Picture a smoky stage. Four iconic men dressed to the T’s – oozing style and charm – walk on to perform some of the biggest swing classics of all time…. And while this could be a scene out of a 1960’s Las Vegas casino, the date is the 27th of March, 2020; the stage is the Teatro at Montecasino and in place of the iconic ‘Rat Pack’ are four top male vocalists who have hailed from some of the biggest South African music acts.
ALSO READ: Musician Loyiso Bala appointed as TBN Africa channel director
‘A Brat Pack With A Big Band’ – a musical journey presented by Real Concerts and Hot 91.9FM – will see Ard Matthews (Just Jinjer), Arno Carstens (Springbok Nude Girls), Loyiso Bala and Ross Learmonth (Prime Circle) take to the stage in collaboration with the 17-piece ‘Johannesburg Big Band’, conducted by Adam Howard.
The original ‘Rat Pack’ which included icons such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr, created the most memorable and timeless music of our time and the “Brat Pack” will re-create the good old days of music and entertainment with featured songs “New York, New York”, “I’ve Gotta Be Me”, “Mack the Knife”, “Mr Bojangles”, “My Way” and more.
Tickets for ‘A Brat Pack With A Big Band’ start from R325 and are available through Computicket online and retail outlets.
About the performers
South African rocker, Ard Matthews has been the frontman of Just Jinjer since the early 90’s. While the band is still active, Ard launched a successful solo career in 2012. Having grown up listening to the likes of Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong and Elvis Presley, Ard was inspired to enter a talent competition at the age of 12 and in 1996 he start Just Jinjer with fellow musicians, Brent Harris and Denholm Harding.
Arno Carstens is a platinum-selling, award-winning singer/songwriter and guitarist. As the lead singer of The Springbok Nude Girls and subsequently as a solo artist (with recordings in both English and Afrikaans), Arno has released multiple albums and spawned a string of successful singles and received numerous awards during his career.
As a teenager, Loyiso Bala, was trained at the prestigious Drakensberg Boys Choir. After an overwhelming success with kwaito act, TKZee in 2000, Loyiso started a solo career in 2001 and he solidified his reputation as South Africa’s king of R&B and he has won multiple awards and performed around the world.
After nearly two decades of touring and recording as the frontman for hit rock band, Prime Circle, Ross Learmonth, recently ventured out on his own solo career. Since the band’s debut in 2002, Prime Circle has been one of the most celebrated rock acts in SA history and they have toured extensively around the globe and celebrated numerous awards and chart-topping hits.
The Johannesburg Big Band, run by musical director, Adam Howard, is a collection of the finest jazz and session musicians in South Africa. The troupe has a repertoire of over 800 of the most celebrated big band chart songs.
Image Courtesy: Supplied