POSTED: 19 FEBRUARY 2011

Hot jazz flows in Cleveland Street*

Hot jazz continues at 505 in Cleveland Street, Surry Hills, Sydney on 2 March when saxophonist Mark Ginsburg will lead his outstanding quartet featuring Greg Coffin on piano, Karl Dunnicliff on bass and Tim Firth on drums.

The band has taken a break since their recent performance in late 2010 at the Wangaratta Jazz Festival and now brings a combination of new material as well as repertoire from their acclaimed Generations album to 505.

A native of South Africa, Ginsburg established a name for himself in the jazz scene in Cape Town, including touring the country with comedian Spike Milligan before emigrating to Oz at age 26.

Now, long settled in Sydney, Ginsburg — who has just completed a thesis on the influence of Jewish prayer modes on jazz musicians — brings a fresh voice to the Australian jazz scene.

His recently completed masters thesis in jazz performance inspired his CD Generations, which was nominated for an AIR Award.

Ginsburg said he stumbled on the topic after reflecting on his youth and the broad musical influences around him.

“Growing up in Cape Town I had three primary musical influences — ethnic African music, my role as a chorister at the synagogue and my older brothers, who played jazz morning, noon and night,” he said.

More recently, Ginsburg has made several trips to South Africa where he has been teaching in the jazz program at the South African College of Music at the University of Cape Town. Later this year he will be a featured artist at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival, which boasts a stream of international jazz artists.

*Based on media release issued by Mark Ginsburg.