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.AJA WEST
The Olympian
JESSICA WILLIAMS
With Love
MIKE FROST PROJECT
Live
The New Orleans Social Club
Sing Me Back Home
VARIOUS
Rumble In the Great Lakes (Best of the Detroit Jazz Fest 2007)
Thad Jones
One More: The Summary: Music of Thad Jones Volume 2
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