Title page, foreword, introduction, themes, and artists

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 Overview]

Interview with Marcus Wyatt during the Joy of Jazz Festival in Sandton.

Interview with Darren English

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 & artist lists under Overview]

Article on Dinga Sikwebu and reflections on jazz

Interview: Jazz trumpeter Darren English imagines hope in debut album Imagine Nation, with tributes to Nelson Mandela

Pianist Kyle Shepherd’s sonic scaffolding continues to enthrall: an Interview.

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 & article lists under Overview]

‘Cape Jazz’ is an important and unique musical style in South African music generally. Because of the high ethnic diversity of the peoples of the Western Cape, improvised music has crept into indigenous musical expressions, thereby offering an array of rhythms, themes, lyrical messages, styles and harmonies.
[See article & artist lists under Overview]