Mel’s Place in Plettenberg Bay offers live jazz music

Published: February 24th, 2020

Wandisile’s Plett

A blog by Wandisile Sebezo.

Mel’s Place in Plettenberg Bay offers live jazz music

I went to Mel’s Place by a chance some weeks ago, well, on the insistence of a colleague. While our stay was for a brief moment, right there I was ‘captured’ by the kind of live music that was playing and I said to myself, “this is me right here”.

I am a jazz man, that’s my first preference in music, but I vibe with whatever vibes with me. A little bit of country music from time to time gets me there, and a bit of blues there and there, for the soul you know. Who knew? Live jazz music in Plettenberg Bay.

One of my favourite American Socio-Political Commentators Dr Cornel West likes to say “I’m a bluesman in the life of the mind and a jazzman in the world of ideas.”

Outside Mel's Place in Keurboomstrand — ***Outside Mel’s Place in Keurboomstrand***

If I am not jamming to Tracy Chapman, James Bay or Gregory Porter, then I am into Michael Franks, Bob James or Lalah Hathaway. But I would kill to see them in action, live.

The sound of the saxophone at Mel’s Place that night took me back to PE when Zanzibar used to play live music every Wednesday, featuring some of PE’s best.

I was at the 2018 Standard Bank Joy of Jazz in Jozi when the Malian Maestro and Legend Salif Keita, correctly described as the ‘Golden Voice of Africa’ took to the stage. The energy in that jam-packed convention centre was just out of this world, it’s indescribable in words, one has to feel it to know it, with a tad bit of whiskey off course.

***Georgetown performs live at Mel’s Place***

So you can imagine my excitement when I waltzed in at Mel’s the other night.

There are not so many places hosting live music these days. Some close because it has become expensive to host artists and still try to make money. A place that comes to mind is The Orbit Live Jazz and Bistro in Braamfontein which closed its doors early last year siting affordability issues.

So places like Mel’s that still try to champion the artists must be acknowledged. My stay at Mel’s might have been brief, but I got just enough to know that for sure I’ll be back to sample some more live jazz music in Plettenberg Bay.

Mel’s Place is on Keurbooms Road, Keurboomstrand.