Brian Abrahams (born 26 June 1947 in
Cape Town
Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second larges ...
, South Africa)
is a South African
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...
drummer
A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drums.
Most contemporary western bands that play rock, pop, jazz, or R&B music include a drummer for purposes including timekeeping and embellishing the musical timbre. The drummer' ...
and
vocalist
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...
.
Early life
Abrahams started working as a singer with local bands in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...
in the 1970s.
Abrahams participated in a gig in
Swaziland
Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...
as drummer for
Sarah Vaughan and
Nancy Wilson. In 1975 he moved to the United Kingdom, where he gained his recognition.
Musical career
Abrahams has worked with groups and artists such as
Abdullah Ibrahim
Abdullah Ibrahim (born Adolph Johannes Brand on 9 October 1934 and formerly known as Dollar Brand) is a South African pianist and composer. His music reflects many of the musical influences of his childhood in the multicultural port areas of Cap ...
,
Dudu Pukwana
Mthutuzeli Dudu Pukwana (18 July 1938 – 30 June 1990) was a South African saxophonist, composer and pianist (although not known for his piano playing).
Early years in South Africa
Dudu Pukwana was born in Walmer Township, Port Elizabeth, ...
,
Ronnie Scott
Ronnie may refer to:
*Ronnie (name), a unisex pet name and given name
* "Ronnie" (Four Seasons song), a song by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe
*"Ronnie," a song from the Metallica album '' Load''
*Ronnie Brunswijkstadion, an association football stadium ...
,
John Taylor John Taylor, Johnny Taylor or similar may refer to:
Academics
*John Taylor (Oxford), Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, 1486–1487
*John Taylor (classical scholar) (1704–1766), English classical scholar
*John Taylor (English publisher) (178 ...
,
Johnny Dyani
Johnny Mbizo Dyani (30 November 1945 – 24 October 1986) was a South African jazz double bassist, vocalist and pianist, who, in addition to being a key member of The Blue Notes, played with such international musicians as Don Cherry, Steve La ...
,
Brotherhood of Breath
The Brotherhood of Breath was an English-South African big band established in the late-1960s by South African pianist and composer Chris McGregor, an extension of McGregor's previous band, The Blue Notes.
History
The Brotherhood of Breath in ...
,
Jim Pepper
Jim Gilbert Pepper II (June 18, 1941 – February 10, 1992) was a jazz saxophonist, composer and singer of Kaw and Muscogee Creek Native American heritage. He moved to New York City in 1964, where he came to prominence in the late 1960s as a me ...
,
Dewey Redman
Walter Dewey Redman (May 17, 1931 – September 2, 2006) was an American saxophonist who performed free jazz as a bandleader and with Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett.
Redman mainly played tenor saxophone, though he occasionally also played ...
,
Mal Waldron
Malcolm Earl "Mal" Waldron (August 16, 1925 – December 2, 2002) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He started playing professionally in New York in 1950, after graduating from college. In the following dozen years or so Wa ...
,
Archie Shepp
Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz.
Biography Early life
Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...
, and
Courtney Pine
Courtney Pine, (born 18 March 1964), is a British jazz musician, who was the principal founder in the 1980s of the black British band the Jazz Warriors. Although known primarily for his saxophone playing, Pine is a multi-instrumentalist, also ...
.
During the 1980s Abrahams founded his own group,
District Six
District Six (Afrikaans ''Distrik Ses'') is a former inner-city residential area in Cape Town, South Africa. Over 60,000 of its inhabitants were forcibly removed during the 1970s by the apartheid regime.
The area of District Six is now ...
. In 1988 he joined the band Ekaya, which was founded by
Abdullah Ibrahim
Abdullah Ibrahim (born Adolph Johannes Brand on 9 October 1934 and formerly known as Dollar Brand) is a South African pianist and composer. His music reflects many of the musical influences of his childhood in the multicultural port areas of Cap ...
. He joined
Grand Union Orchestra
Grand Union Orchestra, also known as The Grand Union, is a multicultural world jazz ensemble based in London. It has been performing, touring and recording large-scale shows for over 30 years and is well known for its educational work.
Biography ...
in 1992 and has been working on projects led by
Tony Haynes.
Abrahams re-formed District Six in Melbourne, Australia in 2009 for a performance at Dizzy's Jazz Club featuring Tony Hicks (tenor saxophone),
John McAll
John McAll is a pianist, composer, arranger and producer with experience ranging from jazz, pop, blues, rock contemporary classical, afrobeat and theatre.
John McAll graduated with a Bachelor of Arts University of Melbourne Faculty of VCA and ...
(piano), Zvi Belling (bass), Cameron McAlister (trumpet) and Brian Abrahams (drums). District Six performed at the Wangaratta Jazz Festival in November 2009.
Abrahams currently lives and works in Melbourne and is a tutor for aspiring jazz students at the
Australian Jazz Museum
The Australian Jazz Museum (AJM), incorporating the Victorian Jazz Archive (VJA), is located in Wantirna, Victoria. It is an incorporated association arising out of a meeting held in Sydney on 23 June 1996 to address the growing concern among ...
.
Discography
*''Imgoma Yabantwana'' (D6 Records)
*''To Be Free'' (EG Editions Jazz)
*''Force of Nature'' (Reel Recordings) w/ Mike Osborne
*''The Rhythm Of Tides'' (RedGold Records, 1997) w/ Grand Union Orchestra
*''Now Comes The Dragon's Hour'' (RedGold Records, 2002) w/ Grand Union Orchestra
*''12 For 12'' (RedGold Records, 2011) w/ Grand Union Orchestra
*''If Paradise'' (RedGold Records, 2011) w/ Grand Union Orchestra
Notes
References
*
*
*
1947 births
Living people
South African jazz drummers
Avant-garde jazz drummers
20th-century South African musicians
21st-century South African musicians
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