Paul Hanmer

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Paul Hanmer is a South African composer, pianist and one of its foremost jazz musicians [1]. Born 1961, in Cape Town, he has released several albums, including:

Trains to Taung (1997)
Window To Elsewhere (1998)
Playola (2000)
Naïvasha (2002)
Water and lights (2004)

In 1987 Paul moved to Johannesburg where he formed Unofficial Language with drummer Ian Herman and bassist Pete Sklair. The group has released two albums:

Moves moves
Primal steps

Reminiscent of Keith Jarrett [2], Hanmer's music is at times cerebral and minimalist but always distinctly South African, with strong flavours of the Cape Flats and the Friday afternoon township gumba. In hue it is confident, playful, optimistic and light. Surprisingly under-celebrated in the South African media he has worked with the likes of Grammy Award winner Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, Jonathan Butler, Pops Mohamed, Sipho Gumede, and McCoy Mrubata[3].

In October 2005, Paul's classical training was in evidence at the première of his first string quartet performed at the Baxter Concert Hall by the Sontonga Quartet[4].