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Title page, foreword, introduction, themes, and artists

Title page.

Theme List

Artist list

These musicians teach, mentor, and tell about wide influences and a range of options that have helped grow their musical styles. Free expression, both chordal and harmonic, is more disciplined, yet allows for both the traditional spirituality nuances to flourish while seeking their modern identities, purpose, and place in this world. [See article and artist lists under Background]

Carol Martin loves jazz and enjoys getting to know the musician’s story, the how’s and why’s of developing this artistry. She writes these stories, not to critique or ‘review’ the artistry, but to highlight what drives or motivates the artist to do what she/he does in this type of South African music. Why THAT sound and where does it come from?
Some 180 articles, written over a 12 year period (2012-2025), posted mainly on the All Jazz Radio Internet Radio website Blog, contained her interviews and discussions with musicians about their journeys in improvisational jazz expression that represents the various ‘moods and styles’ they personally encounter and put forward. She has recorded what they would like to reveal, and has narrowed down this collection to 150 articles which tell their stories. [See more under Background]

Young music graduates from schools of music explore new themes and experiment with combinations of band styles with fellow musicians. They respect diversity but desire to break out of older, set norms. They zestfully experiment, fly wings, and examine whether ethnicity or the oneness of humanity is more important. Some not-so-young artists have found their voices and are leading others, but their purpose is to continue that journey. [See article and artist lists under Background]

Themes that are prevalent in the local music industry often appear in the artists’ compositions: of sexist portrayal, male hierarchical attitudes, and even gender-based violence issues, economic exploitations, etc. [See article and artist lists under Background]

Formal and informal learning programs started to flourish with more trained music teachers in High Schools and at Tertiary levels, as well as at community levels where social development and mental health issues among youth called them towards arts training as a respite from the social ills they lived with daily. Initiatives like Youth Music Programs, and various Cultural and Music Festivals held throughout the year, often with their appending Conferences, all provided learning and mentorships. [See artist and article lists under Background]