South Africa

“I love the consistently dark, rich tonal quality of Gonzalez Jazz Local 627 reeds. I tend to use every reed in the box. And they are an organically grown which is healthier for me and the environment”.

Based in Cape Town, the South African Saxophonist, composer, and arranger Buddy Wells has had the pleasure of performing and recording with many well-known South African and international music legends.

He has performed at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival every year from 2000 to 2018, and is a regular performer at the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown and the Joy of Jazz Festival in Johannesburg.

International performances include several North Sea Jazz Festivals in the Netherlands, the Swedish Jazz Celebration in Stockholm, the National Jazz Scene in Oslo, the Nehru Centre in India, the Festival d’Automne à Paris and the Oslo Jazz Festival.

Current projects include The Buddy Wells Quintet, The Reza Khota Quartet, Offshore Jazz Quartet, Andreas Loven Quartet, Breakfast Included, Tucan Tucan, The Frank Paco Art Ensemble, John Hassan’s Hassan’adas and The Adamu Trio.

Buddy has performed live with Feya Faku, Judith Sephuma, Moses Mololekwa, Manu Dibango, Miriam Makeba, Bheki Mseleku, Louis Moholo, Simpiwe Dana, Freshly Ground, Bokani Dyer, Shane Cooper, Joe McBride, Musa Manzini, Melanie Scholtz, Carlo Mombelli and The Prisoners of Strange, Tete Mbambisa, Africa Mkhize, Hassanadas, Marcus Wyatt, Andre Peterson, Rahul Sharma, Ibrahim Khalil Shihab, Victor Ntoni, Voice, Interzone, Dondo, Gerald Veasely, Loading Zone, Flat Stanley, Vusi Khumalo, Ernie Smith, Thandi Klaasen, Abdullah Ibrahim, Gloria Bosman, Tucan Tucan, Tina Schouw, Alou April,  Babu, amongst many others.

Recorded with Tribe, Kyle Shepherd, Bokani Dyer, Feya Faku, Shane Cooper, Oliver Mtukudzi, Mark Fransman’s Strait and Narro, Alou April, Jimmy Dludlu, Musa Manzini, Marcus Wyatt, Moses Mololekwa, Loading Zone, Kabelo, Clair Philips, Virtual Jazz Reality, Feya Faku, Offshore, Maxwell Vidima, James Stewart, Winston Mankunku Ngozi, Tucan Tucan, Jack Van Poll, Melanie Scholtz, Gito Baloi, David Leadbetter, Blues Broers, Truly Fully Hey Shoo Wow Band, Moreira Project, The Clearing , Hassanadas, Andreas Loven and many others.