In the context of a two week research residency, jazz artists Andile Yenana (piano), Siyasanga Charles (trombone) and Marcus Wyatt (trumpet and flugel horn)  will be performing at the European Conference on African Studies to be held in Basel from 29 June to 1 July 2017.

The will be be in at least three different outfits ranging from the small big band (Blue Notes Tribute) via sextet to a variety of smaller outfits.

It builds on ongoing collaboration between South African and Swiss musicians and will feature the release of a new CD based on a past residency by Wyatt  in 2012,  as well as the recording of a new project by Yenana.

The research residency at the Bird’s Eye Jazz Club in Basel follows up, on the one hand, on a first visit of Andile Yenana to Basel in October 2016 when he stayed at the Musikerwohnhaus for a short ten days, explored the Basel jazz scene, performed in a quartet with Domenic Landolf (tenor), Patrice Moret (bass) and Michi Stutz (drums) and discussed ideas for duo performances with Stephan Kurmann (bass) and Dominic Egli (drums) respectively.

A plan was made to return to Basel for an extended period in June/July 2017, performing with the same musicians in quintet and duo format and documenting the project in a studio recording.

On the other hand, it also builds on a residency in May 2012 of Marcus Wyatt at the Bird’s Eye Jazz Club during which he performed in various outfits, among them the Marcus Wyatt Quartet with Domenic Landolf (tenor), Bänz Oester (bass) and Dominic Egli (drums) which resultet in the recording One Life in the Sun and a Blue Notes Tribute Orkestra with Domenic Landolf (tenor), Donat Fisch (alto), Siyavuya Makuzeni (trombone), Afrika Mkhize (piano), Fabian Gisler (bass) and Dominic Egli (drums), the life recording of which will be released in 2017 to be launched during the projected residency.