Kyle Shepherd Trio Talks Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek, Improvisation and the Evolution of South African Jazz
Few formats in jazz are as exposed, expressive, and emotionally demanding as the piano trio. For acclaimed South African pianist and composer Kyle Shepherd, this format isn’t just a structure—it’s a living, breathing conversation.
Ahead of the Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek, Shepherd reflects on collaboration, improvisation, and the evolving story of South African jazz through the lens of the Kyle Shepherd Trio.
Q: Kyle, the trio format is both intimate and demanding—how do you approach creating a cohesive sound with piano, bass, and drums?
Kyle Shepherd:
For me, the trio is about deep listening. It’s one of the most honest formats in jazz because there’s nowhere to hide—every gesture matters. I approach it less as piano with accompaniment, and more as three equal voices shaping a shared language. Over time, you develop a kind of trust and sensitivity to each other’s phrasing, dynamics, and intention. That’s where cohesion comes from.
Q: Your music blends Cape Jazz, Afro-jazz, and contemporary improvisation—how do you balance tradition and innovation in your compositions?
Kyle Shepherd:
I don’t experience tradition and innovation as opposites. Tradition is a living thing—it evolves through us. My grounding in Cape Jazz and the music I grew up hearing is always present, but I’m also responding to my current reality, my influences, and the moment we’re in. So the balance happens naturally.
Q: The trio has performed internationally—how does performing abroad compare to performing in South Africa, and how do audiences differ?
Kyle Shepherd:
There’s a different kind of recognition when you play at home. South African audiences often understand the cultural nuances in a very immediate way. Abroad, there’s sometimes a sense of discovery—people are encountering the music without that same context, but with a lot of curiosity. Both are special in different ways, and it seems to connect regardless of geography.
Q: Improvisation is a key element of your music—can you describe how the trio communicates and interacts spontaneously during a performance?
Kyle Shepherd:
It’s almost like a conversation without words. We’re constantly responding to each other in real time—rhythmically, harmonically, emotionally. Sometimes it’s very subtle, like a shift in touch or timing, and other times it’s more overt. You have to be fully in the moment and open to where the music wants to go, rather than trying to control it.
Q: How have your individual careers and experiences shaped the sound and direction of the Kyle Shepherd Trio?
Kyle Shepherd:
We each bring our full musical lives into the trio—our influences, our experiences, our growth. Over the years, as I’ve worked in many different contexts—film, theatre, collaborations—that has definitely expanded my sense of sound and form. The trio becomes a space where all of that can converge, but in a very distilled way. It’s like a meeting point of everything we’ve absorbed.
Q: You’ll be performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek—what excites you most about presenting your music at this festival?
Kyle Shepherd:
A new addition to the ever-growing South African festival circuit is an exciting and welcomed development. I’m excited about sharing our music with this audience and contributing to the ongoing story of South African jazz in this way. I see a future where we have many festivals all around the country—not only in the big cities, but in small towns and everywhere in between too.
Q: South Africa has a rich jazz heritage—how do you see the Kyle Shepherd Trio contributing to and evolving this tradition?
Kyle Shepherd:
I see us as part of a continuum. South African jazz has always been about resilience, identity, and expression. What we’re doing is adding our voice to that lineage—drawing from it, but also extending it. Each generation has to find its own way of speaking, and I think our contribution is in how we engage with that history while remaining open to new possibilities.
Q: What can audiences expect from your set at Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek in terms of repertoire, energy, and improvisation?
Kyle Shepherd:
Our performance will centre around the repertoire from our latest album, A Dance More Sweetly Played. There will be moments that are very rooted and melodic, and others that are more exploratory and open. The repertoire will include original compositions that reflect different parts of my musical language, and the improvisation will be central—as it always is.
Q: As a trio, collaboration and listening are vital—what have been some of the most memorable or transformative moments you’ve experienced together on stage?
Kyle Shepherd:
Some of the most powerful moments have been the ones you can’t plan—where something unexpected happens and we all respond in a way that elevates the music beyond what we thought was possible.
Q: Looking ahead, do you see the Kyle Shepherd Trio evolving into new projects, recordings, or collaborations?
Kyle Shepherd:
We have quite a few things planned…
With a philosophy rooted in deep listening, cultural continuity, and fearless exploration, the Kyle Shepherd Triocontinues to carve out a distinctive space in contemporary jazz. As they take the stage at the Montreux Jazz Festival Franschhoek, their performance promises not just music, but a living dialogue—one that bridges past and present, structure and spontaneity, home and the world.
For audiences, it’s more than a set. It’s an invitation to listen—closely.
