Skyjack is a collaborative band of five musicians from South Africa and Switzerland, brought together in 2013 by the common thread in their respective styles.  Their first shows together were on a South African tour in 2013, leading up to the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown for Shane Cooper’s Young Artist Award showcase.  Since then they have done two tours in Switzerland, and in 2015 they won the prestigious BeJazz TransNational competition, bringing them back to perform at BeJazz Winterfestival in 2016 in Berne.

The three South African musicians are all previous winners of the Standard Bank Young Artist Award. With Shane Cooper on double bass, Kyle Shepherd on piano, and Kesivan Naidoo on drums.  This tour will also be the first time Kesivan performs on home soil since completing his Masters Degree at Berklee College of Music in Boston this year.

The Swiss musicians are some of the most sought-after jazz musicians in Switzerland – Marc Stucki on tenor saxophone, and Andreas Tschopp on trombone.  Andreas is currently on a three-month residency in South Africa, and has already collaborated with Carlo Mombelli, and Herbie Tsoaeli.  Marc Stucki  runs a small concert venue in Berne called the Sonarraum U64, and is a co-founder of the festival Jazzwerkstatt Bern.

Each musician contributes to the group as a composer, creating a wide pallet of sound that draws from various cultural influences, concentrated into a modern jazz aesthetic.

In 2015 they recorded their debut self-titled album in Switzerland.

In September 2016, with the support of Pro Helvetia, the Swiss Arts Council and Concerts SA, they will launch the CD on a nation-wide tour of South Africa.

Tour schedule

Wednesday 7 Sept
UKZN Centre For Jazz and Popular Music, Durban
17h30 for 18h00; R60 (pensioners R40, students R20)

Thursday 8 Sept
Afrikan Freedom Station, Johannesburg
20h00; R80

Friday 9 September
The Orbit, Johannesburg
20h30; R180

Saturday 10 September
The Orbit, Johannesburg
20h30
R180

Sunday 11 September
Cape Gate MIAGI, Soweto
16h00
R80

Tuesday 13 September
Muse, Knysna
20h00 for 20h30
R150

Wednesday 14 September
Stirling Auditorium, East London
19h00
R100

Thursday 15 September
The Black Box, Port Elizabeth
20h00
R120

Friday 16 September
Reeler Theatre, Rondebosch, Cape Town
20h00
R100

Saturday 17 September
Blah Blah Bar, Cape Town
20h00
R100

Sunday 18 September
KwaSec, Gugulethu
15h00
R60

For more info, or videos and music visit www.skyjackmusic.com