Quintessential

Members

Tracey Appolis - Piano and Bass Guitar

• Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Performance from The University of Cape Town
• She has played in various bands like UCT Big Band, The North Sea Big Band, Craig Kallis and Monday’s @ 7, Anything Goes, Woman’s Work, Sistahood and Trio Del Soul
• She has played with prominent musicians like Shannon Mowday, Celeste Williams, Camillo Lombard and Abigail Petersen
• She has played at various festivals like The Cape Town Jazzathon, The City of Cape Town Concert In The Park, The Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festival, The Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival, The South African College of Music Jazz Festival, The Vice-Chancellor’s Annual Concert and The Artscape National Heritage Music Festival
• She has also performed at music venues like The Green Dolphin, The Baxter Theatre Concert Hall, The Artscape, The Table Bay Hotel, Manenberg’s Jazz Café, Café Sofia, Buena Vista, Que Pasa, Zula Bar, Generations Café, Valerie’s Jazz Café, Westend, and Club Voom Voom
• She has performed in the show “Queen at The Stone”
• She is the pianist for the Standard Bank National Youth Festival 2011

Frank Paco – Drums

• Holds an Honours' Degree in Jazz Performance with distinction from The University of Cape Town
• He is the bandleader of Cape Town-based band Tucan Tucan
• He has performed in various bands like Loading Zone, Virtual Jazz Reality and Sakhile
• He has worked with artists like Miriam Makeba, Jimmy Dludlu, Judith Sephuma, Jonas Gwangwa and Gito Baloi, Moreira Chonguica, Jonathan Butler, Amanda Tiffin and Cedric Vandenschrik
• He has performed at major festivals such as The Cape Town Jazzathon, The Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival, The North Sea Jazz Festival (The Hague), The Cape Town International Jazz Festival, The Joy of Jazz Festival, Verao Amarelo International Festival, Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival, and The New Orleans Jazz Fest
• He has taken part in the 46664 Mandela AIDS Concert playing alongside the band “Queen”, backing artists such as Jimmy Cliff, Anastacia, Angelique Kidjo, Youssou N' Dour, Dave Stewart, Andrews Bonsu, Johnny Clegg, Roger Taylor, Brian May, Peter Gabriel and Bono
• He has performed at venues like Manenberg’s Jazz Café, Jackson Hall, Hanover Street, The Roxy, The Green Dolphin, Moyo’s and Mojo
• He is an experienced session musician, playing on albums for artists like Tucan Tucan, Loading Zone, Sheer All Stars, Jimmy Dludlu, Muse Manzini, McCoy Rebate, Gito Baloi, Wanda Baloyi, VJR and Hamby

Shaun Johannes – Bass guitar and Piano

• Holds a Master’s Degree in Jazz Performance from the University of Cape Town
• He has played in various bands like Little Giants, Wild Iris, The South African National Youth Jazz Band, The National Youth Big Band, DA Band, UCT Big Band, Mike Campbell Big Band, Nightshift, James Frank and the Sticky Triggers, The Muirhead Quartet, Mark Fransman’s Akoustik Knot and The Amanda Tiffin Trio
• He has worked with well-known artists such as George Benson, Arne Hiorth, Johnny Clegg, Amanda Tiffin, Cedric Vandenschrik, Jennifer Jones, Moreira Chonguica, Najee, Leslie Klein-smith, Marcus Wyatt, Brandon October, Paul
  Hanmer, Mark Fransman, Winston “Mankunku” Ngozi, Mynie Grove, McCoy Mrubata, Feya Faku, Carl Allen, Gloria Bosman and many others
• He has performed the role as Musical Director for Sonja Heroldt, Sarah Theron & Wesley Solomons
• He has performed at major festivals such as The Standard Bank National Youth Festival, The Cape Town International Jazz Festival, The Cape Town Jazzathon, The Joy of Jazz Festival, Awesome Africa Festival, International Association For Jazz Education Conference, South African Association For Jazz Education, The Durban Concerto Festival, The Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festival, South African Heritage Festival and the Klein Karoo National Arts Festival
• He has performed at many venues in around the country and Cape Town such as Manenberg’s Jazz Café, Fogey’s Railway House, Galaxy, Westend, the Generation Café, Vida Café, The Green Dolphin, Jackson Hall, The Baxter Theatre Concert Hall and The Roxy Revue Bar
• He has performed in shows like Mynie Grove’s “Amagroove & Sstoom”, Amanda Tiffin’s “I’m Every Woman”, “Off The Record”, “Piano In My Pocket”, “Now You Has Jazz”, Cedric Vandenschrik’s “Kings Queens And Divas”, Sonja Heroldt’s “Hooked On Sonja/Die Sonjare” and toured internationally with Arts Asia Pacific’s version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar”
• He is an experienced session musician, playing on albums for artists like Vicky Sampson, Amanda Tiffin, Moreira Chonguica, Bruce Muirhead, Mark Fransman

