Dollar Brand African

Adolph Johannes Brand was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1934. He adopted the stage name Dollar Brand for his first few recordings, before changing his name to Abdullah Ibrahim on his conversion to Islam in 1968. The recording dates of both these sets are from that brief period between the burst of South African jazz and when Ibrahim and fellow musicians fled apartheid in 1962.

Archie Shepp and Dollar Brand - Duet (1978) {Denon DC-8561 rel 1990}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 221 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 107 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 21 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1978, 1990 Denon / Nippon Columbia Japan | DC-8561
Jazz / Cool / Jazz Blues / Mainstream Jazz

A somewhat surprising pairing at the time, the former firebrand of the tenor sax and the wonderful South African pianist found a pleasant and relaxed meeting point. By 1978, Shepp had largely abandoned the ferocious attack that gained him renown in the '60s, settling on a rich, Ben Webster-ish tone and playing a repertoire consisting of modern standards and bluesy originals. Two such pieces, the lovely Dave Burrell/Marion Brown composition "Fortunato" and Mal Waldron's "Left Alone," are highlights of this session, Shepp's burnished tone as soft as an old shoe.

This is one of the best of the 'Africa' sessions recordings by Abdullah Ibrahim/Dollar Brand. Eaily on a par with the fabulous Blues for a Hip King this album features some truly wonderful compositions that have the Mannenberg feel that was at the heart of Ibrahim's playing (the title track, and 'Rollin' stand out) and some inspired playing from his sidemen. The real gem on this is Kippie Moeketsi, one of South Africa's lost treasures, who plays a glorious burning solo on the title track.

Abdullah Ibrahim's spiritual and very melodic South African folk music is always worth hearing and his individuality remains quite impressive. This set, recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, features the pianist (who also plays a bit of soprano and adds his emotional voice to the proceedings) with his longtime altoist Carlos Ward, bassist Essiet Okun Essiet, drummer Don Mumford and vocalist Johnny Classens. The music, dealing with themes related to South African life, is quite personal, unique and surprisingly accessible.

Abdullah Ibrahim revisits seven of his old compositions on this release, recorded live in Germany with the 17-piece NDR Big Band under the direction of Dieter Glawischnig. The new arrangements by Steve Gray and Fritz Pauer give Ibrahim's infectious melodies and rolling vamps added power. Even Ibrahim seems excited: between tunes he verbally invites the audience to "come with us" (e.g., "Now come with us to an African Market," "Now come with us, a beautiful African sunset, and soft rain, soft rain, Pule."). "African Market," "Kramat," and "Black and Brown Cherries" are nothing if not danceable, while "Mindif" and the relatively brief "Whoza Mtwana" introduce a more contemplative mood. The charts leave plenty of room for resourceful solos, chiefly by trombonist Joe Gallardo, saxophonist/flutist Fiete Felsch, trumpeters Claus Stötter and Ingold Burkhardt, and of course Ibrahim himself…

During the early '80s, the South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim released a flurry of small-group albums that concentrated on essentially the same relatively small repertoire. At Montreux is one of these. Thus we have pieces like "The Perfumed Forest Wet With Rain" and "Ishmael," which are available on several other recordings, and "The Wedding," which – while a beautiful song – seemed to appear on every recording Ibrahim issued during this period. This is not to say that it's a mediocre or unenjoyable recording. The band is tight and energetic, featuring the usual stellar work from the unsung saxophonist Carlos Ward as well as an early recorded appearance by the young trombonist Craig Harris. Ibrahim chose to have an electric bass with this group, giving a slightly funkier sound than usual and, as was typically the case, the pianist himself stays in the background, preferring to lead and prod the band rather than solo.

Batsumi - Batsumi (1974) {Panai, Japan Bonus Tracks Edition rel 2011}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44kHz - Official Digital Download (deezer.com) -> 385 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 140 Mb | Cover | 5% repair rar
© 1974, 2011 Panai
Jazz / Afro Jazz / Funk / Afrobeat / World Music

“Batsumi” Is A South African Gem Made In The Face of Oppression. During the brutal era in South African history known as Apartheid, the minority-white ruling party forcibly moved millions of black South Africans from their homes to segregated areas, stripping them of their citizenship and reassigning them to tribal Bantu status. But even in the face of this outrageous oppression, South African music thrived. Artists like pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (formerly known as Dollar Brand), and multi-instrumentalist Hugh Masekela gained fame both within the country and beyond. But Ibrahim and Masekela were the exceptions, rather than the rule. Because they both lived and toured abroad, it was easier for their music to get attention. For local South African musicians, operating under the threat of state violence, breaking through to European and American audiences was much harder.

Abdullah Ibrahim (born Adolph Johannes Brand on 9 October 1934 and formerly known as Dollar Brand) is a South African pianist and composer. His music reflects many of the musical influences of his childhood in the multicultural port areas of Cape Town, ranging from traditional African songs to the gospel of the AME Church and ragas, to more modern jazz and other Western styles. Ibrahim is considered the leading figure in the subgenre Cape jazz. Within jazz, his music particularly reflects the influence of Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington.