Bokani Dyer Trio: Traditions– Melbourne International Jazz Festival 2026

Bokani Dyer Trio is a high-voltage force in modern Afro-jazz, led by visionary pianist and composer Bokani Dyer. Since his early career mentorship with celebrated pianist Jason Moran, Dyer’s career has catapulted him across the globe — releasing six solo albums and performing on the world’s biggest jazz stages, including North Sea Jazz, London Jazz Festival and SFJAZZ in San Fransisco. Born from Botswana’s soul and sharpened on South Africa’s jazz scene, his trio — featuring Dyer on piano alongside Timothy Norton (bass) and Lumanyano Mzi (drums) — delivers a sound charged with swinging post-bop, hypnotic groove and raw harmonic electricity. For their Melbourne International Jazz Festival debut, the trio presents music from their forthcoming album, Traditions, offering a rare opportunity to experience this new body of work live before its release. Much of the material remains fresh to the stage, making each performance part of the music’s ongoing evolution, reflecting Bokani Dyer Trio’s continued exploration of heritage, memory and identity.