Christopher McGregor, born in Somerset West, South Africa, was a South African jazz pianist, bandleader, and composer. Chris McGregor was raised on church songs and Xhosa dances by his Scottish missionary father. He found the black jazz scene while studying at the Cape Town College of Music. His septet performed at the National Jazz Festival in 1962, and after establishing the Blue Notes in 1963, he led a large band. They fled the nation after being harassed by the government after accepting an invitation to the 1964 Antibes Jazz Festival. Abdullah Ibrahim, a fellow expat, assisted them in finding work in Zurich, then at Ronnie Scott's in London and Café Montmartre in Copenhagen.