SIMON ORANGE
Over the past 6 months Simon Orange’s piano trio has been exploring a mixture of Jazz, Blues and good-time Boogie-Woogie. Originally from the U.K, he attended Cape Town’s Jazz Workshop while still at school; little knowing that this would lead to a 16-year career as a professional musician. Now based in Stellenbosch, the trio is his latest project. They’ve just recorded their first demo, laid down over an exhausting 24 hours in the studio and they’ve been sharpening their live sound on the circuit, playing a number of local clubs, theatres and corporate functions. Simon regularly performs and records with several of the country’s top acts, notably the Valiant Swart Band and Big Sky. But since the dissolution of the bands The Blues Broers and Frosted Orange in 2003, he’s lacked a vehicle for his vocals and songwriting. He’s also missed playing those Nina Simone and Ray Charles tunes he grew up with. Instead of a static line-up, he’s decided to select a small pool of session musicians to play in the band. This keeps the band flexible and helps with scheduling. Encouraged by audience reaction so far, Simon plans to expand the recognition of the band in 2007 through gigging and recording.