Byron Abrahams – Alto and Soprano Saxophone

• He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Performance at The University of Cape Town
• He has played in bands like UCT Big Band, The Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Band, Stellenbosch University Jazz Band, Stellenbosch University Big Band, Stellenbosch University Wind Band, UCT Wind Band, Blackcurrant and Dal Segno
• He has worked with artists like Camillo Lombard, Wayne Bosch and Dr Mike Rossi and many others
• He has performed at various festivals like the Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival, The Cape Town Big Band Jazz Festival, The Cape Town International Jazz Festival and The South African College of Music Jazz
  Festival
• He has performed at venues like The Baxter Theatre Concert Hall, The Table Bay Hotel, The Green Dolphin, Manenberg’s Jazz Café, Westend, Generations Café and Swingers Jazz Club
• He has performed in shows like “Come fly with me”, “Frank Sinatra tribute show”, and “Under the influence of love”
• He also features on albums of artists like Sammy Webber, Wesley Solomons and Kunjalo

Lee-Anne Fortuin – Lead Vocals

• Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance at The University of Cape Town
• She has sung in bands like Belhar Music Collective, Leslie Klein-Smith and Mother City Groove, Intrigue, Feedback, Spellbound, Just us, Blackcurrant, Public Opinion, UCT Big Band, The National Youth School’s Band and The
  Artscape Youth Jazz Band
• She has worked with artists like Leslie Klein-Smith, Richard Ceasar, Camillo Lombard, Melanie Scholtz, Carmen Xclusive, Mark Goliath, Ivan Mazuze and Karen Kortje
• She has performed at major festivals like The Cape Town International Jazz Festival, The Cape Town Jazzathon, The Standard Bank National Youth Jazz Festival, The Artscape Jazz Festival and The South African College of Music Jazz Festival
• She has performed at venues like The Artscape, Hanover Street, Generations Café, Westend, Swingers Jazz Club, The Baxter Theatre Concert Hall, Café Sofia and The Green Dolphin

Jeremy Olivier – Guitar and Vocals

• Holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Performance with Honours from The University of Cape Town
• He has performed in various bands such as Nightshift, Blaze, Doc ‘n the Croc and Jeremy and Friends
• He has worked with both local, and international artists such as George Benson, Katherine Jenkins, Jonathan Butler, Sibongile Khumalo, Kevin Gibson, Shannon Mowday and Judith Sephuma
• He has performed at many festivals such as The Cape Town Jazzathon, The Cape Town International Jazz Festival, The Joy of Jazz Festival, Leipzig International Jazz Festival and Starlight Classics
• He has performed in various venues such as The Artscape, The Baxter Theatre, The Green Dolphin, Fogey’s, The 5 Apostles Hotel, The Mount Nelson Hotel, The Table Bay Hotel and The Lord Charles Hotel
• He has performed in shows such as Kings, Queens and Divas, Swingin’ On A Star and a Queen tribute show