Hugh Nini

Hugh Masekela kicks off the 70s with this wonderfully bold statement - a record that's light years from the shorter, simpler instrumentals of his earliest American years - and which really shows Hugh trying to reach out for a new groove! Masekela sings a bit on the set - often with this raspy tone that echoes his slight grimace on the cover - and instrumentation includes lots of work from other LA electric jazz giants, including members of The Crusaders - with Joe Sample on Fender Rhodes, Monk Montgomery and Wilton Felder on bass, Arthur Adams on guitar, and Larry Willis on piano.

Hugh Hopper - Hopper Tunity Box (1976) {Cuneiform Records Rune 240 rel 2007}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 276 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 100 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 28 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1976, 2007 Compendium Records / Hugh Hopper / Cuneiform Records | Rune 240
Jazz / Jazz Fusion / Canterbury Scene / Jazz-Rock / Avant-Prog

Ex-Soft Machine bassist Hugh Hopper augments his rather infamous fuzz-bass attack by performing on guitar, recorders, soprano sax, and percussion on this reissue of the original LP. Recorded in 1976 and re-released on CD by Culture Press in 1996 and Cuneiform in 2007, this outing features the bassist's fellow Soft Machine bandmate, saxophonist Elton Dean, along with others of note. Moreover, Hopper veers into jazz fusion territory amid his often memorably melodic compositions, also including an investigative spin on modern jazz great Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman."

Presumably to commemorate his 60th birthday, Hugh Masekela released an album of primarily African works. The album starts with a tribute to Fela, a kindred spirit in African horn playing and a friend of Masekela. After that, it moves on through a number of traditional songs and trips down memory lane. The liner notes give a good deal of background information on each of the songs (always a plus). From time to time, the music seems to slip into something of a contemporary Harry Belafonte-esque sound (which perhaps might not be completely surprising, given the repeated collaborations between Belafonte and Miriam Makeba, coupled with Masekela's marriage to Makeba). Despite (or due to) any such similarities that may arise, this is international pop at its best. Also, the backing vocals of the Family Factory group are exceptional, at the very least.

Recorded at Delta Studio in Canterbury (date unspecified) and released in 2007 on the fusion/prog label Moonjune, Numero d'Vol is an inspired improv session between famous Soft Machine bassist Hugh Hopper, avant-garde jazz sax player Simon Picard, jazz keyboardist Steve Franklin, and drummer – and This Heat mastermind – Charles Hayward. The album's title is French for "Flight Number" and, yes, inspiration flies high in this music.