Jazz Assassins

Location
Johannesburg
Gauteng

About Jazz Assassins

The Jazz Assassins is perfectly tailored to add an air of sophistication and glamour to your function.

The Jazz Assassins is comprised of a core of professional jazz and session musicians who decided to combine their wealth of experience gained working under various bandleaders into one solid outfit, dedicated to providing a top-quality live musical service to the function industry. The band primarily plays a mixture of swing era jazz, latin and smooth jazz, and prides itself on adjusting its sound to complement the atmosphere of any event.

The band was formed in 2006 and has been operating in the industry ever since. The unit operates around a solid quartet of members that is regularly supplemented by the addition of female or male vocalists:

Joe Penn -- Saxophones

Joe started his career in Cape Town, where he attended the University of Cape Town. Upon the conclusion of his degree, he moved to Johannesburg where he founded the Jazz Assassins. Joe plays a multitude of jazz and pop sessions with top artists, currently including pop group Gang of Instrumentals in his portfolio. He also teaches some classes at the National School of the Arts.

Cleo Mazibuke -- Piano

Cleo studied piano at Pretoria Technikon and has since gone on to establish a career in the local jazz scene that includes session credits for artists such as Sibongile Khumalo and Concord Nkabinde. He currently teaches his instrument at Pretoria Technikon as well as WITS music school.

Cesare Cassarino -- Bass

Cesare is also a graduate of Pretoria Technikon, who has followed up on his education with a career in the Gauteng jazz scene and the national Afrikaans and pop scenes. His session credits include Gang of Instrumentals, Riku Latti, Steve Hofmeyer, Dozi, Karen Zoid and many more.

Peter Auret -- Drums

Peter has been a feature on the Gauteng jazz scene for the larger part of his adult life, and also presently performs for a variety of pop artists -- most notably the local rock band Watershed. When not on stage, he runs his own recording studio in Johannesburg.

Edith Klug -- Female Vocals

Austrian born Edith studied vocals at the prestigious Conservatory of Music in Vienna before moving to South Africa at the conclusion of her education. She has established a strong foothold for herself in Southern Africa, bringing her international experience to the local jazz scene. She has performed with artists such as Marcus Wyatt and Carlos Mombelli and featured as part of the Joy of Jazz Festival in 2008.

Andrew Massey -- Male Vocals

Andrew studied music at the Pretoria Technikon and began performing with his lecturers whilst still a student at that institution. He performs regularly across the local scene with a variety of musicians and bands, most notably including his own successful quartet and the Jazz Assasssins of course.

Formats...

The Jazz Assassins offer a variety of setups, allowing you to pick and choose the combination of instruments that is best suited to your event and budget:

1. Solo; solo saxophone or solo piano

2. Duo; saxophone and piano

3. Trio 1; saxophone, piano and bass

4. Trio 2; vocals, saxophone and piano

5. Trio 3; vocals, piano and bass

6. Trio 4; piano, bass and drums

7. Quartet 1; saxophone, piano, bass and drums

8. Quartet 2; vocals, saxophone, piano and bass

9. Quartet 3; vocals, piano, bass and drums

10. Quintet; vocals, saxophone, piano, bass and drums

Each of these formats adds a slightly different feel to the performance, offering a unique sonic and visual experience to your guests.