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Norman Mailer once said: " …jazz is orgasm, it is the music of orgasm". I couldn't agree more... and this weekend's North Sea Jazz Festival - which took the Good Hope Centre hostage and rocked the Mother City - was just that: orgasmic.

A smorgasbord of traditional jazz (African and European), cutting edge contemporary fusion, beats and hip hop sounds combined for an electric 48 hours of aural pleasure - with just a few hours between Friday night and Saturday night to rest and take it all in - before the orgasmic aural assault began again.

Before the main event The North Sea Jazz people organised a "teaser" concert on the cobbled stones of Greenmarket Square - enabling people that didn't have the R300 or so to cough up for a weekend ticket to share in the music celebration. The atmosphere was one of jubilation - to say the least. Singing and dancing among wafts of KFC and thinners, the people of Cape Town seemed to put the plug in the CBD's socket - lighting it up with physical and emotional electricity. On stage providing the impetus for this party was The Standard Bank National Jazz Band (guided and inspired by the excellent Barney Rashabane).
Special mention here has to go to bass player Shaun Johannes who definitely seemed to be a crowd favourite - exciting them with climatic solos.

Adding international flavour to the night was Mukta - a French band with a destictly Indian inflection. Performing 3 more gigs in South Africa (2 April Durban, University of Natal, 3 April Pretoria, Tings and Times and 5 April, Joberg Horror Café) this band plans of sharing their very unique form of World Music to as many South African ears as possible.

Continuing the international line up was Relax - a Dutch hip-hop crew with funky tracksuits and a slick stage performance. Relax the crowd certainly didn't and these boys got them onto their feet screaming for more as they hipped and hopped their way through some of the tunes off their latest offering including the very catchy "Rockon" and "Shizznizz"

Friday night saw the Good Hope Centre ignite with music - to a capacity crowd of over 11 000 people.
Regardless of your taste in jazz - from big band to solo, Grammy Award winners to newcomers, classic to cutting edge, trumpets to piano, diva's to dj's…somewhere under the roof of the Good Hope Centre awaited a performance ready to blow your mind away. And because of this diversity it is utterly impossible to single out one or two performers or bands and say with confidence that they were the best. And of course - music is extremely personal. You might hate my best, I may love your worst…. but, none-the-less here are a few performances that stuck out in my mind and songs that I found myself humming as I rushed from one stage to the next trying desperately to get it all in.

Opening up the Kippies main stage was Jabu Khanyile and Bayete. Multi SAMA award winning Khanuile. Sporting his trademark African Flystick, had North Sea Jazz festivalgoers clapping their hands and dancing from song one - a definite sign of what was to follow on this stage in the next 48 hours.

Deodata - Brazilian virtuoso - also graced the Kippies stage. This uncanny Elton John look-a-like taught himself to play keyboards as a child and over the years has worked with none other than Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin and Roberta Flack. His adaptation of Richard Straus's "Also Sprach Zarathustra" recently flowed from speakers at cinemas worldwide as the title music to Stanley Kubrick's film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
His keyboard melodies, helped along by his very charismatic percussionist whipped the crowd into frenzy.

Although not my personal favourite performance of the festival, nine time Grammy award winning Take 6 (a last minute addition to the line up following Isaac Hays decision not to come) have to be recognised for their tight and slick acapella performance. They definitely seemed to have the crowds weak at the knees - especially the screaming fans in the front row.

India.Arie was phenomenal. Soul vibes mixed with a touch of folk, in tern blended with lyrics so personal you feel like you are reading her journal made for an extremely special musical experience. With a flowing white top (she told me earlier in the day that her mother is her personal stylist and she doesn't go anywhere without her!) she looked everything like an angel. Her music was honest, unpretentious and deeply affecting. Rich melodies, great backing singers and natural instrumental textures combine to highlight India's profoundly powerful message - a message that runs through both her Acoustic Soul Album as well as her new offering Voyage to India - and that is "To love yourself."

The inspirational positivism that shined through her performance - and is evident in her studio work - is an am important balance to current world affairs. Speaking at a press conference earlier in the day she was asked if she had had any doubts about performing in this time when anti American feeling is widespread and war in Iraq was headline news. Her response was simple. No doubt at all. At a time like this music is what you need. She felt that by performing she was doing her bit to raise hope, make people smile and spread a positive energy. And that she did!

Next up on the Kippies stage was the John Scofield Uberjam. This guitar mastermind - who played alongside Miles Davis - led his team on a journey of captivating improvisations and forward thinking compositions. Using his pedals to layer the sound Schofield creates a sound that is vibrant and exciting. His facial expressions alone are worth watching - and you feel like the man is about to lapse into an epileptic fit as he puts his everything into his guitar.

Besides the sound and aural pleasure emanating form the Kippies stage - it was an example of great set design and lighting. The two big screens on either side of the stage provided for up close and personal shots of the musicians in action - so close you can see the wrinkles on the pianists knuckles, the throbbing veins on the musicians temples as they give everything they've got.

The Rosies stage was s different experience altogether = providing for a far more quiet auditorium feel. Despite being pushed and shoved and waiting in a long queue to get in - it was worth it.
This stage saw the likes of Yusuf Lateef - universally acknowledged as one of the great living masters and innovators in African American tradition of autophysiopsychic music - that which comes from one's spiritual, physical and emotional self. His music immediately evokes respect and awe. The term multi instrumentalist is an understatement for this musician - and, on the small stage at Rosies he gave the audience a taste of some of these - including a few traditional African instruments. The sound was haunting - almost uneasy. I found it a pity that he did not perform on his own - instead with Adam Rudolph (a genius in his own musical right) as I felt that the two parties didn't connect on any level making the performance a little fragmented. None-the-less I left the auditorium feeling like I had just witnessed one of the most important musical legends of our time. I felt awed.

Marcus Wyatt also earned respect on the Rosies stage. Although he was the very last artist to perform at the Festival - in the wee hours of Sunday morning - enthusiastic crowds still lapped it up, in between the odd brief yawn. (through no reflection of Marcus's music - just extreme tiredness after a full day of music)
The connection between the band members is obviously a tight one and this shines through in the music - which flows from one solo to the next interspersed with Marcus's trumpeting brilliance and a few subtle backing lyrics.

The baseline stage offered a whole new perspective on jazz music by hosting an array of artists and bands that are taking jazz into the this new century and are, arguably, the way forward in the genre. Neo Muyanga (of Blk Sonshine fame) unleashed his solo talent to festivalgoers.
His shy giggle and impressive voice travel through the cavities of your body and take hold of you. Lyrically his music of poignant and creative to a degree of genius. Being one of the first performances I saw I hummed the chorus line to his song "Born in a Taxi" continually for the duration of the festival.

Another feast of musical talent manifested itself in Herbert Live. Under the leadership of Matthew Herbert this British based crew (perhaps based is the wrong word here -as they are appearing in 16 countries this month alone) performed work from their "Bodily Functions" (2001) release. Using a sampler (the most important piece of music equipment" according to Matthew) he releases a fascinating array of recorded sounds on the audience - which is skilfully integrated with the stirring vocals of Dani Siciliano. Matthew incorporates acoustic twists of jazz and soul into an electronic framework to produce a unique and advanced interpretation of house music. Herbert Live's stage performance is unparralled. Using the sound effects made from breaking glass bottles on stage to tapping a "Brittany Spears" CD on the mic he keeps the audience intrigued and starving for more. By pressing knobs and buttons and turning dials and pressing more knobs he releases some of his recorded sounds into the melodies created by his colleagues. Anything from chip packets to blood dripping through veins, to the opening of a Coke can are used. Without a doubt the most interesting performance I witnessed at the North Sea Jazz Festival.