Footprints by Wayne Shorter. Arrangement by Claire de Kock. Performed by the UCT Big Band and woodwind guests, conducted and recorded by Professor Michael Campbell. Piano solo by Blake Hellaby.

This is a music college project I had to do for my jazz arrangement course - the brief was to arrange any jazz standard for big band, including woodwind doubles, of about 4 minutes.

(Please note that this was recorded by a Edirol portable recorder so it's not a professional recording, and the band only had about 30 minutes to look at and practice the chart before recording, for purposes of the project)

Footprints - Wayne Shorter (Big Band Arrangement)

Composed and arranged by Claire de Kock
Performed by the UCT Big Band 2018
Recorded by Mike Campbell

Nelipot (Live)

Composed by Bheki Mseleku
Arranged by Claire de Kock
Performed by the UCT Big Band
Recorded by Mike Campbell

Vukani

Composed by Duke Ellington/Juan Tizol
Arrangement by Claire Röntsch

Performers:
Soprano sax - Justin Bellairs
Alto sax - Mike Rossi
Tenor sax - Dan Shout
Bari sax - Claire Röntsch

Caravan (Live) - Duke Ellington/Juan Tizol (Sax Quartet Arrangement)

Piano - Thembelihle Dunjana
Guitar - Marc Röntsch
Double Bass - Sarah Anne Blake
Drums - Rob Ruhrmund
Tenor Saxophone - Claire Röntsch

Recording - Izan Greyling
Footage - Rob Ruhrmund (Def Empire)
Composition - Claire Röntsch

Panic Attack (Live)

I’m so excited to finally share this project with the world! I wanted to record my first big band composition, but due to lockdown and the global pandemic this year it made things a little tricky. But it meant that I could collaborate with some amazing musicians outside of Cape Town, including two local musicians currently staying abroad. I turned my office into a home recording studio and brushed up on my knowledge of recording, mixing and video editing. And now finally after months of work I can share my socially distanced lockdown recording of my big band tune, “Nelipot”. 

Please share and enjoy! Headphones recommended.

Drums: Lumanyano Unity Mzi
Bass: Sarah Blake
Keys: Elizabeth Gaylord

Solo: Claire Röntsch

Lead Trombone: Kelly Bell
2nd Trombone: Murray Buitendag
3rd Trombone: Justin Sasman
Bass Trombone: Siya Charles

Lead Trumpet: Marcus Wyatt
2nd Trumpet: Jo Lanre Kunnuji
3rd Trumpet: Tal Gordon
4th Trumpet: James McClure

Lead Alto Sax: Claire Röntsch
2nd Alto Sax: Linda Tshabalala
1st Tenor Sax: Sisonke Xonti
2nd Tenor Sax: Zeke le Grange
Bari Sax: Georgia Jones

Composed, edited and mixed by Claire Röntsch

"Nelipot" by the Claire Röntsch Big Band

Claire Röntsch (neè de Kock) is a saxophonist, session musician, composer, arranger and music educator. She graduated with a BMus in Jazz Performance at the South African College of Music (SACM) in 2014 with distinction and is busy completing her Masters degree at SACM with a scholarship in Jazz Composition and Arrangement, under the tutelage of renowned local music composer and arranger Dr Mike Campbell.

In 2015 Claire won the Fine Music Radio Jazz Performance competition.

She has performed internationally and locally, including touring Europe in 2012 and 2014 with the MIAGI Youth Orchestra, travelling to Paris on a Cape Town/France youth exchange programme with George Werner and Marcus Wyatt in 2013, playing at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival in 2016 and 2019, and with various jazz ensembles around Cape Town, including Hugh Masekela, Freshlyground, the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, and George Anderson of Shakatak. She continues to perform with The Swing Collective, The Lady Day Big Band, Lana Crowster, Msaki and her own progressive jazz quartet (who perform her own compositions).

Claire Röntsch

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