|
contents | jazz | |||||||||||||
| Sathima Bea Benjamin's 70th Birthday Concert at Sweet Rhythm Legendary vocalist Sathima Bea Benjamin celebrates her 70th birthday as well as the release of her compilation album SongSpirit with a performance at New York's Sweet Rhythm Jazz Club on Tuesday, October 17 2006 featuring Onaje Allan Gumbs, Buster Williams, and Victor Lewis. Originally from Cape Town, Sathima Bea Benjamin is one of South Africa's musical treasures, and has over the years established herself as one of the greatest living jazz singers in the world, having worked with such musical legends as Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, and her husband, Abdullah Ibrahim. Throughout her career, Sathima has recorded 11 albums, earned a Grammy nomination, and received in 2004 the Order of Ikhamanga, South Africa's highest honor. As a singer, Sathima's interpretations of standards have earned her a devoted audience and the highest praise of critics. Jules Epstein of the Philadelphia Tribune writes, "there may be ten great jazz singers alive today, and Sathima Bea Benjamin is unquestionably one." In Jazztimes, Robin D.G. Kelley described Sathima as "South Africa's greatest jazz singer and one of the best the world has ever known." Also on October 17, Sathima's latest album, the compilation SongSpirit, will be released. Compiling 11 of her greatest recorded tracks, as well as a previously unreleased duet with Abdullah Ibrahim, SongSpirit also features performances by Duke Ellington, Kenny Barron, Buster Williams, Carlos Ward, and many more. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |