2010-06-14
Strut Records concludes a three-CD set of early South African music by highlighting that country's jazz musicians of the '60s, '70s and '80s. While many prominent artists fled South Africa for the safer and richer shores of the U.S. and Europe, these musicians stayed and kept jazz alive. Some interesting stuff here -- you can hear the roots of what Hugh Masekela wound up doing with "Grazin' in the Grass" in 1968. The Malombo cuts are the ones that fuse jazz and African rhythms the most extensively. That these artists could play so skillfully during a time of great repression is amazing. Such is the power of music. 06/10 Michael J.BOBBY WATSON AND THE LIVE AND LEARN BAND
Fronm The Heart
Various Artists
ReBop: The Savoy Remixes
ELDAR
Re-Imagination
VARIOUS
Rumble In the Great Lakes (Best of the Detroit Jazz Fest 2007)
THE BIG THREE TRIO
We Got Rhythm
PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND
PRESERVATION
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