No limit to Jazz at the Orbit
Feature Making at the Orbit
There are subjects in radio that cry out for more than studio talks with clear acoustics. The package can recreate a sense
of real life by using the skills of the interviewer, the writer, the editor, the presenter, and the outside reporter. Several years
ago, strapped with a Zoom recorder and microphone I walked into a concert venue, it was spacious yet intimate. “This is not just a club, it’s a jazz concert venue” said Aymeric Péguillan owner of The Orbit. What The Orbit has come up with in the centre of Johannesburg, will go down nicely with those who appreciate jazz music in the perfect setting.
A perfect setting
Situated in an energetic part of Braamfontein, The Orbit goes down nicely with those who appreciate jazz music in a perfect setting. Here jazz musicians and their audience come together to share a unifying experience in a comfortable and inspiring place. The right mix of muso talent, a sound system that handles the frequency spectrum with clarity, a venue which caters for comfortable listening pleasure with an appreciative audience, ticks all the boxes for anyone who wants to be in the jazz zone for a night
You don’t have a piano here!
I had the rare opportunity to do a walkabout interview with Aymeric Péguillan. He points me in the direction of the grand
piano on stage and tells the story of international artist and Brazilian musician Tania Maria who called Péguillan asking
“You do have a piano?” She was invited to play and sing at the one of his earlier establishments Pegs Cosy Corner but
declined. “Why?” I asked, “because there was no piano, and ever since we made sure to put in a grand piano” said Péguillan
State-of-the-Art
Each stage at The Orbit has its own piano, with a drum kit, state-of-the-art sound equipment and microphone system.
There is no need for musicians to bring their own equipment, the venue provides rehearsal rooms and the best stage conditions for performance
Self-taught Muso
Packaging embraces a combination of voice and sound elements such as interview clips, actuality, and scripted links. Carlo Mombelli, composer, and bassist was performing at The Orbit. He offered styles moving between acoustic, electronic, chants and African sounds. My first glance at the name Carlo Mombelli suggested another visiting musician and was surprised to learn Carlo is South African born, self-taught and has played at various venues including Johan Strauss Conservatory in Germany to Berkley College of Music in Boston USA. If I was expecting chord progressions easy to follow, I had to think again, his musical dynamics move from soft, intimate, and gentle to loud, crashing and the unexpected. All these dynamics give the radio producer an opportunity to be an artist with sound. It creates the hills and valleys of storytelling
Educator and Mentor
As an educator at Witwatersrand University, he is moulding and mentoring the next generation of young jazz musicians.
On this night, three of his mentees took to the stage to accompany the band with vocals and a vibraphone. Carlo’s regular pianist is 26-year-old Kyle Shepherd named Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz 2014. With three records to his name, this accomplished pianist finds the balance between spontaneity, intuition and sheet music. Mbuso Khoso is the vocalist and third member of the band. Mbuso’s rich tones and haunting chants have earned his reputation of a sought-after vocalist. Mbuso’s debut album won a Metro FM Award shortly after its release in 2012. The drummer Kesivan Naidoo, completes the quartet and transforms The Orbit with rhythms, beats and percussions which range from whispers and chimes into roars of crashing symbols.
A little talk with a little hint
Back to the interview, Aymeric Péguillan makes his purpose explicit “I wanted to offer jazz musicians the most suitable stage and setting to perform original and inspiring music to an audience who understands the value of jazz”. The Orbit is a venue as good as anywhere you’ll find in the jazz world. The magic about this establishment is the eminence given to musicians. Before every concert Péguillan “does a little talk” and reminds aficionados of the generous talent about to grace his stage “with a little hint” that if you want to have an important conversation during the show, feel free to go outside and have that conversation
So how did the Orbit get its name?
Towards the end of the recorded conversation, I asked “How did The Orbit get its name?” While flipping through his Record collection, Péguillan says his eyes fell on the title of a Clark Terry record. Jazz trumpeter Clark Terry originally released Orbit in 1958 and this inspired the name of his establishment. Péguillan says, “the cosmic concept of an orbit is the elliptical course of a star or planet which is repeated”. Thus, implying live music and jazz music at The Orbit has no limits. A news story time-sensitive whereas a package can be produced any time after the event and is not time dependent. A news story’s emphasis is content whereas a package emphasis is form.
A humanitarian turned jazz club owner
During my final moments of my recorded conversation, Aymeric Péguillan said “I was working in Bangladesh as director of missions with Doctors without Borders. One of my co-workers played the music of Abdullah Ibrahim. And this became a “light bulb moment, my curiosity and inquisitive ear led me to South Africa”. This former humanitarian set up Pegs Cosy Corner, a small jazz social club in Troyeville. It became the forerunner of The Orbit established 12 years later. Today, The Orbits’ doors are closed but the music is not silent.
