Jazz fest line-up announced

2009-11-18 22:50

Duncan Alfreds

Cape Town - The first half of the line-up confirmed for the Cape Town International Jazz Festival was announced in the city on Tuesday.

Festival director Rashid Lombard announced that there are plans to extend the free concert over four days and that the majority of the audience at this year's festival was from the Western Cape.

"It took us ten years to build the local audience," he said.

Festival organiser Billy Domingo expressed his disappointment that companies outside the country see more value in the festival than those in SA.

A study by Professor M Saayman Institute for Tourism and Leisure Studies North West University showed that the festival has an economic impact of R572m through the creation of about 1 000 jobs in the province.

Among the artist announced are jazz piano Grammy-winner McCoy Tyner, funk fusion band Mezzoforte and Jonathan Butler, who will perform with Rick Braun and Richard Elliot.

Ticket prices for the 2010 festival range from R330 for a day pass to R485 for a weekend pass. The second round of artist announcements will be made in early 2010.
 

- News24