided by LEVO Staging & Audio.

Tefo “Talking Drum” Mahola is a young up and coming multi-talented drummer, pianist, arranger, composer and poet in the world of music hailing from Gugulethu, Cape Town.

His ear for music, love for playing new ideas and constant hunger for pushing to newer levels brings about a truly fresh and cooking sound. His music career has barely started, having already done tours and festivals like Rocking the Daisies, Cape Town Jazz Festival, Oslo Jazz Festival and Muizenberg Jazz Festival to name a few, playing with many musical greats.

Tefo was recently chosen in a program by the EU called MAISHA, where 6 Africans and 6 Europeans were chosen in an intense 2 week collaboration between cultures and indigenous instruments with the end goal of putting together an album and performing live in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in May 2019. He has recently toured in Hungary with Fatime and her Kolibri in July, visiting all the cities in and around the country.

Although he plays in many styles and genres, his most enjoyed genre to play is jazz. His compositional work depicts that of jazz with all influences of music incorporated within. Tefo Mahola performs original music accompanied by poetry and stories.

We asked Tefo a few questions in the lead up to his performance at the First Thursdays Sessions.

Where did your love for playing music begin? And how did you end up on the drums? It all started in primary school when I started acting and doing dance, I later changed schools to one that focussed on music, where I discovered a piano. In high school, I auditioned for the piano and was asked if there was another instrument I’d love to try out, and little 13 year old me saw the drum set and it was love at first sight.

You’ve played at the First Thursdays Sessions before, with Keegan Steenkamp back in June. It’s always great to see jazz musicians popping up in different bands and projects. Who else do you play with regularly or what other groups or projects are you a part of? I play with bands such as MSMF, a fresh upcoming jazz quartet with my good friends, also with Thembelihle Dunjana, Malek and the THUNDERTONES to name a few.

The Talking Drum Clan is something a bit different – mixing jazz and poetry. How did the project come about? It was actually a sound I was looking for, and through life I’ve been grateful to come across and play with musicians who’ve helped me get to this point. I’ve also had a strong influence in my family with many poets, visual artists and musicians of all styles.

We hear you have some new music coming out soon. Can you tell us a bit more about that? Yes, I have an album that I am currently busy writing before hitting the studio with my 7 piece band. It’s all really compositions of mine that I’ve written this year, and it’s been a long time coming I guess since I’ve been writing and have tons of songs. I feel that the tunes I’ve already written will rather be released in forthcoming albums and rather have a beacon of where my life is this year, which is why I’ll be featuring new compositions.

What is your general experience of being a jazz musician in South Africa in 2019? It’s quite a lot. It’s a bumpy and happy sad journey filled with beautiful faces and experiences, and I’m grateful for the fact that I’m in this industry. This year has and is still promising a lot for Jazz and I’m excited to be a musician at this time.

What advice would you give to young jazz-influenced musicians looking to break into the local and international jazz scene? Believe. Be grateful. Be positive.

Who’s doing interesting stuff on the local scene that you’d recommend checking out? Unity band is doing great, and lumanyano himself being a drummer and friend of mine is really inspiring me to get out and record, as he’s recently released his new album. Check him out!

Top 5 desert island albums (of any genre)?
Kind of blue – miles Davis
Brian Blade – body and shadow
Mama’s gun – Erykah Badu
John Coltrane – my favorite things
Christian Scott – yesterday you said tomorrow

The Talking Drum Clan will be taking the stage at the fourth edition of the First Thursdays Sessions on Thursday 5 September 2019. The performance starts at 9pm followed with a DJ set by ROASTIN’ RECORDS from 10pm. Upstairs at the Gin Bar, 64a Wale Street. The First Thursdays Sessions are presented by Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whisky and produced by Thursdays Projects.