Chris McGregor

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Jump to: navigation, search Christopher McGregor (24 December 1936 – 26 May 1990), was a South African pianist, bandleader and composer. Chris McGregor was born in Somerset West, Western Cape, where his father, Murray McGregor was teaching at Hottentots’ Holland High School. Both his father and his mother, Marjorie, were graduates of the University of Cape Town (UCT), where he would later study music. Two years later the McGregor family moved to the Transkei, a move which pro-foundly influenced Chris’ musical development. After schooling in the Transkei Chris, who had already at the age of five begun music lessons, went to UCT to read for a B. Mus degree. It was while at UCT that the sounds he had heard in the Transkei came alive in a new way for him as he was exposed to the music of the Cape townships. Very soon he was paying attention to the likes of “Chris Columbus” Mra Ngcu-kana, “Cup and Saucer” Nkanuka and Dollar Brand (Abdullah Ibrahim) on the local scene, while listening to Charlie Parker, Thelonius Monk and Duke Ellington on records. While at UCT Chris started to put together groups to play jazz concerts at UCT, as well as jamming in local clubs, like the Ambassador’s, the Vortex, and others. Other names who played on these sessions with Chris were reedman Morris Gold-berg and trombonist Dave Galloway. In 1962 Chris took a group from Cape Town to the Castle Lager Jazz Festival at Moroka-Jabavu Stadium in Soweto, where the group came second in the small group

top songs

albums

Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath

African Sound

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Cape Jazz 3 - Goema

Next Stop ... Soweto Vol. 3: Giants, Ministers and Makers: Jazz in South Africa 1963-1984

Sea Breezes

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Golden Afrique, Vol. 3: Highlights of African Pop Music (1939-1988)

In His Good Time

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John Armstrong Presents South African Funk Experience

Brotherhood Of Breath

Travelling Somewhere

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Next Stop... Soweto Vol. 3: Giants, Ministers and Makers: J

Very Urgent

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