The Chance Muse: Boogie Nights or Dharma Bums

“Jazz and freedom go hand in hand. That explains it. There isn't any more to add to it. If I do add to it, it gets complicated. That's something for you to think about. You think about it and dig it. You dig it..."

Thelonious Monk

Well it's our 6 months anniversary since we've moved - albeit part of the year - to Cape Town and the honey-moon's not over yet. It has been the most refreshing and mind expanding experience - I am loving the Mother City! Well, what's not to love? A vibrant culture, with a complex flavour, great food, fab venues, amaa-zing beaches, great wines, interesting locals and lots of loving family

You have to agree, Cape Town is the best. Its legacy is long and loud and wherever you go there is music - jazzy, folksy, world music too and loads of interesting classical stuff.

Just not enough nights in the week

Lately, we have become Jazz aficionados. The most amazing thing is that there is no cover charge or entrance cost - so you can have a fab evening out for not much more than the price of a drink or two! Kloof Street near where we live plays host to a couple of great jazz clubs plus there are other restaurants, clubs and bars that offer live jazz and a cool cocktail. Currently mine is a minty limey mojioto. Mmmm

Our favourite is local club Asoka - a real gem of a discovery at the bottom of Kloof street - near the junction with Camp Street. Here a slightly blurry Mr P enjoys the vibes

Tuesdays are Asoka-jazz-nights - with its chic decor, Asian style cuisine and indoor olive tree covered with fairy lights - a firm favourite amongst visitors and Capetown's cool people

Always packed with stunning young girls teetering on heels, handsome dudes and bouncers monitoring the crowd. You can enjoy the sights under a partly open roof and gaze at the stars, nosh on yummy Asian tapas and chill to the excellent local jazz. Get there early if you want a table or book from Wesley the very helpful manager

Candle lights, cosy cushioned seats and fantastic ambiance make this a really special evening. The beautiful young waitresses are incredibly attentive, ensuring your glass is filled throughout the evening with delicious cocktails and our favourite Dharma tea - a magical infusion of ginger, lemon slices, huge sprigs of mint, dollops of honey and a whole cinnamon stick

We love chilling out early on Tuesday nights when it's laid-back and you can exchange conversations without yelling - before the super noisy DJ's take over for a pounding dance night when the young and the beautiful rule

Another fantastic night out in Cape Town!

The live jazz is perfect and we have come to recognise our fave artistes including this lovely lady on her huge double base

Here with the fun-loving Tony Tyger alias Dr K

The Chance Muse in deep funk mode or maybe it's the effect of that mojito?

The very professional staff have even come to recognise us and greet us by name.
Now when did that ever happen in lovely London town?!

Resident jazz band the Soul Agents - featuring Jonno Sweetman and Jason Reolon is augmented by guest artists

So if you want to join the beautiful people get yourself down to Asoka Bar on a Tuesday night

Definitely one of the classiest venues in Cape Town - here we are with London friends the lovely Cas and hubby Brian

That's Cas and me and the Dharma tea by the way

What never cease to amaze me about Cape Town is the fact that the weekend never seems to end!

Every Monday, it all begins again at Swingers - no we haven't joined the Swinging brigade - it's a jazz club down in deepest Wetton - a place where no white girl would tread in the bad old days and few go even today - where there is free jazz with resident band - Alvin Dyers on guitar, brothers, Alistair Andrews on bass, Denver Andrews - "the fiery furnace" - on drums, Ivan Mazuze on saxophones and a keyboard player whose name I've forgotten who we actually saw at Asoka the following week!

Swinger's Jazz Club is a real institution in Cape Town, a cross between a New Orleans blues bar and a New York jazz joint and visiting jazz musicians from all over the world - Brazil and Chicago when we were there - come to jam together there and have fun

The audience is a great mix of tourists and locals, including a really cool crowd of 'Cape Coloureds' as they are known in local parlance - a heterogeneous bunch of mixed race people who condense the whole of South African history in their complicated genes - Dutch, Scottish, Xhosa, Zulu, Malay, Afrikaner, English and even long ago Khoi-San or Bushman forebearers. Many speak Afrikaans as their main language. All resulting in an incredible musical heritage complicated and enriched by centuries of colonialism and the many social problems - alcohol, crime, poverty etc that inevitably go with such a history.

Mich and moi in blue mood

My fave young trumpet player, the very versatile Darren English - I think his name is - he's been playing here since he was a kid and is a real pro and a real cutie

Here he is a couple of Mondays ago playing drums in a jam session we were lucky enough to enjoy

The joint was really rocking

And the amazingly talented and very brave Michelle got up and sang!

Belting out an amazing rendition of Fever! It was great even though my camera work's a bit wobbly

And Alvin Dyers on trumpet was a triumph

A veritable feast of trumpeters -what a denouement!

Carol P the grand mommy of Cape Town's cultural life knows all the musicians here

Anny and Carol soaking up the atmosphere

The Chance Muse in her element planning her next blog


Very chilled Mr P in kaftan circa 1976!

There are so many colourful neighbourhoods in Cape Town with concerts and festivals

Really cool dedicated musicians creating inspiring and beautiful music

Liquid gold sounds

Love the cool dude with Afro on the left!

Alvin takes the lead with guest artiste on trombone

And terrific trumpeter in cute cap

All in all, a night to remember all watched over by Oude Meester

And for something completely different - on Valentine's Night we wandered down to a fabulous musical picnic in aid of St Luke’s Hospice at Buitenverwachting Farm, Constantia