John Ibrahim

For this excellent date, pianist Abdullah Ibrahim performs eight of his compositions with a particularly strong group of players: trombonist Robin Eubanks, John Stubblefield on tenor and flute, Horace Alexander Young switching between soprano, alto and piccolo, Howard Johnson on tuba, baritone and trumpet, bassist Buster Williams and drummer Brian Abrahams. But more important than the individual players are the colorful ensembles and the frequently memorable compositions. Highlights include "African River," "Sweet Samba," "Duke 88" and a beautiful version of "The Wedding".

Taken from his summer 2023 sold-out headline date at London's Barbican Centre, the new album "3" follows suit and is spread across two performances - the first is recorded without an audience recorded ahead of the concert straight to analogue on a 1" Scully tape machine, which had previously been used by Elvis at the famous Memphis-based Sun Studios. The second recording is taken from the evening's performance itself with Ibrahim performing in a unique trio which includes Cleave Guyton (flute, piccolo, saxophone) who has performed alongside the likes of Aretha Franklin, Dizzy Gillespie, and Joe Henderson, as well as lauded bassist and cellist Noah Jackson, both of which are members of Ekaya and featured on Ibrahim's top 3 Billboard Jazz album "The Balance".

African Magic is a sweeping 24-part suite recorded live at the 11th and final Jazz Across the Border Festival in Germany in 2001 by the Abdullah Ibrahim Trio. Ibrahim's trio features acoustic bassist Belden Bullock and drummer Sipho Kunene distilling the melodic sounds of South Africa into a personal improvisation of jazz, religious, and traditional world music coupled with European classical and chamber music influences. Recurring cubistic style fragments of Ibrahim's multi-themed tone poem "Blue Bolero" are sequenced throughout this enchanting program and encourage listeners to participate in the invigorating rhythms that are abstract yet romantic…

This unusual set is powerful but clearly for selected tastes. Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim and saxophonist Talib Qadr, who doubles on soprano and alto, are mostly heard singing and chanting during Ibrahim's religious piece "Ishmael," a heartfelt but difficult-to-listen-to tribute to the pianist's Islamic faith. His other originals, which sometimes find Ibrahim playing soprano, are also quite spiritual, featuring a lot of emphasis on the melody statements and pure religious passion from the quartet, which also includes bassist Greg Brown and drummer John Betsch.

Abdullah Ibrahim - African Dawn (1982) {Enja Records ENJ-4030 2 rel 1999}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 207 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 133 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 15 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1982, 1999 Enja Records | ENJ-4030 2
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Post Bop / Piano Solo

On this solo piano set, Abdullah Ibrahim pays tributes to some of his musical heroes: Thelonious Monk ("'Round Midnight," "Just You, Just Me," "Blue Monk," and "For Monk"), John Coltrane ("For Coltrane"), and Billy Strayhorn ("A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing"), although surprisingly not Duke Ellington this time. But even on the direct tributes (which are sometimes a bit abstract), Ibrahim sounds very much like himself. The pianist, who also contributed five other colorful originals, displays his South African heritage and his optimistic view of the future in his unique brand of jazz. African Dawn is a fine example of his solo piano talents.