Desmond Meyer

Born in Mossel Bay, but raised in Mitchell's Plain,Cape Town (South Africa), Desmond Meyer was influenced by the jazz scene there, yet also played and toured with a reggae band in Europe in the early 90's. His credits also include a performance (with Shakethetree) at the Montreux Jazz festival as well as a 2-year stint at the Swiss Jazz School. His style easily files under smooth jazz, with Meyer's flawless guitar playing expertly backed up by the Swiss duo of Christoph Reller (piano) and Pius Basssnagel (drums) and the Jamaican Leon Duncan on bass. The addition of vocals done by Themba Ndlovu & wife Jabu Ndlovu is a tracer of Meyer's roots, gospel music on the Cape Flats - he learnt guitar through the church as a youngster.

It was in the local clubs of the early 90's, making his first concert appearance at the „Groove“ with a pop band which he toured around South Africa and Namibia.Whilst playing at the „Groove“, well known Cape Jazz guitarist like Robbie Jansen, Erol Dyers and other well known Cape Jazz musicians were performing next door in a jazz club „Birdland“ as it was known back then. It was his first introduction to the ever so strong Cape jazz scene. During this time he experimented with various combinations of musicians. In 1993 after leaving his motherland to seek a better life and freedom from oppression he toured around north Italy with a reggae band. This was however just the start of what would become a life filled with countless performances abroad. One of the highlights in his performances included playing with the South African patriot Tefo Hlaele as support band for Yussour N’dour in the kongresshaus in Zurich and performing with Shakethetree at the Montreux Jazz festival in Switzerland. In 1997 he attended the Swiss Jazz School in Bern for two years.
This brought his focus back to jazz music and the connection to gospel music, his „roots“. After experimenting with different musical styles Desmond realised how much the Cape Jazz was part of him and attempted to bring out all the „home“ sounds inside of him. This led to his first debut album entitled;”New tides of freedom“. A „Cape Smooth Jazz“

This album has drawn a lot of attention, from being the first local artist on the top twenty of CCFM radio in Cape Town for over three weeks to his first appearance as „The Desmond Meyer band“ and the kongresshaus at a South African art exhibition and he has recently signed a deal with Sheer music in South Africa.

His second CD entitled "Now that we're free" celebrates 10 years of democracy in South Africa and Desmond's return to his home country after 12years of self- imposed exile.

It introduces an older, matured Desmond featuring the well known Swiss jazz saxophonist Daniel Küffer and ex Cockney Rebel keyboarder Duncan Mackay.This album is clearly an indication of Desmond's versatile musical capabilties.