On 20 November 2010, Cape Dutch Connection will perform a special concert as a tribute to Alex van Heerden, a member of the jazz band who died tragically in January last year in a car accident. Alex would have celebrated his 36th birthday three days later on 23 November.
The concert will take place at the Saronsberg Theatre in Tulbagh, where Alex spent five years of his life with his father Lex in an historical Victorian house were Alex had a studio.
Says Lex van Heerden: “He was a wonderful son and we had a totally straightforward and honest relationship. His word was his honour. He also had a great sense of humour and would laugh easily. He taught me how to laugh. We used to have lunch together every day.”
He composed of lot of electronic and bush orientated music and explored many types of music, calling himself the “frontier rogue”. He loved the Karoo and used the click sounds of the bushmen and other Karoo nature sounds like wind and insect calls in his music.
When he became more involved in electronic music he travelled to Stockholm, Sweden, to work with Hakan Lidbo who said of him: "Alex is the most musical person I've ever met in my 15 years as a producer. He is made of music and can make anything sound beautiful.”
In 2004 Alex was introduced to Derk Blaisse and the Franschhoek-based jazz band, Cape Dutch Connection.
Says band leader Derk Blaisse: "Alex had a love-hate relationship with traditional jazz. He only knew a few traditional jazz songs when he joined us, but soon began to enjoy our regular Friday gigs. Thanks to his fabulous talent he learned the songs and performed brilliantly on the trumpet, as a vocalist and also on his accordion. He soon had a repertoire of over 100 songs.”
Alex was also very interested in the Cape Vastrap, which unites Khoesan trance-dance with Dutch folk music and is played on anything - concertinas, home-made violins, banjos and 'blik-kitaars'; and Goema, the unique music of Cape Town City. He played this music with his band, The Gramadoelas, but from time to time he also performed this type of music with Cape Dutch Connection and earned himself the nickname "Alex Vastrap van Heerden".
It was pure coincidence that a few days before his death a live recording was made of the band featuring Alex and guest soloists.
The band decided to make a CD of the live recording in recognition of Alex’s extraordinary talent and contribution to the band and as a farewell to their beloved colleague. The CD "Tribute to Alex van Heerden" will be sold at the concert at just R50, which is half the normal retail price.
Cape Dutch Connection with vocalist Charlette Dickson, Basil Moses double bass, drummer Jack Momple, Derk Blaisse on piano and Len Richey on saxophone.
The band plays jazz in the style of Benny Goodman, George Gershwin and Cole Porter as well as Brazilian Bossa Nova’s in the style of Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto, and even some Cape Goema.
To book for the special concert Tribute to Alex van Heerden, call 023 230 1782 or 082 494 7777. Tickets are R120. For more information visit www.capedutchconnection.co.za.
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