It’s always special when we welcome back the giants of our sound, the elders who continue to move the language of jazz forward.

Our guest needs little introduction; he’s a saxophonist, composer, producer, cultural thinker, and one of the most profound creative voices in South African music.

The last time we spoke, he had just released Enhlizweni, a record that dug deep into our spiritual and musical connectedness.

And now, he’s back with Multipolar, his 11th studio album, a sonic meditation that jazz writer Gwen Ansell describes as ‘not American, copycat, or retro,’ but absolutely of this place and of this time.

This Sunday on The K Jazz Show, we’re taking a trip that begins on the banks of the Bosphorus, glides through the cobbled streets of Florence, making its way to Johannesburg — where jazz meets joy, culture meets curiosity, and rhythm knows no borders.

An extraordinary young voice in global jazz — Hakan Başar, the 21-year-old Turkish piano virtuoso whose elegance, maturity, and flair have been making waves since his debut On Top on the Roof,.

He was recently in Johannesburg for the Joy of Jazz Festival, where his trio’s performance left audiences breathless — not just for their technical mastery, but for their unmistakable warmth and cultural openness.

Together, they’ve crafted a stunning new album, Maiden Voyage — a nod to Herbie Hancock’s classic, but with a fresh, youthful vitality that reminds us that jazz, much like travel, is about rediscovery.

It is always a joy on The K Jazz Show to bring you the sounds and stories of artists who are not just shaping the present, but also defining the future of jazz.

This Sunday, we are honored to welcome one of the brightest rising stars on the global scene — a 25-year-old Haitian-American baritone whose voice is as rich in depth as it is in vision.

Tyreek McDole is no stranger to acclaim — in 2023 he won the prestigious Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, becoming only the second male vocalist in its history to do so.

And now, he gifts us with his long-awaited debut album, "Open Up Your Senses", a project that is both bold and tender, rooted in jazz tradition yet expansive in its exploration of spirituality, self-reflection, and social consciousness.

South Africa’s jazz story is a living archive, and each artist adds a new chapter to this ongoing melody.

Today on The K Jazz Show, as we open our Heritage Month series, I am truly delighted to be joined by a pianist whose music is both rooted and boundless, deeply African yet universally resonant.

He is internationally acclaimed, a winner of the Central Music Awards for jazz, and a nominee at the Mzansi Jazz Awards.

He has taken his music to the stages of Europe, India, and across our beloved South Africa — all while shaping the next generation through education and mentorship.

Thapelo Khumisi was on The K Jazz Show

So this Sunday, you and I connect with a young drummer from Tel Aviv in Israel by the name of Ofri Nehemya, who has shared stages in collaboration with incredible artists has marked himself as one of the most prominent Israeli drummers in the global jazz scene, collaborating with world wide known artists including Avishai Cohen (bass), Ben Wendel, Shai Maestro, Omer Avital and many others.

He is our cover story artist in the 3rd hour this week and we also get to listen to some of his composition and talk to him about his walk with Jazz.

On The K Jazz Show today, we welcome one of the great voices of our time on trumpet—Sean Jones.

He’s a celebrated bandleader, composer, and former lead trumpeter of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.

As Artistic Director of Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Jazz Orchestra, Sean is shaping the next generation of jazz ambassadors, taking this music across the globe.

He joins us to talk about the powerful new live album Live in Johannesburg, recorded at the iconic Market Theatre here in city.

This is a story of music, history, and cultural exchange told through the spirit of jazz.

The second hour of The K Jazz Show, we welcome a phenomenal artist whose journey is a story of passion, excellence, and jazz brilliance.

She is the 2025 Standard Bank Young Artist for Jazz, a trailblazing trombonist, composer, and arranger whose music has graced global stages from Montreux to New York’s Blue Note.

This includes performances alongside legends like Hugh Masekela and Ulysses Owens Jr., including the formation of her own sextet, she continues to push the boundaries of South African jazz on the world stage.

As she prepares for her much-anticipated debut performance at the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz, we are thrilled to have her with us.

As we are firmly into the second hour of our show and today, we’re thrilled to welcome an incredible talent as part of our “Road to the Joy of Jazz 2025” series.

From electrifying saxophone solos to her soulful compositions, Lakecia’s music has captured hearts around the world.

And now, she’s coming to Johannesburg for the Joy of Jazz Festival—and we couldn’t be more excited to have her stop by our way as part of her journey to our favourite festival.

When we say Page Three on The K Jazz Show, we’re talking about those artists who don’t just play music – they live it.

We have a guest who has taken the cello – yes, the cello – from the township streets of Sebokeng to the world stage.

He is a man whose music breathes, dances, and prays across continents and centuries.

On the K Jazz Show, we welcome the extraordinary Abel Selaocoe, here to talk about his current project “Hymns of Bantu” and the upcoming live debut solo offering “Four Spirits”, which show cases music that is already shaking the global scene with its deep rhythms, chants, and spiritual truths.

Now, every so often, we get to witness an artist whose very being feels like music.

Someone who doesn’t just play jazz — but breathes, bends, reshapes, and reimagines what’s possible within it.

And when that artist happens to be a four-time Grammy Award winner, an inventive bassist, a luminous vocalist, a fearless composer, and one of the most captivating live performers of our time —as music lover you are compelled to make space, to lean in, and certainly listen deeply.

It is my absolute pleasure and honour to welcome to The K Jazz Show — a global icon and this year’s Joy of Jazz headliner, Esperanza Spalding.