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South African Pianist Jason Reolon Interviewed at All About Jazz...And More!

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South Africa may well be in the midst of its third jazz renaissance. While the late 1950s saw the rise of legendary artists such as Kippie Moeketsi, Abdullah Ibrahim, and Philip Tabane, the early 1990s marked the emergence of trailblazers Moses Taiwa Molelekwa and Zim Ngqawana. The past five years have born witness to a surge of local jazz talent, as charismatic young musicians draw upon a wide range of inspirations and set a new precedent for instrumental prowess and melodic insight.

It is within this cast of artists that the Cape Town-based pianist and composer Jason Reolon has emerged as a leading exponent of the new music. Debuting on the scene in 1999 with the popular jazz ensemble Breakfast Included, Reolon has gone on to perform in vital Cape Town bands including Billy Iuso & Restless Natives, Search Party, and the Iridium Project, in addition to fronting his own ensemble. With Outline (Self Produced, 2011), Reolon has cemented his reputation as a remarkable pianist and improviser, and one of the most gifted composers in South Africa today.

Seton Hawkins spoke with Reolon about growing up in a musical family, coming to fame in his native South Africa as a member of Breakfast Included ("kind of like a mini-The Beatles for jazz") and promoting his latest CD as a leader, Outline (Self Produced, 2011). Read all about that and more in Seton's comprehensive interview, Jason Reolon: Raising the Bar, published today at All About Jazz.

But there's more. To celebrate the release of Outline, AAJ is bringing you additional features:

Download the title track to Outline, today's Download of the Day;

Watch Reolon, along with the Mannenberg All Stars, performing an updated version of Abdullah Ibrahim's classic “Mannenberg," produced and arranged by the pianist, as part of the Loerie Awards for advertising, held at the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town on the 25th September, 2009.

All About Jazz is committed to bringing you the most extensive coverage anywhere, so be sure to check out all the buzz about Jason Reolon and Outline at AAJ today!

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