Hardly a fortnight out, the album A Dance More Sweetly Played, by the Kyle Shepherd Trio, has already been garnering massive critical acclaim worldwide. One of South Africa’s foremost jazz pianists, Shepherd recorded the album with Shane Cooper on bass and Jonno Sweetman on drums. It features 10 of Shepherd’s original compositions, plus two unexpected covers: Massive Attack’s Teardrop and a deconstructed take of Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’.
The album’s title is a dedication to celebrated South African artist William Kentridge, with whom Shepherd collaborated on Waiting for Sybil, which has toured worldwide. The trio is on a South African launch tour. The Mail & Guardian spoke to Shepherd earlier this week.
Charles Leonard: Please explain the poetic title, A Dance More Sweetly Played — what does it mean? Kyle Shepherd: The title of the album is a play on William Kentridge’s More Sweetly Play the Dance . I’ve found that particular work of his very inspiring over the years. I have been working with William for the last five years and expressed to him how the title seemed to encapsulate what we’re doing in the trio now, playing into the idea that our music, complex or simple, has a dance to it.
Is it just me or does this album have a lighter touch than the previous records? It wasn’t my initial intention but it seemed to be how we executed the music in the studio. With my trio, I don’t decide exactly how we will approach the music when we play or reco.