In this highly anticipated collaboration, South African vocalist Vuyo Sotashe and American pianist/composer Chris Pattishall come together for an intimate and soulful evening of duets. Mainstays of the NYC music scene over the last decade, Sotashe and Pattishall have each contributed to a wide range of projects spanning jazz, gospel, theater, and film. Together, Sotashe and Pattishall make music with a hushed vulnerability.
For this special engagement at The Local, the program will range from the American masters of Duke Ellington and Nina Simone to South African Xhosa hymns and Stevie Wonder, bringing the healing power of music to the forefront. They will also celebrate the release of their forthcoming EP, Invocation.
Since moving to the United States as a Fulbright Scholar, Vuyo Sotashe has performed with celebrated jazz legends including Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jimmy Heath, George Benson, Al Jarreau, Barry Harris, and Winard Harper. He has appeared at Montreux Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Cape Town International Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Fest, Joy of Jazz, and Arcevia Jazz Festival. Described as “a bright tenor that can easily spring from sonorous depths to the full-bodied top of his impressive range” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution), Sotashe made his off-Broadway debut in the Public Theater’s production of Black Light. Chris Pattishall has established himself as “an expert at using the jazz tradition as a jumping off point for experimentation” (JazzTimes) and his debut album Zodiac was called “a startling achievement” (NY Times) and “a hell of a debut album” (Stereogum). He is a featured performer on a wide range of recordings, from the Grammy-nominated debut album of Jamison Ross to the film scores of Knives Out, Nightmare Alley, and the indie sensation Everything Everywhere All At Once. He co-composed the score to the Emmy-winning documentary Going To Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project with Samora Pinderhughes.