Qwati

Bio:

Qwati is the first full collaboration of South African saxophonist Ntshuks Bonga and Englsih wunder-pianist Alexander Hawkins and is an expression of their shared love of the whole tradition of South African music, and particularly the South African take on the Ellington / Strayhorn songbook as played by artists like the great Abdullah Ibrahim and Kippie Moeketsi.

The spirit of the music moves from the turbulent Chris McGregor tradition, the sumptuous Ellingotn forays of Abdullah Ibrahim & Kippie Moeketis, and includes SA jazz & mbaqanga standards by Mankunku Ngozi, Phu'ekhemisi and a few other surprises.

Music for the soul, without being too sweet!

Review by Chris Parker of Vortex gig 15th Jan 2009

Like McGregor, and Bonga's great inspirations Dudu Pukwana and Kippie Moeketsi, Qwati gravitate towards the free end of jazz, so alongside the saxophonist were some leading exponents of the form, trumpeter Claude Deppa, pianist Alexander Hawkins, tuba player Oren Marshall and drummer Mark Sanders. In an interview with Wire magazine shortly after Bonga's album Urban Ritual was released on Slam in 1995, the alto player cites Albert Ayler and Peter Brötzmann as important additional influences on his playing style, and characterises his approach as 'all improvised', but allowing 'more things in than some of the more abstract players might do'.

Accordingly, for the most part (an alto/piano duo, Billy Strayhorn's 'Lush Life', a delightfully eccentric exception) Qwati would establish a jauntily lively rhythm with a harmonised theme from the horns, then allow individual soloists free rein to explore all its rhythmic and melodic possibilities.

Bonga and Deppa are an extremely compatible front line, their adventurous and impassioned playing constantly pushing at the tunes' boundaries – Bonga all grainy, declamatory power, Deppa alternately pleasingly woozy and stirringly strident – but Hawkins, too, provided some memorable moments, either clattering tastefully across the beat or suddenly reaching inside the piano to provide extra textural variety to the sound mix.

Underneath this infectious mélange of freedom and structure, Marshall for the most part played his customary selfless role, providing the repeated bass figures that held the music together, but he too was able to insert some extraordinary solos into the performance, full of deep rumbles, soft purrings and a plethora of other effects; with Sanders driving the band with his trademark mix of vigour and controlled power, this was an irresistibly enjoyable, but consistently musicianly gig.

Review by Paul Medley - July 30th 2009 Oxford Times

Qwati: North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford

Qwati is the result of a collaboration between South African alto saxophonist Ntshuks Bonga and Oxford-based pianist Alex Hawkins. Both have a love for the lilting sounds of South African music made popular by Abdullah Ibrahim and others and both also have a strong association with free improvisation. The result is a group that creates music from the sounds of South Africa and then injects a thick vein of free improv by allowing soloists to move into regions well outside the expected, tonally and harmonically.

In many ways the rolling bass lines and densely harmonised but rather linear tunes from South Africa make an ideal fermenting box for further ideas as soloists are not pinned down by a strict chordal structure.

Joined by Gail Brand on trombone, another player with a strong free improv background, Mark Saunders on drums and Andy Grappy on tuba Qwati played an evening of hugely uplifting music with a mix of original tunes, scored pieces and a delightful moment of Ellington/Strayhorn. Alex Hawkins is a pianist with such a powerful technique it is sometimes in danger of running out of control but here he was both intense and playful encompassing an extraordinary breadth of moods and approaches. His duet with Gail Brand in Star Crossed Lovers showed his love and respect for Ellington (or is it Strayhorn?). Brand is a great partner to Bonga. Both approach their solos with feistiness and yearning mixed with rough blasts of more extreme blowing. Grappy’s tuba lines, which gives the group the organic feel of a street band, were faultless while Mark Saunders played with his characteristic mix of driving precision and colour. Bonga’s alto moves between an almost straight interpretation of the tunes through to the honks and wails from the other side of his musical character. He has the often lost ability to arouse meaning and emotion without a welter of notes.

Qwati are soon to bring out an album including the group’s original horn player, the great Claude Deppa alongside Brand and Bonga with Oren Marshall taking the tuba slot. This is something to look out for along with Hawkins’s own new album shortly to be launched at the Vortex.

Member Since:

Members:

Ntshuks Bonga (Alto Sax)

Claude Deppa (Trumpet)

Gail Brand (Trombone)

Alexander Hawkins (Piano)

Oren Marshall (Tuba) / Andy Grappy (Tuba)

Mark Sanders (Drums)

Photos: Edu Hawkins

Influences:

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